The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1943-01-29
From Washington


million trained soldiers and told tc
start over again.
Why does the farm bloc sponsor
such an impossible proposal in the
midst of the most crucial war in oui
history? The farm" bloc, with
tongue-in-cheek, referred its appeal tc
President Roosevelt and called upon
him to relieve the drain on our farm
labor.
Price Control Program in Imminent
Danger AS "Farm" Bloc
Renews Attack on Ceilings
If the sincere purpose of the farm
bloc is to help the farmers solve their
manpower problem, why at the last
session of congress did it strangle the
Presidents request for an expansion
of the Farm Security Administ ations
operations and refuse to grant funds
for the FSA's labor camp division
1t seems evident that the farm" bloc
is playing politics with the farmers
troubles and is only trying TO use the
farmers to further it's grudge-fight
with the White House.
In attacking the price-control pro
gram, the farm" bloc is taking up
where it left off at the last session,
meanwhile claiming full credit for
having forced Leon Henderson's res
ignation. Though the farm" bloc
processes to be concerned only with
the welfare of the farmers, it has
recently been acting on behalf of the
millers to raise the price ceiling on
flour and it carried on a vigorous
campaign to end the milk subsidy pro
gram in the New York market. Now
that the subsidy has finally been re-
moved, the retail price Of milk has
gone up almost &c quart in New
York City, whereas the subsidy
amounted to less than 1c a quart
the farmers gained nothing in either
of these instances.
NAM Inspires Campaign to
Lift $4,000 Net Salary Top
In accord with the position adopted
by the National Association of Manu-
facturers, the farm" bloc is opposed
to the use of subsidies to prevent
"break-throughs" in price ceilings and
is engaged in a behind the-scenes
struggle to end the $4,000 salary
limitation thereby blocking the ex-
tension of the $4,000 limit to all
sources of income. Senator Thomas
has publicly voiced his opposition to
the $4,000 limitation; so has Rep.
John Taber, a farm" bloc-er from
New York, and, of course, Ham"
Fish, the chief symbol of reaction
and defeatism in congress.
1t was Rep. Taber, ranking republi-
can member of the house appropria-
lions committee, who jubilantly an
nounced in December that a plot had
been Matched for scuttling the $4,000
salary limit by adding rider to the
first important fiscal bill that comes
up at this session. The rider, he said,
will deny funds to the Treasury for
the Presidents executive
order sanctioning the use of subsidies
and fixing the salary limit, To pave
the way for this move, Senator Reed,
(Kans.) is pressing to have Byrnes,
director of economic sterilization,
brought before the senate agricultural
committee for a general working over.
The whole price control program is
now in danger of collapse. Price cell
ings are being violated with impunity;
black markets are springing up every
where; and the OPA is being high
from all sides to lift price
ceilings. Though the farm" bloc has
declared itself in favor of price stab
iliZation, it has not lifted finger to
halt the threatened runaway" in
prices; not only did the farm" bloc
strike out the OPA's request for sub
sidy appropriations but it dashed
OPA's budget to such an extent that
was made impossible
Farmers Stand to Lose If
Prices Allowed to Run Wild
If prices are allowed to run wild,
the farmers stand to lose all of the
price gains which they have made in
quiring them to play leapfrog with
the trusts, the farmers could not pos
sibly win; yet this is exactly what
the farm bloc is trying to promote
out of "solicitude" for the farmers.
In discussing his attack on price
control, Senator Thomas said, "The
agricultural situation was responsible
for the election turnover" and he
added, "the new congress was elected
under a mandate" to revise prices.
Since Senator Thomas has already de-
clared himself opposed to the $4,000
limit on salaries he perhaps assumes
that the voters have given him a man.
date on this subject as well. Only
popular cutlery is likely to convince
Senator Thomas that the people want
the $4,000 limit extended to all in
come sources.
In keeping with its policy of seek
ing to divide farmers and labor, the
farm" bloc organizations have sought
to spread the false illusion that la
Dor is limited to a 40-hour work week,
and they therefore repeat the de-
mand that labor's work week be ex-
.ended to 81 hours. Actually there is
40 legal limit on the hours of work
hat labor may put in, and the U. S.
Department of Labor reports that in
war industries the schedule of work
low averages 4S hours a week.
-armer-Labor Unity in Progressive
Council Spurred by Congress
Attack on Both Groups
The farm" bloc's demand for a 81
lour week is nothing but slick |