The midland journal., 1945-07-06
zxssAc>,se
Tul,s
In WASHINGTON
BY Wulter Sheod
WNU Correspondent
Explosive Agricultural Front

Stlcu tU TUCK the IOunQaLlOnS OF the
entire agricultural program and the
economic life of farmers and, as q
result, of every rural community.
First was the fight made against
senate confirmation of Claude r.
Wickard, secretary of agriculture,
to be director of the Rural Elec-
trificaton administration. s
Second was the action Of the SEN
ate committee eliminating the 80
per cent tariff cut provisions from
the reciprocal trade extension bin
and Senator Tobey's subsequent
charge of give fat lobbyists with
round bottoms and round heads"
perched outside the senate doors,
and,
Third, and probably more amaz-
ing, the annexation of rider on the
senate bill extending the OPA price
control bill for another year, which
would scrap the parity principle Of
fixing farm prices and institute a
cost-plus plan instead.
All three Of these events were
Of vital interest to the farmers
Of the nation vital In that
they affected the everyday and
economic life Of every farmer
in America hit at his pocket
book and his way Of life.
The fight on Mr.. Wickard devel-
oped into party fight and, after
three days of hearings, the sem
ate committee voted II to for con-
firmation. The Wickard appoint
ment by President Truman was ex-
pected to be a routine affair, when
Senator Shipstead, (R-Minn.) and
member of the senate agricultural
and forestry committee, asked that
hearings be held. There was plenty
of testimony in the three-day hear
ing, but no evidence against Secre-
tary Wickard. The witnesses either
didn't like him, didn't think he
would make a good director, didn't
like his politics, but could offer no
specific evidence against his ap
pointment.
Co-operatiUes Concerned
Some two dozen witnesses repre-
senting approximately rs farmers
co-operatives, serving some $4,000
farmers were present to testify
against Wickard out of total of 835
farmers REA co-operatives serving
l,250, 900 farmers in the nation. OF.
those testifying, one witness repre-
sented 81 REA co-operatives serv-
ing $1,000 farmers in Iowa alone.
The others were scattered. The re-
suit was that Senators Shipstead Of
Minnesota, Capper of Kansas, But
Ter of Nebraska, Bushfield of South
Dakota, Wilson Of Iowa and Gordon
of Oregon, all Republicans, voted
against Wickard. Two Republicans,
Willis of Indiana and Aiken Of Ver-
mont, voted with the solid Demo-
cratic delegation on the committee.
The Rural Eectrification admins
tration is probably more important
In raising the living standards of
agricultural life in the nation than
any other agency. A measure intro
duced by Senator Lucas (D-Ill.)
passed by the senate, and now pend
ing in the house, separates REA
from the department of agriculture,
placing 1t on an independent basis
and provides $585, ,0O0, 900 for loans
to co-operatives for the extension of
rural electrifcation. One Of the
charges against Wickard was that
he had mo vision for the future Of
REA" and that he was against
its independence as a governmental
agency. In a recent interview, how
ever, Wickard declared he intended
to bring electricity to 3.666, 900 farm
homes in the immediate hve-year
period after the war and that in
stead Of building short "dead-end'
electric lines, he planned surveys of
40 counties or more at one time
and the construction Of lines to
reach every farmer in the area"
Wherry and Cost-Plas
Senator Shipstead, together with
Senator Wherry (R-Neb.) en-
gineered the cost-plus farm price
amendment to the OPA measure. II
is likely that by the time this Is in
print, the house will have elimi-
mated this amendment, but its SEN
ate adoption caught the administra-
tion leaders asleep and Is an indi-
cation of what could easily happen
in a legislative jam. There has
been considerable talk lately about
this cost-of-production procedure to
measure farm prices, but this Is the
first time 1t has appeared In the
open. Edward A. O'Neal branded the
amendment as ''unsound, unwork-
able and highly infiationary."
Although President Truman also
indicated his disapproval Of the
rider, as long ago as 1899 he him.
self voiced approval Of a cost-plus
system for handling some farm
products under certain conditions.
Addressing the Missouri state legis-
lature March 2l, 1899. he Is quoted
as saying:
"Cotton. wheat and meat are