Evening star., 1942-05-16
u. S.-Hekd Grain Sales
Under Parity Threaten
SpIit in Farm Bloc
Western Senators Ired
By Decision to Release
Wheat, Corn for Feeding
By tbt Associated Press.

By tbt Associated Press.
A split was threatened today In
the powerful Senate farm bloc, with
corn and wheat representatives
angry over decision Of other fam
spokesmen to permit under-paricy
sales of Government grain for live
stock feeding.
Senators Russell, Democrat, OF
Georgia, Bankhead, Democrat, Of
Alabama and McNary, Republican,
of Oregon met with grain belt lead
ers to try for an informal agreement
keeping intact the united front Of
Southern tobacco, cotton and rice
farmers with Western corn, wheat,
livestock and dairy interests.
In recent years this group has
won an amazing series of legislative
victories, sometimes over protests OF
the President, but leaders men,
toned the possibility today of an
internal clash.
IF we can't find q suitable COM
promise then we'll simply have to
fight this thing out on the floor" /"
Senator Russell said.
White House Farley Held.
Involved in the dispute are Presi-
dent Roosevelt's demands that the
rise in food and other living costs
be checked and protests of corn
growers that Government stocks Of
corn and wheat are being used to
depress prices.
Senators Bankhead, McNary and
Russell talked over this conflict of
views with the President In q White
House conference yesterday. Also
present were Vice President Wallace
and Secretary Of Agriculture Wick
ard and Secretary Of the Treasury
Morgenthau. Senator Russell said
they discussed the entire farm sit
uation without reaching any final
decisions.
President Roosevelt, apparently
acting on word from Price Admins
traitor Henderson, has urged farm
ers to hold prices at least at parity
"a computed level designed to give a
farm commodity the same relative
purchasing power it had in past
period and has suggested that Gov
ernment stocks of wheat, corn and
other grains be released to aid this
effort.
Secretary Wickard contends that
Government corn and wheat stocks,
Of which there is a large surplus,
should be released for livestock feed
ing at less than parity prices to in
sure adequate supplies of dairy and
meat products during the war.
Compromise Washed Out.
The House fatty rejected that plea
when it passed the annual farm
fund measure by approving provi-
sion banning use of any Of the funds
for marketing Government stocks at
less than full parity level. Senate
farm bloc leaders later worked out
compromise to permit release of
125 600 900 bushels of wheat and un-
limited amounts of Government corn
and other grains for feeding pur-
poses.
During yesterdays consideration
Of the agriculture appropriation
bill, the Senate defeated, 46 to IS, q
proposal by Senator Lee, Democrat,
Of Oklahoma to put top limit of
81 900 on any farm benefit payment.
The House approved such a ceiling,
in place of a present limit Of $10,-
600. but the Senate Appropriations
Committee eliminated it.
Senator Lee argued that less than
3 per cent Of the Nations farmers
would get a payment in excess of
900, but Senator Russell protested
that allotments and arrangements
already had been made on this
years crops.
Funds for School Lunches.
Among other things given tenta-
tive Senate approval was a $44,-
0O0, 900 increase in funds for free
school lunches.
Over protests by Senator Byrd,
Democrat, of Virginia, the Senate
voted, A to %, to permit the Secre-
tary Of Agriculture to transfer as
much as 10 per cent of any item in
the appropriations bill to other
uses within his department.
Senator Byrd sought to restrict
this transfer power to 5 per cent,
the amount it had been since 1899
and the amount approved by the
House when it passed the bill.
Senator Russell protested that
might hamper the food for victory
program" or important research