Evening star., 1949-09-24
The Political Mill
G. 0. P. Farm Conferees
Face Two Worried Groups
Lawmakers and Crop Growers Want
To Be Saved from Lower Prices

LdWIHdkeTS ana crop OTOWeIS amt
To Be Saved from Lower Prices
By Gould Lincoln
SIOUX CITY, Iowa, Sept. 24.-Ths
Republican National Farm Conference
has brought to Sioux City two worried
groups-both Of whom want to be saved.
The first are furrowed-browed Republican
Governors. Senator'S. Representatives and
members of the partys National Committee.
all Of whom remember what happened in the
great farm States of the Middle West and
West in the elections Of 1948. They don't
want it to happen again in 1850 and 1852.
They want to bring the farm vote back to
its old allegiance with the COP. They want
to be saved from new defeats.
The second group are equally furrowed-
browed farm leaders and farmers who very
much want to be saved from lower farm
prices which national and world conditions
already are bringing about-and which
threaten to go still lower. They seem to be
perfectly willing to save the Republicans,
If the Republicans will save them.
Blunt Question Put.
So the Republicans at this conference Of
farmers from a dozen or more Midwest
States put the blunt question to the farmers
and the farm leaders:
What do you want. what do you adviser"
They told the farmers they would take
all the ideas presented back to Washington,
canvass them and see what could be done,
anything, the Republicans pleaded, except
the Brannan production payment plan. That
is the plan which President Truman, Sec
retary of Agriculture Brannan, the CIO and
the AFL are counting on to win them the
congressional elections next year. It is the
plan which the Republicans have dubbed
fantastic and capable of running the coun-
try and the farmers at one and the same
time. =.
The Republicans are confident that the
great majority Of farmers are not sold on
the Brannan plan-but they are afraid
that II farm prices take tumble the Tru-
NANTES may make successful issue Of the
plan and so elect another Democratic Con-.
gress in 1850 which will put the plan into
law and effect. It is obvious that If sufi-
cient number OF farmers, seeking any straw
to save them, grasp at the Brannan plan,,
this great Midwest area might slaughter q.
considerable number of Republican Sena-
tors and Representatives and Governors,
and the COP might be sunk for years
to come, if not forever.
The Republicans are between the devil.
and the deep sea. They fear they must,
compromise principle or lose votes They.
ports, under the present plan of having the
Government buy up surplus crops at 80 per,
cent OF the parity price, although they real
ize that this can be no permanent cure for,
the farm problem and realize, too, that 1t
might run the Government into billions of
dollars more debt.
They must do this to meet the threat Of
the promise happy Trumanites, who appar-
emily have no idea what the Brannan plan
will cost and don't care.
Farmers Have Lot of Ideas.
The farmers and their leaders have come.
up with lot Of ideas for a permanent farm
program, which run the gamut from greater
soil conservation to better marketing prac-
tices and the development Of new uses for.
farm products in industry. Most of them.
somewhere in their statements, urged the
retention of price supports at least until;
the rest Of their programs could be made
to work. ga. .....-r, ,zs ,-.
This explains why the Republicans, while
stunning the Brannan plan, will continue to
support high price supports. ~,~i
Further. the Republicans seem convinced
they must get away from the Aiken part Of
the Hope-Aiken Farm Act which they put
through the 80th Congress last year. The
Aiken title Of this act calls for sliding scale
Of price supports-from so to 80 per cent Of
cent idea. Senator Aiken Of Vermont, author,
with lot of other Senators, of this title.
attended this conference here, but he was
not given the spotlight.
1t may be that the Republicans are too
easily scared. If the Aiken title of the pres
ent law, which is not to go into effect until
January l, should become operative, and :
farm prices should take a nose dive, a.
Democratic Secretary of Agriculture, who
has the decision, would have to keep the sup
port prices at 80 per cent of parity instead Of
letting them sink to 80 or 10 or so per cent
or take the blame, with an election coming :
on. {,
The Republicans are going back to WASH
ington. however, intent on getting through
at the present session the Anderson bill. y
which is in reality the Aiken bill with a.
sliding scale of rs to 80 per cent of parity
for price supports. and a few other modifica-'
tions. The House has passed bill which,
gives higher and fixed support prices It
may, however. have to take the Anderson
bill. ' ).