Evening star., 1949-07-13
Revolt Breaks Out
Against Brannan Bill ;
Substitute Planned
~ the Assoeiotsd Press

BY the Asseeiotsd Press
A rebellion broke out in Demo-
cratic ranks today against the
administrations uppo rted farm
bill.
This threatened to defeat even
a three-crop trial run for the con-
troversial Brannan plan of pro-
duction payments or subsidies to
support farm prices.
Representative Gore. Democrat,
of Tenn. usually an administra-
ton supporter, announced bi-
partisan group and some farm
leaders are drawing a substitute
bill to continue the present farm
program IN 1850.
The present program supports
major crops at rigid 90 per cent
of parity. through Government
loans and purchases that remove
price-depressing surpluses from
the markets. Parity is a price
calculated to give farmers a pur-
chasing power in fair relationship
with the prices Of things they
must buy.
Would Set Aside Aiken Law.
Mr.. Cores bill would reject the
Brannan production payment plan
entirely and set aside the Aiken
law enacted by the Republican,
controlled 80th Congress and
scheduled to become effective next
year. The Aiken law permits a
flexible so to 80 per cent of parity
support program for major crops.
It's author. Senator Aiken, Repub-
lican, of Vermont. contends, how
ever, that rigid supports could be
maintained under the law.
Mr.. Gore issued a formal state
ment declaring:
Farmers are not for the Bran
nan plan. All farm organizations
save the farmers union are op-
posed to 1t. Not one single farm
commodity group-such as the
Association. the Cotton Council.
Cattle men, pork producers, wheat
growers, etc.-have Endorsed the
Brannan plan.
Il think it is fuzzy, befuddled
politics to think that we the
democrats can make political hay
by force feeding the farmers some
thing he doesn't want
Mr.. Gore disputed claims Of
overwhelming Democratic support
for the Brannon plan trial run
and predicted a bipartisan group
will ram through his substitute
bill keeping the "time-tested"
present law.
| Speaker Rayburn set the crucial
debate to begin In the House on
Monday.
After a mass meeting of House
Democrats and a huddle of the
House Republican Policy Com
mittee late yesterday. these were
the battle positions:
Democrats-What leaders de-
scribed as an overwhelming ma
jority lined up at the party caucus
behind the bill calling for a three
crop trial run in 1850.
Back Substitute Bill.
Republicans-The policy group
agreed tentatively to battle for
the substitute bill.
Before Mr.. Gore announced his
plan, another Democrat-Repre-
sentative Cox Of Georgia-assailed
the Brannan plan and said it is
supported only by "the left wing In
agriculture and some labor organ
izations."
Representative Hope of Kansas,
House Republican farm leader,
said the bill is opposed by the
American Farm Bureau Fedora
ton and the National Grange.
Representative Murray, Repub-
lican, Of Wisconsin called the
Democrats bill cheap politics"
Secretary Of Agriculture Bran
nan contends production pay
ments would mean cheap food for
consumers and stable income for
farmers.
His plan would permit the
prices Of major crops to drop to
whatever level the market would
pay. The Government later
would make cash payments to
farmers amounting to the differ
ence between the average market
price and the support price set
by the Government.