The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1939-1949, 1944-02-24
News ~
BEHIND
THENR:!'|Nll!z!$i{}lEI!11
subsidY Problem
I. a Tough One
By nuLMLLoN :

Tho Senate probably next will
,.s the ban on food subsidies
p p what will Mr.. Roosevelt do
. a with the fourth term vote
aannaien underway, with his la
t Sor campaign manager, Phil Muir
Nv pleading for steel wage in
creases. and the consumers groan-
inc audibly about prices?
The generally published suppo-
rSion has been that he will veto
the ban and continue to pay the
n;ddlemen free treasury money
- hold wholesale prices down
while slipping an increase to the
farmers. The congressional and
farm leaders naturally heard
about this, and have made private
plans to squeeze him around to
their way.
His OPA authority expires July
1 shortly before his denomination.
# he vetoes his ban, they intend
70 slip another into the OPA bill
which he cannot veto without
losing his whole price regulation
program.
Certainly all the newly gener-
ated administration heat here
abouts therefore, already is being
turned on the Senate to get a
compromise which will extricate
the White House from its worst
political predicament.
Lately, reports have come in
from the Farm Belt indicating the
men in the fields were not so
strong against Roosevelt, but all
evidence locally suggests the con-
trary. The farm organization
leaders here have been off the
front pages lately, but their ire
has not diminished, nor has their
intention to circumvent FDR.
Farm Payments Up
; True, nearly all farm prices are
sARw above official parity. Also,
sl1e administration has been quiet
y inehine ..its subsidy pay
ments. Flour, most important
farm food product, has been
slipped into the subsidy list, as
has grapefruit juice.
Moreover, his Commodity Cred
it corporation has been function
ing all along in a quieter subsidy
way with price sterilization loans
and buying.
Conspicuously, Agriculture Sec
rotary Wickard has come out with
new postwar farm program,
which sounds big-postwar pro-
duction greater even than now.
But all these efforts have a moldy
underside, which the farm con-
gressmen say will guarantee a
heavy majority against FDR in
farm states.
The Wickard program can be
accepted as the Democratic plank
In the platform to be adopted in
Chicago, but an analysis will show
IT contemplates consolidation of
small farm units into larger opera
tons and abandonment of acreage
on those crops which can be pro-
duced more cheaply offshore, pre-
sumably meats Canada, Argen-
tina, Mexico) and oils from around
the World-this to be done to
strengthen friendly relations with
foreign peoples and promote world
->eace.
- Also, the politics of the food
SUBSIDY program appeals only to
the class of farmers who do not
pay taxes or buy bonds, apparent
~ the smallest of the small. To
1nem only is it gravy. The others
realize they are paying part of
tnelr own subsidies in taxation.
obviously, as smart a political
manlpulator as Mr.. Roosevelt is
not going to let this adverse situa-
uon 60 into the campaign. What
will he do? ~ 90
II ne gives Phil Murray the steel
wage increase, he will have to give
tne farmers some more price in
creases, and, in either event, he
VIII ALLEVIATE the consumers who
are the biggest bloc of voters.
ordlnarily, you would think he
would Just let farm prices gradu-
any rise until election day (the
customary way, but this too will
EMIL difficulties with labor and
sonsumers. Usually, his technique
IS 10 give all claimants a little bit,
out this would be difficult in the
present tight wage-price condi-
uon' and probably would please
no one.
a lady recently came to me with
uie rumor that "they are not 60
ms 70 pay off on Series E bonds,
90 cut only on the others" There are
uo,millon American citizens now
uoiolng war bonds, nearly half the
Selsus of men, women and chill
eh. do you think this govern
emu Is ever going against the in
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