Evening star., 1949-10-08
The Political Mill
Danger to Farmers Seen
In Continued 1920 Parity
Public, Sick of Being Taxed to Keep
Up Price Supports, Gould Revolt
The Political Mill
By Gould Lincoln

Improperly mixed, politics and prices are
bad medicine. This goes for the prices OF
farm products and the Truman administra.
ton, which is making gestures in support
of the continuance of 80 per cent parity
prices for the farmers.
Vice President Barkley recently broke
tie vote in the Senate to bring about the
adoption of rigid 80 per cent parity price
support for many basic commodities in place
of the Anderson bills 80 to IS per cent
flexible price supports. President Truman, at
an even more recent press conference, clearly
| indicated he backed Mr.. Barkley's stand.
The administration does not want to rock
the political boat which carried it safely
ashore in the elections last year. 1t does not
want to give the farmers any idea that it
would permit a lowering of farm prices. This
is the political part of the picture.
Could Cost Five Billions
The administration either knows or should
know that If the rigid, high price supports
are continued. the Government may be in
volved to the tune of s5,0000 100000 before
the close of next year, through actual pur-
chases and loans on farm crops Inquiry at
the Agriculture Department revealed the fact
that as of June 80 last the Government
was already involved to the tune Of $780,
100000, or about one-half of the total au-
thority it has to make loans and purchases
through the Commodity Credit Corp. Since
then further loans and purchases have been
made, particularly on cotton.
Apparently in order to curry favor with
the farmers and if possible get majority
OF their votes next year in the congressional
elections, the Administration is shutting its
eyes to the dangerous position it is pre-
clpitating-a position which not only weak
ems the structure of government credit but
m ala %L@
support system and make it extremely dis
tasteful to the general public.
The President and Mr.. Barkely, in this
fight over farm legislation have broken with
Majority Leader Lucas of the Senate and
With Senator Anderson of New Mexico
whose name is attached to the senate farm
bill and who was Secretary of Agriculture
before Secretary Brannan took over Mr.
Lucas is from Illinois, These gentlemen are
convinced that the high rigid price supports
are not the right answer to the farm prob
lem-whatever they may be in a political
campaign.
Others Jump Aboard.
This desire TO curry favor with the farm
ers is not confined to the President and Mr.
oaTkley Republican Senators and conserv-
atlve Democratic Senators from the cotton
growing states of the South have jumped
aboard the 80 per cent parity price support
program contained in the so-called Russell
Young amendment sponsored by Senator
Russell of Georgia. Democrat, and Senator
Young OF North Dakota, Republican,. This
program is in line with the existing law
which is due to expire December 81, with
the Aiken flexible price support program
going into effect the next day, unless it is
superseded by new legislation The RUSSELL
Young amendment was defeated yesterday,
As to 26. -, c-.,r
The effect of the stand of the President
and Mr.. Barkley may beco (. great i'm
portance before the battle CO. new farm
legislation ends for the present session
The House has passed already the Gore
bill, for continued 80 per cent parity price
supports on basic commodities In any
conference over farm legislation between the
two houses. before final enactment of a
new law, the attitude of Mr. Truman may
be effective in forcing the Senate to ac-
cept the high, rigid price supports for farm
prices.
A danger to the farmer lies in the pos
sioillty that the public, sick of high prices
and OF being taxed to keep these prices high,
may revolt against farm price supports by
government and demand q better break
system Of flexible price supports, effective
in preventing disastrous price crashes for
the farmer and also in preventing tremen-
dous surplus crops, would be far better for
the farmers in the long run.