The Waterbury Democrat., 1943-04-06

CheSter Davis might be an they got a rough shock at a Secretary of Agriculture Wickard and the chiefs of four farm or. ganizationS.
 Davis let 1t be known in no ua- certain terms that he wasn't go- ing to tAKe dictation from aly- body except the President. There had been Skepticism about this be- cause of Davis close tie-in with the American Farm Bureau Fed- eration.
 However, the food czar dis- pelled such misgivings during an exchange with Farm Bureau boss Ed O'Neal and James Patton, president Of the National Farm CTS Union, O'Neal, the caliph Of the inflationist farm lobby, was demanding that Davis be given full and complete" powers over farm prices.
 "NEr. Davis can't function ef- fectiveIy # his hands arc tied by the OPA, MT. President" O'Neal said. He should have bread discretionary authority with re. speCt to prices"
 The Farm Bureau leader didn't bother to add that neither could Davis function effectively if he were under pressure from the Farm Bureau and the lobby push ing farm price imitation. How ever, the two.fisted Patton in. tervened.
 I'm for giving MT. Davis all the authority he needs," Patton interrupted, "but with one reser- vatiOn. I would like to have it understood that he not use hts authority to boost farm prices to inflatiOnaFy' levels. ! realize that the prices of some com. modIties arc too low and need adjustment, but we simply have got to draw the line somewhere. Otherwise labor will demand increases because of higher living costs and we'll bc on the high. road to uncontrolled imitation before we know it"
 FOOD GEAR PROMISES
 "YOu don't have to worry about me doing anything like that, Jim," Davis assured him. "T see eye to eye with you on the question of farm prices. They must be kept from rising, and I'm going to do all In my power to keep them from ris- ing"
 This was a direct shot at O'Neal, but 1t didn't faze the Farm Bu- reau chief. He turned right around and gaVet he President big sales talk for the Bankhead bill, which would greatly increase farm prices by super.imposing soil conservation and other farm benefit payments on parity cell ings.
 'T had to do . lot Of lobbying to get the Bankhead bill thovugh Congress" he grinned, inferring that all his hard work would be wasted if the President vetoed the bill.
 The President made no conn ment, but evinced keen interest in a staetment by Patton on the economic plight of the little family farmer"
 Patton asserted that these small farmers are the ones who would be "squeezed out" unless the gov- ernment stopped the concentrat- ing of food production on big well equipped farms instead oi making machinery, electric power and other facilities available to several million small farms. If this were done, Patton said. war food production could be almost doubled.
 "You hear a lot of talk about Inc extinction of little business because of the concentration of var contracts In a few big. firms" Patton observed, "but the same kind of concentration Is forcing thousands of small farms to the wall als0."
 The President agreed 1t was Q serious situation. instructed Davis to confer with Patton on ways and means to increase the production facilities of family-type farms. MILLIONAIRE BROKE"
 Nelson Rockefeller Coordinator of Inter-American Affairs. invited a group of colleagues and brace of CongresSmen to lunch at the Occidental restaurant In Wash ington. Prices are not low at the Occidental, but nobody thought millionaire Rockefeller would have trouble meeting the bill.
 When the waiter presented him the check. however, Rockefeller took some bllls from his wallet, then looked blank. He turned tc