Evening star., 1943-01-09
New Congress Besef
BY Demands for Boost
In Agricultural Parity
Farm Bloc Members Join
National Organizations
In Asking Higher Prices
BY the Associated Press.

4" NsN'siS tif9WSI TTiSeS
BY the Associated Press.
Increasing demands for upward
revision Of the agricultural parity
formula beset the new Congress to-
day as members Of the farm bloc
joined four, national farm organi-
zations in requesting legislation CIV
ing farmers better prices and more
manpower.
Senator Thomas, Democrat, OF
Oklahoma told reporters that fail
ure Of President Roosevelt and ad-
ministration leaders to accept such
program would provoke l. fight in
Congress that would best be avoided
in the interest Of war unity.
Farm State Legislators are insist
ing on, a parity formula that in
cludes labor costs with no ceiling
below this parity. priorities on farm
machinery and the release Of farm
labor drafted into the armed forces
Senator Thomas declared that
Congress should fix the base period
for parity prices as 1929, which
he contended was 4 more favorable
period for agriculture than the 1902
IA period usually considered by the
Bureau of Agricultural Economics
in establishing parity figures under
general legislation written several
years ago.
Issue Joint Statement.
Meantime, leaders OF the four
farm organization issued a joint
statement Of policy informing Con-
gress that the Nation faces acute
food and fiber shortage unless sup
plies are increased and farmers
are provided with higher prices to
meet what they termed increasing
food costs.
The statement was issued by Ed
ward A. ONeal. president of the
American Farm Bureau Federation;
Albert S. Coss, master of the Ma
tional Grange; Charles C. league,
president Of the National Council
Of Farmer Co-operatives, and John
Brandt. president of the National
Cooperative Milk Producers Feder-
alton.
The leaders also requested leeisla-
ton increasing the present industrial
work week to "at least 81 hours. "
eliminating any requirements for
overtime payments, and insisted that
parity be revised to include, all farm
labor costs.
parity is an arbitrary price
calculated to give farmers the
buying power of some past period,
usually 1909-14)
Sees 10 Per Cent Price Boost.
The House passed legislation en-
bodying such revision late in the
last session, but the measure did not
come up in the Senate. Government
economists have estimated the revi-
sion would allow farm prices to ad
vance at least 10 per cent above
present levels before ceilings could
be established.
The farm leaders said an extension
in the industrial work week would
aid materially in solving manpower
shortages In both industry and agri-
culture. They recommended that anv
increased profits accruing to en-
ployers from extension of the work
week and elimination of overtime
pay be recovered through increased
taxation.
In the House. meanwhile, repre-
sentatives from farm States warned
that Congress must act to protect
dairy farmers. lest the Nation face
grave depletion OF its dairy herds.
Statements that shortages of farm
labor were leading to thousands of
farm auctions and wholesale
slaughter of dairy cows came from
Republicans and Democrats alike.
Among those making appeals for
help were Representatives Bolton.
Republican, of Ohio: Reed, Repub-
lican, of New York; Edwin Hall, Re-
publican, of New York; Voorhis
Democrat, Of California; Hoffman
Republican, of Michigan. and Ran
kin, Democrat, of Mississippi. When
Mr.. Hall called for better prices for
farm products. Representative Sa-
bath. Democrat, of Illinois, inter-
jected that farmers already were
getting greatly increased prices, a
statement which led to a general
argument.
Price Ceilings Scored.
The leaders of the four national
farm organizations insisted that
the use OF subsidies in place OF
fair prices for farm products at
the market place be discarded. They
asserted that price ceilings as now
applied on some products tended to
discourage production.
I'VE demand" their statement
said, that whenever Government
imposes agricultural price ceilings,
its officers and agencies exercise
their responsibility and authority to
approve only sucn ceilings as will
neither discourage nor prevent in
creased production"
They also asked that the Govern
ment take steps to eliminate SLOW
downs and .acketeering practices
being imposed by organized labor"
Chairman Fulmer, meanwhile,
asked the House to authorize the
Agriculture Committee to make a
study of the Nations farm market
ing and distribution system with the
view to setting up cooperative
marketing program.
He had asserted some time ago
that "middlemen's" charges were ex-
acting too large toll from the con-
sumers' purse and many of their
services could be dispensed with or
performed by Government backed
co-operatives.