Evening star., 1949-07-21
Vital Decisions
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lin House Today
Coalition Threatens
To Deal Death Blow
To Brunnon Plan
BY the As,ocioted Press

A formidable Democratic
publican coalition threatened to
take control of the House today
and deliver a death blow at the
Truman administrations new
farm bill.
The House was called into ses-
sion two hours earlier than usual
to make crucial decisions that
may determine the political for
tunes of many Farm Belt Repub.
licans and Democrats in the 1850
congressional campaigns.
There was talk of all sorts Of
compromises, but before nightfall
the House may vote to:
!. Scuttle or water down the
administration-pack bill that calls
for three-crop trial run of the
Brannan farm subsidy plan.
May Kill Aiken Law.
2. Kill outright or postpone the
effective date of the Aiken law
enacted by the Republican-con-
trolled 8oth Congress. This law,
set to become effective next year.
would permit a flexible so to 90
per cent of parity, support pro-
gram for major crops.
3. Continue the present farm
program in 1850. This program
supports major crops at a rigid 30
per cent of parity "a price fixed
by formula calculated to give
farmers fair purchasing power.).
This is done through Government
loans and purchases that keep
price-depressing surpluses off the
markets. Farmers do not now get
direct subsidies from the Govern
ment.
The House debate, frequently
bitter, ran like this:
The administration side-Speak-
ers argued that losses such as have
been suffered in the potato sup
port program could wreck the
present farm program. They said
that limited subsidies. instead Of
price supports, are the answer.
Representative Pace, Democrat, Of
Georgia. author of the adminis-
tration bill, wanted to know how
long the people would permit
spending hundreds Of millions
Of dollars to support q program
that lets food rot on the ground or
feeds it to the hogs"
Foes Fear Peacetime CPA.
The opposition-Leaders charged
that the administration bill. which
promises cheaper food through
subsidies. gets its support prin-
cipally from organized labor-not
from farmers. They argued that
subsidies would lead to q peace
time OPA and cost billions more
than present price supports.
Congressional corridors were
crowded with farm organization
representatives. The American
Farm Bureau Federation and the
National Grange are fighting the
administration bill. The National
Farmers Union is supporting it.
Representative Gore, Democrat,
Of Tennessee, usually an admin
istration supporter but now lead
ing the opposition coalition, called
for a vote on his substitute for the
administration bill. His measure
would throw overheard the trial
run Brannan plan and continue
the present price support program.
Mr.. Gore predicted 100 Demo.
Gratis will join him in the show.
down voting.
Indicative of the heat of the
battle, Republican leaders sent out
orders for every one of the I'll
Republican House members who
can breathe and stand" to be
on hand today to vote against
the administration measure.
Cooley Won't Concede Defeat.
F., Chairman Cooley of the House
Agriculture Committee, who with
Mr.. Pace is leading the admins.
tration's battle. refused to con-
cede defeat. But he admitted on
the House floor that I'VE are in
trouble"
Administration forces aimed
their hottest fire not at the Gore
substitutes provision continuing
the present program but at its
provision postponing but not kill
ing the Aiken law, authored last
year by Senator Aiken, Repub-
lican, of Vermont.
Administration leaders indicat-
ed they will feel they have won .
victory If the flexible support
principle of the Aiken law is re-
pealed, even if the Brannan trial
run bill is lost.
Secretary Of Agriculture Bran
nan presented the administra-
tion's new farm plan to Congress
first in April, proposing that per-
ishable crops be allowed to sell at
what the market would pay. Then
(See FARM. Page A-6)