Evening star., 1943-04-14
Battle 10 Save FSA
Seen as Debate Opens
On Farm Supp|yBi||
Farmers Union Appeals
To Public to Prevent
Execution Of Agency

The House was to open debate
today on the Agriculture Depart
ment's supply bill amid indica-
tions of stout fight over elimi-
mating the Farm Security Ad-
ministration.
One major farm group called on
public opinion to block the final
execution" of the FSA, "the only
service to farmers that, on the basis
of past performances, offers tangible
hope of substantial increases in pro-
duction of war foods"
The appeal came from James G.
Patton, president of the National
Farmers Union, in a formal state
ment assailing the American Farm
,, Bureau Federation and it's president,
Edward O'Neal. for their plans to
break up the Department of Agri-
culture
Bill Seeks 707 Million.
In reporting the s7o7 ,04O,S44 sup
ply bill, the Appropriations Commit
tee recommended that functions of
FSA be transferred to the Farm
Credit Administration, a move which
would spell the end of the New Deal
agency created in 1887.
The death of FSA is another step
in the plan of the American Farm
Bureau Federation, adopted in 1940
for" complete 'balkanization' of
American agriculture, Mr.. Patton
declared. Step by step the principal
agencies and functions of the de-
partment were to be turned over to
the State Extension Services, many
Of which are under the control and
direction of State Farm Bureaus"
The farm leader said that the
Farm Bureau last week advanced
its program one step by the passage
OF the farm labor appropriation bill
stipulating that the Extension Serv-
ices have control over farm labor
within States, that no labor could
be moved from county to county
without the approval of county
agents and that minimum labor
standards as to wages, housing and
sanitation should apply only to non
citizens imported from outside the
United States"
Senate and House conferees yes
terday settled differences on the
farm labor bill creating a mobile
army of workers to assist in planting
and reaping 1943 crops. They agreed
to reduce the appropriation from
100000 900 as proposed by the Sen
ate to $26, 10000 the sum originally
approved by the House. The meas
ure as it now stands retains the Sen
ate's provisions permitting recipients
OF old-age assistance to be paid for
farm labor without losing their bene-
fit payments.
Also retained was the proviso that
farm workers would not be permitted
to migrate from their home counties
without the written permission of
their county agents.
Mr.. Patton, commenting on testi-
mony in the subcommittee hearings
on the supply bill in which Mr.
O'Neal was questioned by Repre-
sentative Dirksen, Republican, of IL
linois on FSA, declared:
That the public may know the
author of this latest attempt to rub
out FSA, we call attention to the
dagger scene from 1509-10 of the
House hearings, wherein it is shown
how Ed ONeal put the dagger in the
hand of the chairman of the COM
mittee, showed him how to use it
and persuaded him to strike"
In his testimony, Mr.. O'Neal said:
1--WE believe that more effective re-
suits at far less cost can be obtained
If the necessary functions of Farm
Security Administration are trans
ferred to appropriate existing State
and Federal agencies. Specifically,
with respect to rural rehabilitation
loan functions, we recommended
that they be transferred to the
Farm Credit Administration.
"All needed educational services
in connection with such loans, in
Guiding farm and home management
services, which are now carried on
by FSA, should be assigned to the
Agricultural Extension Service in