Evening star., 1943-06-24
HouseUnitVotes
Create Post
Of Food Gar
Would Control All
Production, Pricing
And Rutioninu
PROBE OF D. C. food prices by OPA
volunteers is announced. Page B-l

oo oeAoA oSoioil oNCi IlOIllC-llOllL wal
operations, the House Agricul-
ture Committee today approved
a bill to create a food car"
with complete control over war
time food production, distribu-
ton, pricing and rationing.
Chairman Fulmer said the meas
ure, froWned on by President Roose-
welt. would create czar for foods
similar to the czars now handling
the War Production Board, rubber
and Gil
The sweeping legislation, if it be-
comes law, would take from the
Office of Price Administration all
food rationing and pricing powers
and put them under the war food
administrator, Chester c. Davis.
Approval of the bill, which is spon-
sorted by Mr.. Fulmer, was by an
l8-to-8 committee vote. with all 70
Republican members and six Demo-
Gratis supporting it. Eight Demo-
Gratis opposed.
Suggested by Republicans
Such an all-powerful food ad-
miniStrator had been suggested by
the Republican Congressional Food
Study Committee. The measure
provides:
The War Food administrator is
authorized and directed, notwith-
standing any other provision of law
Including title one of the First War
Powers Act, l94n, exclusively and
finally to exercise on behalf of
United States. either directly or
through such other offices or agen-
cles as he may designate. all pow
erS. functions and duties conferred
or imposed upon any officer or
agency of the United States by any
law, order, regulation. or directive
with respect to the Nations food
program in the United States and
territories. including the production
processing, distribution, rationing
procurement requisitioning. alloca-
ton Of, priorities, stoSase, exporta-
ton and Importation Of provisions
Of labor and facilities for, and the
establishment, maintenance. and
adjustment Of prices for, food and
food facilities"
This measure led toward a Wash
ington climax on the whole issue of
food control.
Another development on the farm
front yesterday was House passage
of a compromise giving the War
Food Administration complete juriS-
diction over the Farm Security Ad-
miniStratiOn loan and tenant pur-
chase activities. but curtailing funds
for the program.
Goes Back to Senate.
The legislation now goes back to
the Senate. In attempting to adjust
its differences with the Senate on
the 1914 agriculture appropriation
bill, the House altered its previous
stand for abolition of the agency.
The FSA compromise called for
s60000,000 authorization for re-
Mobilization loans to individual
farmers, rather than the $97 500 900
figure OF the Senate. and $4,000 900
instead of s29.6O7 900 for admins
trative expenses.
1t left a Senate-inserted allo-
cation of S30000,O00 for farm tenant
loans. 1t carried no reference to
the Farm Security Administration
by name. Representative Tarver.
Democrat. of Georgia, sponsor of
the compromise, said the title of
the agency was carefully de-
leted.'
Under the compromise, none of
the funds could be used for COL
lective. cooperative or homestead
farming projectS-a focal point of
the attack against the FSA's admin
lStration-and no loans could be
made to an individual farmer in
excess or $4,000.
Proposed to White House.
Two bipartisan congressional
committees called at the White
House last week with the food cZar"
proposition, but Mr.. Roosevelt was
reported to have taken the position
that the present set-up was more
practicable-with both Mr.. Davis
and Prentiss Brown, price admins
traitor. reporting to Fred Vinson.
economic stabilization director. who
is responsible to James F. Byrnes.
war mobilization chief.
The House last week sheared
OPA's appropriation by s35 1000, 900.
down to s130,OOO,00O; outlawed use
of OPA funds for any subsidy opera
tlons and put rigid limitations on
price rolloack operations. The Sem
ate has yet to act on this legislation.
In considering the report of a
House Senate conference commit
tee on the Agriculture appropriation
bill, the House insisted, by a 2O8-to-
l80 vote, on limiting funds for Fed
eral crop insurance to it's own figure
OF S3,500,000, rather than the ST.
6l8,748 Senate figure, and agreed,
81 to "a, to Senate inserted $50
100000 to finance the Federal Gov
ernment's share of the school milk
and lunch program.