Evening star., 1949-08-20
Anderson Predicts OK
For Farm Bill Monday
lin Senate Committee
BY the Associated Press

Senate efforts to write a new
farm bill pleasing to everybody
today moved toward a decision.
Chairman Thomas Of the Sem
ate Agriculture Committee told a
reporter there is absolutely no
chance for Congress approving the
compromise bill of Senator An
derSons."
Senator Anderson disputed that.
The New Mexico Democrat. who
once was Secretary Of Agriculture.
forecast a favorable vote Monday
in the committee for the measure
he has been drafting and revising
for several weeks with the help
of both Democrats and Republi-
cans.
Unless some. others change
their minds think can count
three or more votes on top OF the
six Senators who helped draft
this" Senator Anderson said in a
separate interview.
That would be nine votes with
in the 13-member committee, or
more than enough to send it on
to the Senate.
Brannan Hits Support Plan.
From another corner, Secretary
of Agriculture Brannan has let fly
with a barrage of criticism aimed
at the compromise flexible price
support plan worked out by the
Anderson camp.
Mr.. Brannan's f1ve-page letter,
putting in some licks for his own
farm program. was made public
by Senator Thomas late yester-
day, a week after it was written.
1t took the Anderson bill apart
section by section but wound up
by promising to exert every effort
to make it, or anything else Con-
gress passes, work as successfully
and effectively as possible"
Mr.. Brannan's carefully-worded
"views with respect to the sub
committees recommended price
support bill" said a few nice
things about the Anderson meas
ure. But the Secretary concluded:
II find it necessary to advise
you that I believe the measure
still fails to provide adequate and
comprehensive price support au-
thorities which would equip the
Department of Agriculture to deal
with the production and distribu-
ton problems with which this Ma
ton is being confronted with ever
increasing intensity"
Refuse to Comment on Letter.
Neither Senators Thomas nor
Anderson wanted to comment
publicly on the Brannan letter.
But Senator Thomas served
notice that on Monday he will ask
his committee to 60 along with a
House-passed plan for another
year Of high-level wartime Gov
ernment price supports at 80 per
cent of parity. Parity is govern
ment price standard intended to
be fair to both farmers and con-
sumers.
Previously Senator Anderson
had counted Senator Thomas
among the seven Senators-four
Democrats and three Republicans
backing fhis Substitute for the
one-year House extension.
The Anderson bill would aim at
a long range program of flexible
supports. under which Government
price PROPS through loans and pur-
chases would decline If supplies
became too large.
Mr.. Brannan said in his letter
that the top price supports under
the Anderson bill ARE. in my
opinion. still too low" Still an
other weakness, he wrote, lis that
provision Is not made to allow the
benefits of our abundant produc-
ton of the important protective
foods, which are perishable, to
reach our customers through the
normal channels of trade"
That was a plug for the Brannan
proposal to let some foods reach
price levels in markets without
Government supports.