Evening star., 1942-05-19
Senate Fight on Sale
OF u. S.-HeId Grains
Seen Likely Today
Boost in F. S. A. Funds
For RuruI Rehabilitation
Loans, Gronts Voted
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
Successful in obtaining Senate in
creases in Farm Security Admins
tration funds voted by the House,
farm bloc Senators squared of on
two fronts for agricultural COM
modities.
The issue was before the Senate
in the form of an amendment to
the s680,OO0, 900 agriculture appro-
priation bill designed to prevent
sales Of Government-held crop sur
pluses below parity levels.
Another phase of the controversy
came up in the Senate Banking
Committee. which met to reconsider
legislation granting broad authority,
to the Reconstruction Finance Corp.
to buy and sell commodities on re-
quest of the Price Administrator.
Farm block members said they
feared any such authority would
enable the Government to sell farm
commodities below parity. Chair
man Wagner expressed confidence
that the committee would be able to
satisfy the farm group.
Farm Block Split Threatened.
The united front which enabled
the farm bloc yesterday to win a
boost of $4,000, 900 in F. s. A. cash
and SIS, ,000, 900 in borrowing author
ity to make rural rehabilitation
grants and loans was threatened,
however, by a controversy over the
price amendment to the agriculture
appropriation bill.
A prohibition against selling Gov
ernment-held surpluses below parity
voted by the House has met with
administration opposition and the
Senate Appropriations Committee
offered compromise that would
permit sale of 125 900 900 bushels Of
surplus wheat for livestock feeding.
Some members from corn-pro-
ducing areas, however. have ex-
pressed fear that would result in
depressing the price Of corn. To
meet that objection, supporters Of
the committee compromise proposed
limitation requiring that any
wheat sales for livestock feed be at
prices not lower than IS per cent of
the parity price of corn, or approx
mately 80 cents a bushel.
Senator Gillette, Democrat, of
Iowa opposed the proposal, saying
that he was standing on the princi-
pie that none of these products
should be sold at less than parity"
Baldwin Called Communist.
The increase in F. S. AS cash ap-
preparation. bringing it to s50,3l9,-
557, carried on a 48-to-l6 vote after
Senators Byrd, Democrat, Of Vir-
ginia and McKellar. Democrat. Of
Tennessee had protested that IS. A.
was extravagantly and in some in
stances illegally administered.
Senator McKellar said he believed
c. B. Baldwin, F. S. A. administrator,
is a Communist and is not really
in favor of our American tnstitu-
tions."
That brought protests from Sena-
tors Bankhead and Hill OF Alabama,
Russell of Georgia and Pepper OF
Florida, all Democrats. who con-
tended that Mr. Baldwin Is
patriotic American" king to al
leviate distress among poor farmers.
Senator Russell declared that Mr..
Baldwin was "as far from a Com
munist as 1t is possible for a man
to get"
Senator McKellar said he would
waive senatorial immunity If Mr..
Baldwin wanted to sue him as q
result of his assertions
Baldwin Denies Charge.
Mr.. Baldwin. in a statement last
night, called the charge absurd
and untrue"
Before taking up the first Of the
F. S. A. increases recommended by
the Appropriations Committee, the
Senate refused, 43 to IS, to reduce
travel expenses of the Department
of Agriculture by $4,000 900.
The chamber approved instead a
committee recommendation for
reduction Of 81 SOC, 600.
"At time when citizens are being
asked not to use gasoline and to
conserve rubber" Senator Byrd pro-
tested, II think 20 per cent reduc-
ton in the departments travel ex-
penses could be made without any
material injury to its activities"
Senator Russell contended that
IF we have erred in this matter, we