Evening star., 1942-09-29
Bark|ey Urges
Senate Action
On Prices Today
Legislative System
At Stoke, leoder
Tells Colleagues
P, the Associated Press.

p the Associated Press.
Denying that President Roose-
velt's call for Limitation leg
islation by October l was "a
pistol at the head of Congress.
Majority Leader Barkley urged
immediate action in the Senate
today TO Justify the legislative
system"
Senator Barkley declared that Mr..
Roosevelt set the deadline because
he could not, beyond the first dav
OF October, control prices and keep
the spiral 'of inflation) from rising
unless he or Congress took action"
Action has been delayed by con-
troversy over whether the cost of
farm labor should be made factor
in determining the parity price of
farm products. The House ALREADY
has so provided, over the administra-
tion's objections.
Urges Action Today.
Senator rBarkley, telling the SEN
ators that they might have to stay
In session today until they completed
action on the price and wage stabi-
ization bill. said he had urged the
submission of the problem to Con-
gress, even If the President had
powers" to solve it.
He said Price Administrator Leon
Henderson took the same position
and urged it constantly and con-
sistently," motivated. Senator Bark
ley said, by desire to preserve the
legislative process and that har-
mony and accord which ought to
exist between the legislative and
executive branches OF our Govern
ment"
Senator Barkley said he felt ''the
country is impatient" and that 1.-The
whole legislative process is under
going a test which I hope will be
terminated in fashion that will
justify and vindicate the legis-
lative system"
Confident they had majority sup
port behind them, Senator Barkley
and Senator Brown, Democrat, of
Michigan, co-author of the bill, said
they were standing pat on an
amendment calling for administra-
tive, rather than statutory, adjust
ment of food and fiber price ceilings
to absorb rising costs of farm labor
Farm Bloc Seeks Compromise.
Farm bloc members meanwhile
cast about for an acceptable COM
promise which. would provide a
wider price spread to cover all costs
of production. ..
Before formally offering any such
proposal, however, they hoped to OBJ
tain vote to write into the meas
ure, which would direct the Presi-
dent to stabilize prices, wages and
salaries at certain levels. a provision
altering present parity standards tc
include labor costs as a factor. Sen
ator Thomas, Democrat, of Okla
homa, one of the farm leaders, said
he thought SO of the 96 Senators
would support the proposal
Parity is a price calculated tc
equalize the farmers returns from
their crops with the cost of the non
agricultural commodities they buy
and under terms of the bill now be-
fore Congress no ceilings could be
fixed on farm products at less than
parity levels.
/ Labor Costs Factor.
With administration leaders claim
ing that they could subsequently re-
place the parity revision amend
ment with one OF their own, farm
leaders seemed to be swinging
toward a compromise which woulc
make it mandatory for the price
administrator to calculate "all pro-
ductive COSTS" including labor, be.
fore fixing a ceiling
This varied from the administra-
tion-sponsored proposal offered by
Senator Barkley which would in.
struct the President-and through
him the sdministrator-tob boost any
ceilings found to be so low they
, would not compensate the producer
for his increased labor and other
| costs.
While ne conceded that the new
est farm bloc suggestion woule
abandon the parity revision tt
which President Roosevelt has OBJ
jected strenuously, Senator Brown
told reporters he thought it woule
be impossible to calculate all pro.
duction costs on a workable basis.
Cites Differences in Cost.
There is bound to be differenc,
in the cost of producing wheat IL
Michigan and in producing it il
Montana" he said. For the life O
me. don't see how you are going tt
compose these sectional difference
and arrive at any workable for
mula."
On the other hand, Senator Hatch
Democrat, of New Mexico, one of thl
authors of the new farm bloc com.
promise, said all he was interested
in obtaining for the farmer was ,
price high enough to meet all OF hi
costs in producing crop.
I'm willing to agree to any rea
sonable amendment that will includ,
the cost of the commodity to tn,
farmer" Senator Hatch said, addins
that he thought the Barkley com
promise proposal failed to do this.