Evening star., 1943-03-08
Congress Fight Seen
Threatening Doom
OF FSA and AAA
Controversy Centers
Around Moves to Cut
Funds for Agencies

A showdown fight on the fate of
two administration agencies-Agri-
cultural Adjustment Administration
and the Farm Security Administra-
tion-is shaping up in Congress
amid growing concern over possible
food shortages.
Threatened congressional refusal
to grant appropriations requested by
the two Agriculture Department
! units may spell their doom, accord
ing to some observers.
The congressional farm bloc. sup
90 ported by four national farm or
ganizations. is pressing for adop-
tion Of policies which, in effect,
would strip the AAA of all power to
regulate farm production and &C
cordingly permit farmers to plant
and produce as they see fit. The
groups are the American Farm Bu-
. reau Federation, the National
Grange, the National Cooperative
Council and the National Co-opera-
tive Milk Producers Federation.
FSA Under Fire.
The farm bloc, supported by the
Farm Bureau Federation, also is
out to cut to minimum $170000,- =
900 appropriation for FSA. Critics
claim FSA, este bliehed early in the
New Deal as the Resettlement Ad-
ministration. has outlived its use
fulness. particularly now in the light
OF the war
The department asked for $685.
100000 in benefit payments for l943
crops under AAA and would like to
have an additional s2oo,ooo,00o for
subsidies to milk producers. In the
event Congress refuses to appropri-
ate the money. the adjustment
agency might collapse, some observ-
ers say.
b. A similar fate might befall FSA,
whose funds may be cut off in the
name of economy, c. B. Baldwin,
rSA chief, testified in closed hear
Ing last week before House Ap-
preparations Subcommittee but his
testimony has not yet been made
public.
Supporters of FSA claim that the
larger farms now are producing at
their maximum capacity and that
the only increase to be expected in
3 le43 food goals asked by Secretary
, Of Agriculture Wickard will come
from small farms beneftting under
: FSA.
The agency has pointed out that
the 463000 farmers operating
through FSA assistance last year
produced one third of the Nations
! total increase over 1941 in milk,
a per cent of the dried bean in
crease, 10 per cent Of eggs, chickens
and peanuts: per cent Of the pork,
and 7 per cent of beef and sugar
/ beet increases.
Farmers Union Backs FSA.
Hundreds Of thousands more low
income farmers could be brought
into the food for freedom program,
FSA contends. despite the fact that
the new appropriation request is
nearly 100000 under its last ap-
preparation.
The National Farmers Union is
Z strong supporter of FSA. James
q. Patton, union president. Friday
disclosed he had submitted a pro-
gram to the Economic Sterilization
Board calling for the investment of
1000 900 900 to 1890 900 farmers he
claims are now producing at only
one-third of capacity.
The administration meanwhile is
attempting to maintain AAA con-
troll, giving as q leading argument
that the Government, and not farm
ers, Is in position to determine war
time food needs. Without AAA con-
/. troll and guidance. farmers might
produce too much of some commodi-
ties and not enough of others.
Mr.. Wickard last week lifted mar
keting quotas on wheat and since
that action pressure has been ex-
erted to have quotas on cotton and
tobacco lifted.