The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1943-04-29
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Washington, ID. C.
FOOD AND PAY-AS-YOU-GO

recent White House conference with
farm leaders, actually Foodczar
| Chester Davis did his best to sell
the President on pay-as-you-go taxa
ton. He proposed it as an anti
initiation measure to drain off surplus
income and ease the work of income
tax payment on the average citizen.
1--WE have simply got to come to
it, Mr.. President" argued the food
chief. ut was unfortunate that pay
| as-you-go taxes were given black
eye by the Rumi plan. But pay-as-
you-go taxes should go hand in hand
with rationing to prevent overspend-
ing"
The President didn't commit him
self definitely, but indicated that he
would favor a pay-go plan if wind
falls to the wealthy, as provided for
in the Runl plan, were completely
eliminated.
Ed O'Neal, president of the Farm
Bureau federation, and Ezra T. Ben
son, executive secretary of the Ma
tional Council of Farmer Co-opera-
tives, also took up the cudgels,
O'Neal contending that taxpayers
wouldn't be able to meet next years
, assessments unless the pay-as-you-
go plan or forced saving were
adopted.
COP. Watching Chances.
"I've made a poll of taxicab driv-
ers and they are all for it," said
O'Neal. ''The great majority of the
American people feel the same way.
They are against windfalls but they
feel they won't have enough money
to pay their income tax payment
next year. If the administration
doesn't take some action on this, the
Republicans will steal the ball from
you"
That's right, Mr.. President, I"
chimed in Benson. ''The farmers
in my organization are overwhelm-
ingly for a pay-as-you-go tax pro-
gram. l think labor is, too"
Maybe you're right" responded
the President. Chester Ito Davis)
suggest that you talk this over
with congressional leaders"
The conversation then turned to
farm distribution and the President
drew on his own experience as a
farmer to illustrate the difficulty
little farmers" are having getting
their crops to market.
81 used to raise 100 barrels of ap-
pies every year on my Duchess
county farm in New York" the
President said. 81 also raise some
apples on my land in Georgia"
Apple Competition.
The President grinned to Albert
Goss, master of the National Grange
who halls from Washington, the big
gest apple-producing state in the
country: "Td stack my apples up
against those you produce in Wash
ington any day.
You're getting out of your class,
Mr.. President" smiled Goss. Have
you ever eaten a Delicious?"
"You win, Albert" chuckled the
President, ''but the point I am try
ing to make is this-little farmers
like myself, and the same goes for
all other farmers who don't have
the advantage of co-operatives,
have encountered a lot of difficulty
marketing their crops and getting
their money since the war began
because of the transportation prob
lem and other factors"
Don't you think the government
should step in and buy up apples and
other products that have been run
ming into distribution troubles and
store them in the warehouses;" the
President asked Goss. SIT would
take lot off the market and help
many little farmers who are hard
up for cash."
Helping Little Farmer.
81 don't agree with you, Mr.. Pres
ident," replied Goss. st think the
way to protect the little farmers is
by continuing the agriculture de-
partment support price program.
Farmers can get along if they are
assured that they can get fair prices
and decent break on priorities for
machinery to produce their crops. !
don't think the government should
buy up and sell farm products when
there is no necessity for If"
The President meditated for mo-
ment and replied: 81 guess you're
right at that"
The meeting also thrashed out the
question of price ceilings, Ed O'Neal
of the Farm Bureau and Albert Goss
of the Grange contending that if ra-
tioning were tight enough it wouldn't
be necessary to have price ceilings,
that rationing would automatically
take care of prices. Justice Byrnes,
Chester Davis and Jim Patton of
the Farmers Union argued to the
contrary. The President decided
with them.
His order shortly thereafter put
ting price ceilings on almost every
thing was the chief result of the
meeting.
trEDDU 20 Dor-~YD