Evening star., 1949-08-07
Brannan Favorable
To Compromise Bill
On Farm Supports
By the Associoted Press

Secretary OF Agriculture Bran
nan, was described yesterday as
Favorable" toward a compromise
farm price support bill drawn up
by a Senate Agriculture subcom-
mittee. He suggested, however, the
junking of highly limited test of
the farmer subsidy plan he pro-
posed last spring.
Senator Anderson, Democrat Of
New Mexico. told reporters. how
ever, that the test provisions pro-
baby would remain in the mea-
sure. He said Secretary Brannan
was quite favorable to the bill
as a compromise.
Secretary Brannan and two
Agriculture Department aides
spent more than three hours yes
terday behind closed doors going
over the bill drafted by Senator
Anderson and bipartisan Senate
Agriculture subcommittee.
AS the cabinet member depart
ed, he told reporters that Senator
Anderson, who preceded him as
Secretary of Agriculture, would
"do all the talking"
Brannan Helped on Changes.
Senator Anderson said the Sec
retary and Senators had gone
over the complicated measure
word by word and line by line and
Senator Brannan made fine and
constructive suggestions.
He quoted the Secretary as say
ing the proposed measure would
''be better than the House bill" 3"
That measure calls for continu-
ing high-level price supports for
major crops another year: repeals
in advance a flexible price prop
system known as the Aiken Law.
due to take effect in 1850. and
makes no provision for any farmer
subsidies.
Secretary Brannan has sug-
gested that market prices OF
meats, fresh fruits and vegetables
and other perlshable farm prod
ucts be allowed to reach their
own levels without Government
supports. This would aid con-
sumers, he said, while farmers
could collect production pay
ments" or subsidies if required to
maintain their income at level
esta blished by the Government as
fair.
Field Was Too Limited.
Secretary Brannan did not
think we gave him much of a
field to operate" Senator Ander-
son said. He said it was so
limited it would apply to only
few products-largely a few vege-
tables"
Even this might cause contro-
versy and delay, Senator Ander-
son quoted the secretary, so lit
might be better to leave 1t out
completely"
Senator Anderson's group made
at least one concession. They had
banned production payments" on
any commodity If the estimated
loss would amount to 10 per cent
Of the income farmers received
from that product the previous
year. That was stricken.
But q long list of other restric-
tions on the production pay
ments" were retained.
Anderson Bill Provisions.
Main provisions of the Ander-
son bill would:
1. Authorize Government sup
ports at from 80 to IS per cent OF
parity for corn, wheat, cotton,
tobacco, rice and peanuts. with
assurance that for the next year
the support levels would be at
or near 80.
z. Authorize a, similar level OF
supports for other farm products
that can be stored, such as oats,
rye, barley. meats and butter.
3. Revise the basis for comput-
ing parity levels so that any re-
duction in supports would be grad
ual. Parity is a price intended
10 give a farm product the same
relative value 1t had in a past
favorable period.
Changes Are Outlined.
Senator Anderson said Secretary
Brannan's comments brought
these changes in the. compromise
bill:
/. Government loans agencies
could sell oil seeds, such as cotton
seed, for crushing into oil. Pre-
viously this was limited to peanuts.
2. Mohair would be added to
the price support provisions for
wool at go to 80 per cent.
3. Loan stocks of wool could
be sold at a loss If necessary to
avoid heavy storage costs.