Evening star., 1949-10-04
The Political Mill
Brunnun Farm Plan Called
Prize Bait for Rural Vote
Flexible Price Support System Could
Kill Program as Political Issue
By Gould Lincoln

DJ UONtU LtnCOtn
Governmental price support for agricul-
tural products Is becoming as great polit-
ical issue as the protective tariff was. In
consequence, Republicans and Democrats
are engaged in wooing the farm vote as
rarely before. The Republicans have good
cause to worry-for it was the farm vote,
or rather lack Of farmer support for the
Dewey Warren ticket, which laid the COP
fiat on its back in the 1948 elections.
Last year the 80th-Republican Congress
enacted the Hope-Aken farm law, which
continued rigid price supports for the year
1949 and provided for flexible system OF
price supports as a permanent system, to
go into effect January !, 1850. The idea
OF flexible price supports had both DEM
ocratic and Republican votes in the Senate
and the bill was signed by President Truman.
But as soon as the campaign got underway
the administration Democrats started tell
ing the farmers that the Republicans were
about to cut their throats with this Aiken
program which provides 80 to go per cent
parity price support. Apparently, their
argument had effect The farmers preferred
a 80 per cent parity price support to
so per cent parity, or to anything between
80 and go per cent. The Democrats did
not explain, of course, that the Secretary
of Agriculture, under the Aiken law, has
authority to keep the parity price up to
80 per cent of parity if he believed it justi-
fed.
Catch in Brannan Plan.
This year the Truman Democrats came
forward with the so-called Brannan farm
program. This is designed, they say, to
guarantee the farmers high prices and the
consumers, low prices, kind of pennies
from-heaven idea tor all concerned. The
catch in it is that the American taxpayers
will be forced to shell out the difference
between the high prices the farmers receive
and low prices which the consumers pay.
Backed by the labor leaders-whom the
Republicans accuse of having written
the Brannan plan in the first place-the
Brannan plan already has become the prize
bait which President Truman and his admin
istration is waving before the farmers, hop
ing to attract their votes.
The Republicans. for their part, have de-
nounced the Brannan plan as unavoidable
and calculated to sink the American farmer
in the end. So far. however. they are con-
tenting themselves with a modification OF
the Aiken Act-the Anderson bill, now before
the Senate and bearing the name OF
Democratic Senator from New Mexico who
was himself Secretary of Agriculture before
Mr.. Brannan got that job. They promise to
come up with something else next year, If
the Anderson measure is not satisfactory
to the farmer.
Except for the Farmers Union none of the
big farm organizations have favored the
Brannan plan. Their chief criticism of it is
that it would bring the most rigid kind Of
controls-as to acreage and marketing-ever
experienced by American farmers, with
heavy penalties for violations. The Demo-
cratic House refused to have any part of
ya14 n11 ha
BILL which extends rigid 90 per cent Of
parity price supports.
Blocked Also in Senate.
Nor did the Brannan plan meet any sue
cess in the Senate Committee on Agriculture.
The committee reported out the Anderson
bill, which is practically certain of passage.
The administration-and the labor leaders
are urging Senator Thomas of Oklahoma.
chairman of the Senate committee, to offer
the Brannan bill as a substitute. II MIR.
Thomas does offer it-he introduced the bill
at Secretary Brannan's request-lt seems
certain the Brannan bill will be defeated.
The President in this fight over the
Brannan farm bill has run into still another
Democratic Republican coalition IN Con-
gress, with Democrats from the Southland
some from the West-lining up against him.
It is this kind of coalition which is causing
i.
Congress. Whipsawed between the demand
for civil rights legislation and the neces-
sity Of getting some kind Of unity among
the Democrats in Congress, MIR. Truman has
plenty of troubles. Apparently he has given
up any idea of getting civil rights legisla-
tion at this session, just as he has been
forced to do without repeal Of the Taft
Hartley labor law, and is being forced to
go without the Brannan farm bill.
For q score OF years q flexible tariff sys-
tem-the reciprocal trade agreements-has
virtually taken the tariff out Of politics as
a main issue. Perhaps, after all, flexible
price support system for the farmers will
do the same for the farm problem-h it
is given an opportunity.
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