Evening star., 1947-05-18
SoilFertilityB Bill
Offers Aid on
National Scale
BY james Birchfield

BY james birchfield
American farmers win be called |
on this year to consider the pro-
visions OF a national soil fertility
bill now pending before both houses
Of Congress.
The bill, which has the backing
OF the American Farm Bureau Fed
Grafton, is being sponsored In thel
House by Representative Flanagan
Of Virginia, who introduced sim
liar bill during the previous ses-I
sion of Congress, and in the Sem
ate by Senators Hickenlooper, Cap
per, Wherry. Aiken, Young, Bush
field, Thye, Wilson, Hill and Stewart.
Tie bill, designed to bring back
the Nations soil fertility by. means
Of an educational program, contains
these sprovisiorls:
l. To determine fertilizer mate
rails best suited for various types
OF soil and crops, test demonstra-
tion program would be set up In
each State under the supervision
Of the Extension Service. At least
2 per cent Of the farmers in each
state would cooperate and would
be provided with some cheap fer
tilizers for use In the tests.
State and National Setups.
:. The director Of each State Ex-I
tension Service would have for adj
visors members of a State commit
tee composed of two farmers, the
director of the State Experiment
Station, a representative of the fer
tilizer industry and representative
Of farmer cooperative organiza-
tions. National policy would be
set by national committee advis-
ing with the Secretary of Agricul-
ture.
3. Fertilizers used In the test
demonstrations would be of high
plant food content, necessitating an
increase in the production OF high
analysis fertilizers. To supply these,
particularly triple superphosphate,
the Tennessee Valley Authority
would construct plant, already
authorized In several Congressional
appropriations. This plant would be
sold within five years after compile
ton to either a farmer-owned CO.
operative or to a private concern.
During its operation by iva half
the fertilizer would be available for
demonstration purposes and the
balance would be distributed
through farmer co-operatives.
Farmer co-operatives would be
eligible to receive from the Farm
Credit Administration longtime
loans up to 80 per cent of the value
for construction of new phosphate
and potash plants and for acquir-
ing war constructed nitrogen plants
These co-operatives would make no
claim for income tax exemptions,
and would agree to sell portion OF
the fertilizers produced.to the Gov
ernment for the soil fertility pro-
gram.
4. The Interior Department would
conduct surveys in search of new
reserves of phosphate and potash,
and the Government would be auth
orized to make payments to States
and cousties in lieu of taxes for
lands acquired.
Cost S16,O00,000 a Year.
Proponents of the bill say the
costs of the demonstration program
will be approximately S16,000,0 900
a year for about 10 years, after
which costs will be cut in half.
The IVA plant would cost about
$4,000, 900, but become largely self
supporting after beginning opera
tion.
Edward A. oNeal, Farm Bureau
president, said the Nationwide
program of test demonstrations
holds great promise for farmers.
He added that ''the bill opens the
way for private industry to ex-
pand its production of fertilizer,
and to direct the new production
along lines which will meet the
needs of the soil and the farmer. :"
Private industry, however, does
not agree, and representatives OF
fertilizer manufacturing companies
are expected to oppose the bill with
vigor. They say there is no need
for the Government entering the
fertilizer business The industry,
they say, doubled production OF
plant food and can further increase
production as fast as Government
permits for new construction are
received.
They add further that the in
dustry is proud Of its price record"
adding that fertilizer is one of the
cheapest items going into the to-
tai costs of farm production