The Hardin tribune-herald. [volume] (Hardin, Mont.) 1925-1973, 1944-02-17
WNU Service, Union Trust Building.
Washington, d. c.

WNU Service, Union Trust Building
Washington, d. c.
A few weeks ago, an earnest and
agreeable young man came to my
office from the American Farm Blu
reau federation. His name is Ben
Kilgore. He is a Kentucky Farm
bureau man. a former farm paper
editor who has just been put in
charge of the bureaus publicity here
in Washington, probably as a result
of some remarks without any bark
on them which Chester Davis. for
mer war food administrator and
president OF the Fedora! Reserve
Bank Of St. Louis, made at the re-
cent bureau convention.
Davis did not say that the bureau
and some other farm organizations
were interfering with the war effort
and trying to be hoggisk by lighting
for higher food prices but he did say
that the people of the country were
beginning to talk that way about
farmers. And he told the organiza-
ton members that if they weren't
as black as they were painted. they
had better begin telling the people
Of the country so.
And so the bureau went out for
some new blood" kilgore is not
new to the farm bureau but he is
new to Washington. He has served
in Kentucky. He knows his SUBJ
ject and can write about it.
I couldn't say whether he has
frightened the grim picture which
Mr.. Davis painted to the bureau
he has hardly had time-but his
presence is evidence of dynamics
which are energizing this chip Of
the farm bloc-or one might put it
the other way. for the Farm Bureau
federation is really the tail that wags
the dog when it comes to getting
congressional action.
And soon action will begin. for the
grace extended to the Commodity
Credit corporation expires February
II and then the fight over the subsi-
dies begins in earnest.
The Federation Line
What the publicity plans Of the
farm organizations are. I do not
know. but this is the line" as Kill
gore expressed it to me:
THE American Farm Bureau fed
Grafton is not opposing consumer
subsidies in order to break down
price control and obtain higher farm
prices. The present general farm
price level is high enough. All we
ask is for a few sensible price ad-
justments on specific commodities
Such. small and specific adjust
ments are far more practical and
wholesome than a billion or more
dollars out Of the federal treasury
to help pay the consumers grocery
bill and to regiment and socialize
the farmers Of this nation"
The War Food administration,
charged with carrying out the war
farm program. has no publicity plan.
As a matter Of fact, the office of
Administrator Jones Is about the
quietest place in Washington as far
as the public goes. Its work is car
ried on without press agenting right
now.
One reason why we don't hear
much from the war food admins
traitor right now is because the food
situation is pretty good. OF course,
there is wrangling about prices but
that isn't in his department. The
last week in January he announced
his support prices which can't be
carried out unless the three billion
dollar agency that keeps floors
under farm prices, the Commodity
Credit corporation. is continued.
Jones made it plain that the 1914
program depended entirely on con-
.gressional action. In reply to a
question. he said it could be carried
out without subsidies"
There isn't any question that con.
gress will favor the support plan.
That's accepted as essential in war
time and sometimes welcomed at
other times. The reasoning Is that
you don't ask a munition maker to
sign a contract to deliver machine
guns without telling him what the
price will be. In order to carry out
the farm program. you have to de.
mand certain things of the farmer
In order to get the thing you want.
Hence the guaranteed price.
But subsidies are a horse Of a
different color. Support prices pro-
tect the producer. Subsidies protect
the consumer. Without them, the
price ceilings crack.
Farm income has risen 116 per
cent in dollars since 1899 wher the
war in Europe began. During the