Evening star., 1942-09-25
Henderson Aid
Asked in Farm
Price Battle
Senote Leaders Seek
OPA Chiefs Stund on
Compromise Measure
~ the Associated Press.

SOHsPIO"ISe We0SuIe
- the Associated Press.
Farm bloc defections spurred
the Senate leadership today to
call for help from Price Admin
istrator Leon Henderson in an
effort to placate agriculture's de-
mands for higher food prices.
Fighting an uphill battle, admin
1stration leaders decided to ask Mr..
Henderson to outline the actions he
would take II Congress should adopt
a compromise amendment to the
anti-infiation bill.
The amendment would direct
President Roosevelt to lift farm
price ceilings where they did not re-
fleet increased labor and other costs
to producers. 1t was offered by
Majority Leader Barkley as a sub
stitute for a proposal by Senators
Thomas, Democrat, Of Oklahoma
and Hatch, Democrat, of New Mex
leo to move the parity standard up
ward by making farm labor costs an
integral part of It's base.
Parity Equalizing Factor.
Parity is standard calculated
to equalize the returns a farmer
receives from his crops with the
prices OF the manufactured and
processed goods he buys. Under the
bill passed by the House and now
pending before the Senate, which
directs President Roosevelt to sta
bilize prices. wages and salaries at
September Is levels. so far As prac-
tical, no ceiling could be placed on
farm products below parity.
Since 1t would be Mr.. Henderson
who actually would administer the
price controls under the bill. Sen
ator Nye, Republican, of North Da-
kota said he and others from farm
States would feel more disposed to
consider q compromise II they knew
what Mr.. Henderson would do II it
were adopted. Senator Nye said he
was assured by leaders that such a
statement would be obtained.
The Barkley peace proposal won
the support, meanwhile, of Senator
Norris, Independent, of Nebraska,
who had favored the Thomas Hatch
amendment despite President Roose-
velt's "unalterable" opposition to It,.
McNary Backs Barkley Plan.
In addition, Minority Leader Nc
Nary was reported to be seeking to
convince other farm bloc members
they ought to support Senator Bark
ley's plan, because it would include
both labor and other cost increases
IN fixing farm price ceilings. So
Senator Norris said he was get
ting behind the Barkley proposal
because he believed 1t was the only
practical way OF obtaining final
enactment of legislation which would
control both industrial wages and
farm prices.
IT we pass this bill with. the
amendment changing the parity
base, it is going to be vetoed and we
will not have any legislation under
which industrial wages can be con-
trolled," Senator Norris told re-
porters.
Face Difficult Situation.
The leadeship faced a difficult
parliamentary situation, however, in
that the Senate appeared headed for
4 vote first on the Thomas-Hatch
proposal. Conceding that this
amendment is likely to be written
into the bill. they expressed con-
f1dence the Barkley amendment
then would be adopted in its place.
That would nullify the first action.
Even II the Senate passed the bill
with the Barkley substitute in 1t,
the measure would have to be
Ieconciled with q version in which
the House Overwhelmingly wrote an
amendment identical in language to
that offered by Senators Thomas
and Hatch.
Administration lieutenants left no
doubt as to the fate Of the latter
measure If it ever reached the Presi-
dent.
Senator Brown, Democrat, of
Michigan told his colleagues yester-
Gay that 1t would be vetoed and ex-
pressed doubt that Congress would
pass it again over the veto. He also
made 1t plain he believed the Presi-
dent would move under the author
ity OF the Second War Powers Act to
fix farm prices himself.
Taft Doubts Roosevelt Powers.
Senator Brown, co-author of the
Senate anti-infiation bill, declared
the Second War Powers Act gave the
President wide powers "over the eco
(See IMITATION, PageA-4.J