Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1949-04-09
The poiiticci NH
New Form PIon leoves
Some Democrats Puzzled
Production paymens' Nigh, Rur L.,
Billions al Doilars
By Ge&!S Lfmee!s

TIE Administrator res farm a. a.
presented es Secretary G. AETsrz3'.grv H-a
nan ~4tn Ire Blessing q Fvwsbtrs: r,7ss1sa
il about IS understandable &c TN~71~t-s
members O. the s~aAtr a. tee eg~r~a'ao~ g.
Pyramid Club and Il tire A3rr,rsst-a. -~
hnysrS 10 set major saTssScts fcr tse YsA~
Will have 10 let = lct a. light n
Coined In TIRE plan Is rsw ahYA~ -y~.--
auctsnn payments To TIE Tsr -ct.tfr ~
citlsxn wil mean government E4Ass*v ,
tarrsaer< designed 10 maintain h&sS vsser,
them and At the same t&-Iae pctrrE e.n, .~e-
70 buy food stuTx nj nrscos nxea ~ -, 81
fashioned law Of saraly and cer.a"t -1
other words Il Is entAc~sneui O. fame,
produce plenty 80 thai tAe supply a. E.ea.,
equal OF run ahead q TIE consume. &r~~as
thereby assuring reasonable q; lo~ Vssrrs 70
the public,
Nobody has suggested yrt hos "a ~~a.
IN hts leans Uncle Sam wtn have "a c,g .r
nav the farmers these productive pa
rnsntx" II is well understood ho~rvt. t.A.
whatever Uncle sam pays-Ana IL TssH -.-
into billions II prices q food sass -.
go very low on the narket--vlA co"le g., ..
the pockets Of the American tNNaAvrr'
Quick Endorsement hs McGrath
The Democratic National COMMITTEE s-,-
rfeatatsly put out statement eN SraA
J Howard McGrath Of Rhode Island ca
man giving the new farm plan s1pc q;
Endorsement. In conclusion Senate; NJ
Grath. made this wholly Understandable =,
mark without COINS into the trc'nI,a.
explanation and the working details o! SCc. r.
tary BrannAn's testimony ,aoout tho Hrv
plan} ! want 10 emphasize again that q
program tackles the farm problem ~
latlon to the whole country. II - tGNy tie
working details which need explalnlng
Secretary BrannAn. in his appearance t<-
fore a Joint meeting Of the House and SenA,s
Committees on Agriculture, stated thr ur-
,ectIye of the plan-~the welfare OF &c
American farmer. He made the title A.
ton that II the farmer goes bust, the Si.c
Nation does, too, No one wlll quarrel Va.
his demand that the farmer be given la.r
break But he apparently Is undertaklnG so
set I'D n kind Of endless chain whereby e
farmer will produce all he can. or al least
all that the Government thinks he khout
and the consumer wiil buy ali he can. az
certainly as much as the farmer produce,
This is supposed to keep everybody else woFk-
ing and making money and spendtns It
Weak Link in Chain.
The weak link In the chain seems 10 ~
the requirement that the Government he
ready at all times TO step in and pay the fA'-
mer the difference between his cost OF Pr
duetion. plus a fair income. and the price To
market II is possible that any government,
budget might be knocked galley vest undo
the operation Of such a plan.
The details OF the plan are numerous and
intricate One of them Is designed To help
the family size farm and not 10 eneoufage
the development of large indussrialised farm
ing.
Nobody knows. but Il is surmised that op-
Grafton OF the proposed Law will require ihe
services OF an army Of Government agents.
a tremendous amount OF bookkeeping by
both the farmers and the Government and
finally. the strictest kind OF control Of tie
farmers by the Government.
Anderson Not Consulted.
The production payments" appear 70 he
limited TO the more perishahle crops. like
fruits, vegetables, meats. poultry. eggs and
milk. and the old or present price support
method OF commodity loans and purchase
agreements viii be used for comrnodities
which do not appreciably deteriorate in
storage. for example. grains and cotton.
Senator Anderson OF New Mexico. who be-
fore he came TO the Senate was Democratic
Secretary Of Agriculture and Ia now q men,
Der OF the Senate Agriculture Committee.
was not consulted by the drafters OF the
new administration farm plan before Il WAS
revealed by Secretary Brannan. Mr.. Ander-
son is saying nothing publicly about the
plan~until the legislation 10 put IL into effect
has been presented and Secretary Brannan
has explained Its provisions. Other Demo
cratic Senators admit they are mystifed.
and some OF them just don't like the plan.