Evening star., 1943-07-19
Food Chief Expected
To Consult Congress
On IA Output Plans
Associates Soy Jones
Would Avoid Errors
Made by Wickord

war fOOQ administrator Mar
win Jones, remembering some
unhappy experiences of Secre-
tary of Agriculture Wickard last
winter, will make Congress a
working partner in planning his
1914 production program, close
associates have revealed.
tHim~elf former member of Con-
gress. the new food chief hopes to
win the legislative branch's approval
OF his plans for next year. He and
aides now are drafting details of
the program they intend to lay be-
fore the Agriculture Committees of
the House and Senate this autumn
with the hope that a general agree
ment might be reached and a new
congressional battle avoided.
Mr.. Jones vividly remembers the
experience of Mr.. Wickard last
winter in announcing a plan of
broad incentive payments to farmers
for growing so-called war crops
without first ascertaining whether
Congress approved the idea.
congress Refused FUNDS.
The lawmakers baked at the in
eentive program and refused to vote
tile necessary funds. The farm bloc
fcontended the payments would be.
in effect, consumer subsidies rather
than producer benefits. The fight
between the administration and
Congress over subsidies grew largely
out of the controversy over the in
centive program.
Mr.. Jones program will of course,
have to follow general lines of price
policies as laid down by President
Roosevelt. Those policies, in short,
bar further increases in consumer
prices Of virtually all foods.
1t may be necessary, however. for
the WA to assure farmers greater
returns from some commodities in
order to get them to plant needed
screages of those crops. The addi-
tional returns could be made avail
able either in the form of benefit
payments-possibly a revival of the
incentive payment plan-or in the
form of Government purchase at
prices in excess of ceilings and re-
sale for distribution at ceiling levels.
. Both Schemes Opposed.
The present Congress expressed
determined opposition to both these
schemes, but it did allow the Gov
sernment to engage in purchase and
resale operations, involving losses,
on number of crops for the re-
-nlainer of the l943 crop year.
= Associates believe, however, that
.tnasmuch as Congress was unable to
make its opposition to subsidies
stick, Mr.. Jones will be able to per-
suade Congress to 80 along with
program Of producer subsidies, pro-
vldlng, of course, he first laws them
before the lawmakers and allows
them to 60 over the program with
him.
The situation may be such, it was
said, that the farm bloc would have
to choose between subsidies and in
adequate returns to farmers for
some crops.
Aside from next years program.
the administrator now is tussling
with this years feed program. One
approach to this problem is to feed
less to hogs. VIA, accordingly, is
Planning to appeal to farmers to
send hogs to market at weights 30
or 40 pounds lighter than tie usual
$50 to 260 pounds. The several
hundred million bushels of corn
saved this way could go to other
livestock, VIA reasons.
Coupled with the appeal for
lighter hogs will be a WFA extern
sion OF the hog price support pro-
gram to include lighter weight hogs
ranging from 200 to 24O pounds. At
present the Government IS sup
porting the price of good and
choice butcher hogs weighing from
240 to 270 pounds at sl375 per 100
pounds.
Administration handling of the
food problem came in for discus
sion by Representative Jenkins. Re-
publican, Of Ohio, chairman of
the Republican Congressional Food
Study Committee. who charged in
statement that President Roose-
velt forced the resignation OF
Chester Davis as food administrator
TO ''thwart" a move in Congress to
create a food czar with Mr.. Davis
getting the post.
Asks Vigorous Policy.
A measure to give the food ad-
minlstrator control over prices and
rationing of food as we'll as produc-
ton had been approved by the
House Agriculture Committee and
was awaiting action when Mr.. Davis
resigned to be succeeded by Mr..
Jones.
When the President appointed
another man to the position, the
ardor of some members for the
passage of that legislation suddenly
cooled" said Mr.. Jenkins. They
were not willing to give the White
House any such authority to be ex-
ercised by its appointee by remote
control"
The Ohio Republican declared
that those in charge of the admin
lstration of the food activities of
our Nation are clearly on the de-
fensive. Instead of foundering
around in sea of apologetic indie
cision, they should be leading the
people in an aggressive. open and
above-board fight against wasteful-
ness"