Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1949-04-18
Cooley Sees Passage
OF Farm Bill With
Some Truman Plans

By the Asseeiotsd Press
Chairman Cooley of the Hous
Agriculture Committee predicte,
today the present Congress vii
write a new farm program.
take effect in 1850.
He told a reporter he expect
this new program to:
/. Embody perhaps some bu
not all of the Truman admins
tration's proposals for a program
intended, through Government
payments. to give farmers good in
comes and consumers cheap food.
2. To scrap the Aiken bill
passed by the Republican-con
trolled 80th Congress. This Law
in 1850, unless changed. wouls
abandon rigid 80 per cent of part.
price supports for basic crops ant
substitute a flexible go to 90 pc
cent support system.
PARTY is price calculated
to give the farmer o return on
the things he sells in fair re-
lationship to the prices of
things he has to buy
Flexible Support Opposed
Mr.. Cooley, foe Of the flexible
support idea, said: None Of u!
wants this Aiken bill hung aroune
our necks In 1850. 1t has M
friends in our committee. Mo-
even among Republicans. We ar.
going to get out some kind Of 9
new farm bill"
The principal virtue Of the ad-
ministration'S new program, hi
observed, Is that ut abandons thu
flexible support idea" He said
he Is inclined to look with favor
on some Of the administration
proposals, particularly its sug-
gestions for getting fair prices
for farmers.
But the administration has a big
selling job to do. he remarked, II
1t hopes to get its whole program
accepted.
Senator Aiken of Vermont, author
of the Republican farm law, con.
tends the administration program
would subject farmers to broader
controls than ever before.
Direct Subsidies Studied.
Secretary of Agriculture Bran
nan said this week end that Pres
1dent Truman Is considering q
request to Congress for authority
to pay direct subsidies to pro-
ducers Of milk and meat, instead
Of making price-support pur-
chaSes.
The Aiken law permits direct
payments after January l, 1850
If the proposal under considera-
ton is adopted 1T would put such
subsidies into effect Immediately
on milk and meat. >
The Government already is buy
ing butter. dried milk and other
products to support milk prices
Secretary Brannan has said that
pork purchases will be needed
within so days.
The House and Senate Agricul.
ture Committees. after long public
hearings, probably will write theil
own ticket on new farm legisla
ton. Then the House and Senat,
will make the final decisions.
Meanwhile, there are three farm
programs before the Nation.
Program Ends This Year.
The present program is due tt
expire after the 1949 crop year
It is q refinement of the old New
Deal" program in effect for many
years 1t provides:
/. Price supports at 90 per cent
of parity for wheat, corn. cotton
tobacco, rice, peanuts, milk anc
milk products. chickens. eggs, hogs
The supports are maintained by
Government loans on or purchase
Of surplus prick-depressing pro-
duction.
2. Maintenance at not less than
80 per cent of parity (or not more
than the highest 1948 support
level Of an individual CROP Of dry
peas and beans. soy beans for oil,
flaxseed for oil, peanuts for oil,
Amsrican-Egyptian cotton. pota-
toes, sweet potatoes. turkeys
Wool has its own support law
8. Support Of any other crop at
any level at the discretion of the
secretary of agriculture, depend
ing on the availability Of funds.
Due to Begin Next Year.
Unless undone by Congress, this
is the program set to take effect
in 1850:
l. Price supports at so to 90
per cent of "Modernized" parity
on basic crops. except that q 90
per cent support for tobacco Is
mandatory. The idea of the flex-
ible formula is that supports
would be lowered when SURPRISES
begin to accumulate In a CROP
in order to discourage production
2. AL other crops would be sup
ported at zero to 80 per cent, at
the discretion of the secretary
except that wool and Irish pota-
toes could not be supported at
less than go per cent. Wool In
effect would be assured 90 pei
cent.
Truman's Preposals.
The new program proposed by
the Truman administration pro-
poses to:
/. Set an income support
standard" for farmers that would
supplant the old parity concept
meaning q higher ''fair price
idea for some crops and lower fol
others.
2. The basic or priority" crops
would be supported at 100 pei
cent (not 80 per cent? Of this in
cnyne standard These priority