The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1948-10-29

grain channels instead of govern
ment-owned or government-leased
facilities. AS he himself admitted,
according to the Congressional Rec
ord:
"These provisions which severe
ly restrict the Commodity Credit
Corporation would, in my opinion
make it very difficult for the ag-
ency to carry out the duties i'm
posed on it by law. However, |
shall not detain the house with a
detailed discussion of til sc
| points
BI-PARTISANS BOTH GUILTY =. &.
The record clearly shows that
neither the Democrats nor the Re-
publicans fought to stay the hands of
the private grain lobby. Neither of
fered any real resistance and, with
out record vote, the Wolcott amend
ment was adopted, barring the CCC
from owning or leasing elevators or
other real property that might be
considered in competition with priv
ate trade.
Despite early forecasts of a big
grain carryover this year, Truman
forces in the department of Agricul
ture and CCC did nothing to arrange
the storage facilities necessary to
maintain prices at the support levels.
Without opposition on the part Of
Democrats or Republicans, the 80th
Congress moved to turn over the CCC
to the big food professors and grain
dealers by providing that at least
henceforth come from private bust
ness. Similarly, congress, in adopt
ing the Marshall Plan, inserted a
neat clause requiring that, where
ever possible, purchases must be
handled through private channels,
and the Administration, in supine
fashion, quickly announced that af-
ter December all grain purchases
under the Marshall Plan would be
entrusted to the private grain trade.
WHERE CANDIDATES STAND ;.
What will happen to price sup
ports after the elections? Neither
Truman or Dewey has been willing
to spell out any specific post-elec-
ton proposals. Each has been using
the old pig-in-a-poke strategy and
has been praising price supports, as
a general principle, while blaming
the other for its imperfections.
Before casting their ballots, farm
ers would do we'll to add up not only
what the rival candidates have said
about price supports but also what
they have left unsaid. Here is the
record:
Neither Truman nor Dewey has
stated at what level he would
support farm prices or what crops
he would cover
Neither Truman nor Dewey has
repudiated the Wall Street bank
ers who say that price supports
will be revised downward after
elections.
= Neither Truman nor Dewey has
said one word in opposition to the
action taken by the 8Oth Con-
gress in dropping support levels
to as low as 5000 of parity and ex-
Guiding many farm products.
. Both the Democratic and COP
platforms call for FLEXIBLE price
supports" instead of firm, stable
floors.
Henry Wallace is the only candi-
date committed to keeping the
price support promises in full at
the 900 parity level.
DANGER OF PRICE SLUMP
Unless farm prices are effectively
"our whole economy"
Wallace warned, Twill soon be para
yzed by crash of unprecedented
He added:
"Only grudgingIy and reluctant
ly did the S0th Congress re-enact
any price support legislation, and
then between the hours of S am.
and z am, minutes BEFORE ad-
journment it pasted together ire
concilable portions of two contra
dictory bills. The effect is to
weaken and emasculate the price
support promises which were made