Evening star., 1942-01-07
Farm Bloc Foes Say
Roosevelt Opposes
Priee-ControI Split
Close Senate Vote Seen
On Proposal to Give
Wickurd Veto Power

Direct backing of President RoOse-
velt was claimed today by Senate
leaders opposing a farm bloc pro-
posal to give the Secretary of Agri-
culture veto power in applying war
time controls to farm prices.
Senator Brown, Democrat, Of
Michigan. floor manager for the
price control bill, said after White
House conference that the President
favored a single administrator to
curb the prices Of all commodities,
including farm products.
Senator Bankhead, Democrat, of
Alabama, who said he would offer
the farm bloc proposal to require
prior approval by the Secretary for
any price fixing order affecting agri-
cultural staples, claimed support of
a Senators as the chamber began
debate on the bill.
Senator Brown conceded that the
vote on the Bankhead amendment
would be very close" but said ad-
ministration forces expected to win
this test by a few votes.
Issue Called Officials' Row.
Most Senators said the issue,
which has cut across normal party
lines, was a dispute between two
top-ranking administration officials:
Secretary of Agriculture Wickard,
charged with responsibility of step
ping up wartime production of food
and other farm products. and Leon
Henderson, acting price admins
traitor.
AS floor manager for the legisla-
ton, Senator Brown explained the
aim of the Senate bill was to MAIN
tain all prices generally at the
levels which prevailed between Oc-
tober l and Is, l941. Ceilings would
not be imposed unless the admin
strator believes some things are
likely to get out of line" he said.
Both the Senate bill and a price
control bill previously passed by
the House prohibits farm price
maxima below the higher of these
two: Average market prices Octo-
Der l and ITO per cent of parity.
Parity is a price which would give
a farm product the same relative
purchasing power it had in a past
period. usually 1909-l4.
This means that wheat, for
example, could 60 up 38 cents above
recent market averages before con-
trolls could apply Senator Brown
said He explained that the Decem-
ber Is average market price was
&l.02 bushel. and ITO per cent of
parity was s140.
Beef Situation Different.
Similarly, he said cotton averaged
1852 cents a pound recently and
could climb to 1855 cents before
msxima applied under the Senate
bill.
Beef presented different picture,
II sold at s938 hundredweight De-
cember Is, compared with an Octo-
Der average of 1927 and s825 for the
above parity level.
Under this bill the administrator
could fix beef prices at about 10
cents below the recent prices but he
probably would not do that" Sena-
tor Brown said. IF increased beef
production is wanted, the price
might be allowed to go higher"
The Senator conceded that defeat
of the farm bloc amendment might
swing added support to the proposal
Of Senator Taft, Republican, of Ohio
that price-fiXing power be given to
q board of five members, instead OF
a single administrator.
Sees Passage by Friday.
On the eve of debate Senator
Brown predicted passage of the bill
by Friday, after which a conference
committee from both houses will
work out the final provisions.
The essential changes the Senate
committee made in the House bill
are: Elimination of the five-man
board of review that could have
vetoed orders of the price admins
TRAITOR; restoration of a licensing
system to insure enforcement and
elimination OF the 19l9-to-1929 price
level as one of the yardstickS for
measuring farm prices.