Evening star., 1942-07-09
Roosevelt Again Asks
Congress 10 Break
Farm Bill Deadlock
Statement Accompanies
Signature on Stopeop
Fund Measure
Ey the Associated Press.

Fy the Associated Press.
President Roosevelt made an
other attempt today to persuade
Congress to break a long dead
lock over the $680,O00,0OO agri-
culture appropriations bill, de-
claring that "our war needs do
not permit compromise or par
tisan discord."
The issue in matters in disagree
ment between the Senate and House,
he said in statement, is that of
more abundant production of the
things we need" He added that
I'VE cannot afford to cripple any
part of our productive effort with
unnecessary legislative shackles."
The presidential statement ac-
companied his signature of a stop
gap bill which supplied funds for
the Agriculture Department for
July.
The main points in disagreement
are the questions of selling wheat
at subparity prices for livestock
feeding and the appropriation for
the Farm Security Administration
which has been reduced drastically
In the bill as it stands now.
Text of Presidents Statement.
The House has insisted on banning
any sales of Government-held wheat
at less than parity, while the Senate
has voted to sell 125 100000 bushels
OF wheat under, the parity level-for
feeding purposes alone. e.
The text of the Presidents state
ment follows:
L have just signed HR 7349 under
which the Department of Agriculture
appropriations are continued for the
month of July. I am glad that this
bill was finally approved by both
Houses of the Congress without the
prohibition against the sale of Gov
ernment-held stocks of feed grains.
but regret that the operations of a
department so essential to our
domestic and war needs should be
LETT in such a predicament at this
critical period in the Nations history.
%"The Department of Agriculture is
charged with the responsibility of
giving leadership to the greatest ae-
rlcultural production effort the
country has ever known. Each dav
the part that food must play in the
winning OF the war becomes more
apparents The matters on which
agreement has not yet been reached
embody the issue of more abundant
production of the things we need.
Our war needs do not permit COM
promise or partisan discord on that
issue. We cannot afford to cripple
any part of our productive effort with
unnecessary legislative shackles.
r. Congress Asked to Act.
1T is my earnest hope that the
Congress will move quickly to an
agreement on the major items in
dispute in order that more ADEQUATE
agricultural production may be
achieved and maintained. Freedom
to utilize our Government stock of
grain in accord with the principles !
OF the .eyer-normal granary is a
necessary means to this end. This
is no time to hamstring successful |
principles. Only thus can we assure
Increased production of livestock
and dairy products so essential to
our war needs.
MY recommendation for the
Farm Security Administration will
enable under-employed farmers to
produce more so that their produc-
tton may be available for our war
needs. The Senate provisions repre-
sent minimum step in utilizing our
farm manpower for increased food
production"
A compromise once rejected by
House members was advanced,
meanwhile, by Senators seeking to
end the disagreement over the bill.
Disclosing that House conferees
once had turned down the proposal
by 5-to-3 vote, Senator Bankhead,
Democrat, of Alabama said the Sem
ate group would suggest when the
conference committee meets again
that a directive be written into the
appropriations bill for 100 per cent
parity loans on six major crops.
Senators Offer Compromise.
PARTY is price calculated to
give farmers a comparable return
with past periods, usually 1909-19l4.
A loan of this nature would total
81 "a a bushel on wheat and CTS
cents on corn, the two chief crops
now selling below parity.
Senator Bankhead said he and
other Senators had agreed to aban-
don Senate amendment authoriz-
ing the Commodity Credit Corp. to
sell up to 125,000,000 bushels of
wheat for livestock feed at approx
r1iately 80 cents bushel If the House
group would agree to the parity
loans and drop House amend
nient prohibiting the credit corpor-
alton from selling government held
- III