The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1942-12-25
WNU Service, 1343 II Street, NV,
WASHINGTON. d. @.

Washington, d. @.
There is a package in Washington
addressed to the farmers marked
'Do Not Open Until After Congress
Convenes." It may never be deliv-
cred, but the people who are doing 1t
UP at this writing think 1t will be.
II will make nice New Years pres
ent. It Is labeled "Higher Farm
Prices"
Several straws indicate that the
wind is blowing In this direction.
The house early this month unani-
mously passed measure which di-
rected that the cost of all farm la
Dor be included in computing parity
prices.
Since the election Is over, nobody
can attribute purely political mo-
tives to the congressman who sup
ported the measure. As nearly as
1 can find out, the vote reflected the
mail-the opinions expressed In the
letters that the congressman have
been getting since the election-plus
a belief ON the part Of many people
in the administrative as well as the
legislative branch that II we are to
ask the farmer to increase his pro-
duction effort from 20 to so per
cent, we will have to give him the
incentive of higher prices.
One official said to me:
"When you 60 to contractor and
say that he has got to double his
production or get it out in one-haH
the ordinary time, you are not sur
prised when he expects a bonus.
When you ask the farmer to raise
more than he ordinarily does-he is
usually raising all he thinks he can
anyway-it is natural that he ex-
poets some sort of material reward.
Time and half for overtime has
not been abolished, manufacturers
are guaranteed against loss by the
cost-plus system. Why shouldn't the
farmer get his share?"
These are some Of the arguments
which you hear these days when the
question of raising farm prices Is
discussed. This is quite different
attitude from the one taken when the
country was demanding that some
thing be done to prevent imitation.
Proponents Of higher ceilings claim
that they are not inconsistent. They
say: "There Is no danger OF un-
controlled imitation when you permit
a stipulated limit to the rise in
costs"
Subsidies Not Popular
Already it has been found neces-
sary to substitute the cheese mar
kets. II you expect to get all the
dairy and pork products you need,
the argument runs, it will be neces-
sary to pay the farmer little bit
more for his milk and hogs. Subsi-
dies are not popular. If another
way can be found, SO much the bet
ter.
There is, however, another impor-
tant consideration in connection with
the whole food and fiber production
program. This Is growing de-
mand that processing and distribu-
ton be strictly regulated. Secre-
tary Wickard, as food administra-
tor, has the power to set up such
regulations.
officials who served in the de-
partment Of agriculture through the
last war will testify that although
there was efficient food distribution,
lot Of smart professors and mid
dlemen feathered their nests at the
expense Of the farmer and the pub
lie. Farmers know this. One con-
gresham said to me: 1.-THE folks
out in my district do not object to
working twice as hard and produc-
ing twice as much II they can. They
do think, however, that they ought
to get little more money for their
extra effort and they also feel they
ought to have the guarantee that no
Spectator is going to make money
out of the increased production the
way many did in the last war;"
The appointment Of Secretary
Wickard, with his powers over the
| processing and distribution Of food
products, was partly result OF
opinions such as expressed by the
farmer whom my congressman
friend quoted. 1t is argued that
since the department Of agriculture
is responsible for getting enough
food and textiles to I'LL the domestic,
army and navy and lease-lend de-
mands, this same agency ought to
have control over the preparation
and distribution of these products
as well.