Evening star., 1942-09-24
; Senator'S Quit !
Parley on Parity
Compromise | ];

lhomos Declares
He Cont Accept
!. Administration Plan
Continued From First Page,)
vote OF 1e3 to los yesterday. TIL,
proposal was offered by Represents
tive Brown, Democrat, OF Georgia
1t turned down q compromise some
what Ike the Reed -Tydings pro
posal 174 TO 128 on a teller vote
Final passage Of the measure wa
by . vote OF, 284 to 96. This hap
pened shortly after leaders has
abruptly adjourned the Senate Il
forestall . showdown there unit
compromise efforts could be made
:. Fate Rests With. 10 Senators.
Their chances Of obtaining Sen.
Ate approval of any compromise
however, appeared to rest largel,
with 10 Senators who said they vert
undecided yet on how to vote.
This group included II Demo.
Gratis and seven Republicans, many
~ them from farm States and some
bf whom said they were inclined
toward support of the. amendment
Administration lieutenants were
said to feel, however. that If they
could wean some of the farm bloc
members away from the Thomas
Hatch proposal with the Reed
Tydings compromise, they could
save the antiinflation measure
from an almost certain veto.
The argument most frequently
emphasized by proponents of a
higher parity level was that the at
tractive wages offered by war plants
was making it impossible for the
farmer to retain his helpers with
out increasing their pay.
This problem already was being
studied by the House Agriculture
Committee, which yesterday heard
Secretary Wickard warn Of q pos
sible food shortage unless some
means were found to keep farm
product1on up.
Thomas Favors Showdown.
The contention of administration
spokesmen in the House debate was
that higher parity prices would
make 1t impossible to stabilize liv-
ing costs at reasonable figures.
Moreover, they argued that higher
parity would not, help alleviate the
farm labor situation.
:. The Once Of Price Administers
ton has estimated that as passed
by the House the legislation would
increase the cost OF living by $3,-
O00, 900 900 to $500 ,000, 900 . year.
Although Mr.. Barley and others
apparently we're pinning high hopes
on the Reed -Tydings amendment,
Senator Wagner. one Of the authors
OF the anti-inflation measure. said
he feared 1t would not satisfy the
farm bloc members.
Senator Thomas said he was not
In q position to compromise his
amendment and indicated he would
seek to force . showdown vote dur
ing the day. %
.Alls am. trying to do is to get
tho parity formula on farm costs to
include labor" Senator Thomas
said Il want. it in the law, to estab~
lish the principle, even II nothing
much actually Is done about it."
Senator Thomas said his amend
ment might not do much to obtain
labor for the farm, but it would en-
the farmer. ITO work earlier
and longer, day and night, to-do the
work of the boys who have gone into
the Army and the hired help who
have gone into war industries
TT would give them 4 little more
money to pay wages" he said.
But If the farmers are turned
down, then I am fearful Of the re-
suit. I am afraid lot Of farmers
will say, Everybody else Is getting
lot Of money and.1I can't get my
cost, ! am afraid the farmer will
not try to get labor If he can't pay
the cost.
sss"I think I am doing something
for the national interest when It
kelps the farmer to keep his morale
up"
Senator Bankhead. Democrat, of
Alabama, farm bloc leader, said
he was still for the 1homas-Hatch
amendment, hut added: =
1T wouldn't say that I would not
make any compromise" .
I'm my judgment" Senator Bank
head said, "these little increases of
percentage In the parity calcula-
tons will be totally insignificant
next year.
.1he big problem then will be
the rationing OF food, because the
farmers will be unprepared to pro-
duce enough. food" =.
Unacceptable to President.
The anti-inflation bill, as passed
by the House last night, includesi
the Brown amendment providing
higher parity prices for farm
products-and so made the measure
utterly unacceptable to the Presi-
dent. 49,
The measure provided floor un-
der farm prices at 80 per cent of
parity, REDEEMED to include farm
labor costs, 1t stipulated that no
ceilings could be placed on agri-
cultural commodities which would
return to the farmer less than 100
por cent of the new and higher
parity computations, or less than
recent market levels.
In addition to its farm pro-
visions, the anti-infation bill
grants broad authority for the
sterilization Of other prices. wages
and salaries as OF September Is.
However. it would permit Is per
cent pay increases over the levels
prevailing January l.. l941> x
Frequently in the course OF the
House debate. administration mem
bers predicted that If the new parity
provision we're included, Mr.. Roose-
welt would veto the bill. Privately
they were adding that he probably
would simultaneously take independ-
ent action to limit price increases
under his war powers. -.
House Farm Bloc Wins Easily.
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