Evening star., 1948-05-02

Farm legislation in Congress may have
tough row to hoe from now on, say political
observers Before the year Is out, they pre-
dict, you may see dire results from the
secession of the Southern members from the
House farm bloc over the issue Of oleomar-
garine tax repeal Among bitter threats OF
reprisals that came from Northern members
who sought to retain the tax and protect their
dairy-farming constituents was that OF Rep
resentative Knutson, Republican, Of Mime
sofa, chairman of the Ways and Means Com
mittee. He called for lifting of the quota on
imports of cotton First big chance the North
ern members wiN have to get revenge will come
when Congress considers legislation to continue
farm commodity price support programs They
will expire December 81 unless extended
Southern farmers would be hurt seriously II
supports for prices Of cotton, tobacco, peanuts
and rice were weakened or knocked out. Ut
was the Southern farmers market for cotton
seed and peanut oil which the Southern bloc
was thinking about in its fight for oleo. They
were aided by some Midwest members whose
constituents produce soybeans-whose oil also
goes into oleo) Besides, q long-range farm
legislation program also is pending. 1t Was
the close union of the Northern and Southern
farm legislators which enabled the bloc to
control system, subsidies, the ever-normal
granary, the wartime price supports. The big
question now is: Where will the city Repub-
licans stand? To please their oleo-using con-
stituents, they sided with the Southerners in
this fight. If such a measure as the free
import of cotton were proposed, with the
promise of cheaper clothing, would they again
represent consumer interests by jumping to the
Northern side?
HOPELESS
LAKE SUCCESS.-More and more delegates
to the United Nations are saying privately that
they do not believe a solution to the Palestine
problem will be found by the time the British
mandate ends May IS. The Assembly isn't
within sight of agreement even on the general
principles of a solution. II neither the trustee
ship plan nor any other scheme Is approved,
it is possible that the partition plan adopted
November %, might stand on the books by
default. But, even if it does, it Is almost GER
tain the U. N. will take no affirmative action
to support the project.
Prices Up Again
top-rank Government official privately pre-
diets new price rises in December or January
as result OF the defense and foreign-aid pro-
grams. Inc new wave OF lnHatlOn HllSHC COIne
sooner, he says, if anxious consumers start
buying spree. Production Of consumer goods
will decrease, creating shortages, he points out,
as materials and labor are diverted to produc-
ton for military and foreign-aid needs. At the
same time the demand for consumer goods will
increase, because people will have more money
to spend as result of the tax cut.
Jet Planes
Look for an early announcement by the Air
Force of new turbo-jet engine, probably the
most powerful production type yet revealed.
Aircraft manufacturers are ready with
some spectacular designs when the Air Force
gets the money to place orders under the new
program The Air Force has ordered new
transport plane, the Douglas CHA, which will
be one of the largest aircraft ever purchased
in quantity.
Unhappy Secretary
The illness of Secretary of Labor Schwellen-
bach soon may lead to another cabinet change
Mr. Schwellenbach has been far from happy
in the post, for which he gave up lifetime
Federal iudgeship. He long has waged losing
fight with the House Appropriations Committee