Evening star., 1942-09-24
Pority Compromise.
Rejected, 13 to 0, by.
Senate Committee:
Agriculture Group
Insists on including
Form Labor Costs
(House Roll Calls on Page A-i6.1

By the Associated Press.
Thirteen members Of the SEN
ate Agriculture Committee voted
unanimously today to reject an
administration sponsored COM
promise to the anti-inflation bill
which would direct President
Roosevelt to lift farm price CELL
ings where they did not reflect
increased labor and other costs. :
Senator Thomas, Democrat, Of
Oklahoma, said all members present
at meeting with leaders of farm
organizations had agreed to stand by
an amendment sponsored by him
and Senator Hatch, Democrat, Of New
Mexico, which would increase the
level OF parity prices by approxi-
mately IL per cent by including all
farm labor costs as factor.
The House adopted q similar
amendment yesterday in passing 4
measure authorizing and directing
Mr.. Roosevelt to stabilize prices,
wages and salaries at September Is
levels, SO far as practical.
Had Sought to Split Bloc.
Administration leaders had sought
to split the farm bloc in the Senate
by Offering an amendment which
would leave to the President the de-
termination Of when increased costs
were not reflected by the price cell
ings.
The President had expressed 'un-
alterable" opposition to recomput-
ing the basis Of parity.
The compromise doesn't mean.
anything" Senator Thomas told re-.
porters. 1--WE want to write this.
thing directly into the law"
Senator Russell, Democrat, Of
Georgia, said the compromise pro-
posal in itself was not so bad, but
there was some fear among Aert-
culture Committee members about
its administration.
Majority Leader Barkley said be-
fore the committee voted that II
the farm group did not accept the
compromise, the issue would be
fought out on the floor Of the
Senate.
Three walk Out Of Farley.
Three members of the Senate farm
bloc abruptly left q meeting with
administration leaders today.
Il am not in any position to ac-
cept any compromise" Senator
Thomas told reporters AZ he walked
out Of the conference room. V
Senators Thomas, Hatch and
Minority Leader McNary left the
meeting together.
Others Attending Farley.
Other Senators who attended and
apparently favored the administra-
ton compromise included Majority
Leader Barley, Senator'S Brown.
Democrat, Of Michigan; Wagner,
Democrat, Of New York; Tydings,
Democrat, of Maryland: OMa-
honey, Democrat, of Wyoming: Taft.
Republican. Of Ohio and Reed, Re-
publican, OF Kansas.
Senators Reed and Tydings had
prepared the compromise proposal.
which Senator Thomas said was re-
vised only slightly when 1t was Of.
fered at the meeting by administra.
ton leaders. t'e =
The House action in passing the
antf-inf1ation bill yesterday with an
amendment identical to that pro-
posed by Senators Thomas and Hatch
was credited with stiffening the de-
termination Of Senate farm bloc
members to force the same proposal
into the bill there now.
Senator Thomas told reporters he
did not believe the President would
veto the measure If the parity
change were made.
II the farmers are Knocked out
OF this change In parity and indus
trial wages and profits continue to
go up. I am afraid OF the effect on
food production" he said.
The situation shaped up like this
IN the Senate.
An unofhcial poll showed 40 of
the 96 Senator'S committed to sup
port the principle of an upward
parity division, with 22 against, 19
undecided, 8 refusing to comment
An authoritative source, declin-
ing to be quoted by name, said the
administration was supporting this
compromise, which would not dis
turb the present basis for computing
parity, but would direct President
Roosevelt to take into account farm
labor costs In modifying price cell.
ings to correct gross ineQuities."
This same source said that II
the parity revision were included In
any bill sent to the White House,
President Roosevelt would veto 1t
and could be expected then to take
the initiative in fixing farm prices.
as he threatened to do If Congress
did not act before October /.
There was possibility that ad.
ministration forces might abandon
the legislation altogether, letting the
President use his present wartime
powers as he said he would in his
recent you-do-it-or-I-will message.
Fight Centers on Parity Change.
Thus far the whole congressional
controversy over the ant1-lndatlon
measure has centered on the pro-.
posed change In the parity standard.
Based usually on l909-14 farm prices,
this standard is calculated to equal
lie the amount farmers pay for the
things they buy with the amount
they receive for what they sell.
The legislation would direct the
President to stabilize prices, wages
and salaries. SO far as practical but
he could not order any ceiling placed
on farm commodity where the
price Of that article had not reached
parity.
Senator Thomas and his Coz
sponsor, Senator Hatch, proposed to
move this level up at least II per
cent by adding the cost Of all farm
labor to the items now used In COM
putting parity, such as interest, taxes
and freight charges.
The House wrote . similar for.
mule into it, bin BY . standing