Evening star., 1939-03-25
Economy Test
Due in House
On Farm Bill
Relief Advocates
Urged to Support
Parity Payments
BACKGROUND

Parity Payments
BACKGROUND
Congressional economy adpo-
Gates haze met Nth considerable
e success in present session, cut
ting w. p. A. funds and reducing
Ddr1ous appropriations measures.
W. P. A. fight ,Das reneUed, hoD-
eDer, 1Uhen President Roosevelt
sent message asking passage of
$50 1000, 900 deficiency bill to pro-
u1de needed relief funds. Econ
ony ranks also broke oDer Agrt-
culture Department supply bill.
BY the Associated Press.
The congressional economy drive
laced a major test today when the
House assembled at noon to vote on
amendments to the record s1,O67,-
274,427 appropriation for the Agri.
culture Department.
Economy advocates concentrated
on a proposal to eliminate the
measures provision for $3.50, 900 900
OF parity payments" to farmers.
These payments, designed to raise
the purchasing power represented
in farmers products to the level
prevailing in pre-war years. were
not included in President Roose-
velt's budget.
Some of the bloc working for
governmental retrenchment were
apprehensive that they might lose
not only this contest but, simul-
taneously, their struggle to prevent
Congress from appropriating the
additional S150,0O0,000 Mr.. Roose-
velt has requested to operate the
w. P. A. until July /.
This fear was accentuated by an
appeal made to farm State members
yesterday by Representative SABBATH,
Chicago Democrat who heads the
powerful House Rules Committee,
in behalf of the relief fund.
Appeal Called Log Rolling.
If legislators from rural areas
want our help on parity pay
ments,' he said, they should help
us on the $l50,0O0O00."
The extent to which members
from the farm areas and industrial
cities may have exchanged promises
OF support. in line with this pro-
posal, was not apparent prior to the
voting.
Mr.. Sabath's appeal brought a
protest from Representative Tarver,
Democrat, of Georgia, who termed
such procedure ''log-rolling" and
told the House it was ''unwise for
members to come in here and
threaten members from agricultural
districts by saying that they will not
vote for this bill unless we vote for
increased relief funds"
On the Senate side of the Capitol,
where the farm appropriation must
be acted on after House passage,
Senator Adams. Democrat, of Colo
RADIO, commented:
Its nice of them to be frank
about log-rolling But it is a heck
Of way to administer public benef-
icence"
Senator Adams, an economy advo-
cate, who is floor manager of relief
bills in the Senate, said he didn't
know whether such a (city-farm
combination could be beaten in the
Senate" but added that cities did
not have as much proportionate
representation in the Senate as in
the House.
House Committee to Act.
Referring to the House debate,
Senator Bankhead, Democrat. of
Alabama, said, There is no excuse
for that sort of talk
Senator Bankhead expressed the
view that Senate division on the
farm and relief questions would be
between the administration forces
and the economy bloc. rather than
between farm and city interests.
A House Appropriations Subcom-
mittee is expected to act on the re-
lief allotment next Tuesday. Some
members are demanding that the
appropriations be reduced to $685.
000, 900 or $100,0O0,000.
Senator Adams said that, regard
less of what figure the House ap-
proved, his Appropriations Subcom-
mittee would make a thorough
study of the need for additional
funds" when the legislation reached
the Senate.
The Coloradoan and other Sena-
tors have contended that a general
reduction in expenditures. along
with revision of the corporate tax
system, were necessary to encourage
business.
Congress Held Responsible.
Chairman Mariner S. Eccles of
the Federal Reserve Board told a
Senate committee earlier this week
that most legislators and business
men apparently believed that q bal
anced budget would restore business
confidence.
Although personally favoring con-
tinued large-scale spending, he
made 1t clear he though Congress
should initiate and take RESPONSE
bility for any policy of retrench-
ment.
Senator King, Democrat, of Utah,
said today that Mr.. Eccles' assertion
and recent statements by President
Roosevelt were designed ito place
the blame on Congress" for any
failure to econon1ize