Evening star., 1950-10-21
The Political Mill -. -,
PIMA Farm Machine
Politics Seen in Iowa
Democrats Hope to Keep
Hold on RuruI Voters
By Gould Lincoln

BY Gould Lincoln .-
DES MONIES, Oct 21.-An attempt to
turn the Production and Marketing Ad-
ministration and its thousands of agents
into powerful political machine is being
made in Iowa to help elect the Demo-
cratic senatorial candidate, former Un-
dersecretary of Agriculture Albert j.
Loveland.
The PIMA has taken the place of the
old AAA-Agrfcultural Adjustment Ad-
ministration-to handle the Government
agriculture programs. At recent meet
ing of PIMA county and township COM
mitteemen in Cedar Rapids Al Cook
of the State PIMA Office in Des Moines
called directly on the committeeman to
work for the election of Mr.. Lovelapd
in his race against Republican. Senator
Hickenlooper, His demand for Loveland
support came at the close Of a meeting
held to deal with crop insurance.
1t has been suspected here that efforts
would be made to use the PIMA in this
Senate fight which the Truman admin
istration is tremendously anxious to win.
A victory here would be an indication
that the hold which the Truman ad-
ministration obtained on the farmer
voters in the great agricultural States
in 1948 has not slipped away If the
Democrats can really fasten on the farm
vote, as they have on the vote in the
industrial centers, they will consider
themselves safe for some time to come.
Dragged Into Open.
The thing has been dragged into the
open finally by the word of command
spoken at the meeting in Cedar Rapids.
How powerful political organization
the PIMA might become can readily be
understood when it is realized that be-
tween 1000 and 5000 PIMA committee
men and agents are found in Iowa alone
Not all of them, of course, are Demo-
Gratis. The question will arise, there
fore, whether the committeeman are to
stick to party allegiance or go along
with the orders of the PIMA. If several
thousand OF these committeeman begin
working for the election of Mr.. Loveland,
they can be an effective organization.
Senator Gillette, Democrat, heading
up a Senate committee to investigate
senatorial campaigns, has been appealed
to say whether the PIMA committeeman,
who receive a $7-a-day compensation
while they are at work, come under the
ban OF the Hatch Act against political
activity. Senator Gillette, it is reported,
has been advised by counsel that the
Hatch Act does not apply to the. COM
mitteemen. This seems to give the PIMA
the go sign in this campaign.
The farm vote in this State Is ire
mendously important. 1t represents the
biggest single block of voters. While
Senator Hickenlooper is given a decided
edge by observers here, big and sue
cessful drive by the PIMA might turn
the tide against him. The Farm Bureau
Federation, with its 1906 members in
the State, is strongly opposed to the
Brannan farm program. Mr.. Loveland,
while he ducks support of the Brannan
plan by name, is speaking for some Of
its most important provisions, and the
Farm Bureau Federation is out to beat
him If it can .,---.
Polls Taken Of Sentiment.
Wallaces Farmer and Iowa Home
stead. a publication .at enc time owned
by Henry Wallace's family, takes a poll
OF political sentiment among the, farm
ers In campaigns. So, far it has pub
liShed results of the. poll as of August. l9
and September %. It showed on Au-
gust 10 Senator Hickenlooper with q
likely As per cent of the vote, Mr.. Love-
land with 80 per cent, and 25 per cent
undecided; on September %, Senator
Hickenlooper, As per cent; Mr. Loyeland,
"a per cent. and 81 per cent undecided.
These polls have been accurate in the
past. The undecided vote could still
swing the election. 1t has been found
that for Democrat to win in State
wide election in Iowa, he must have at
least 81 per cent Of the farm vote The
rest of the rural and small-town vote
is strongly Republican.
Senator Gillette, whom the late Pres
ident Roosevelt sought to purge" in
1888 because of his opposition to the
Supreme Court packing bill, has finally
come into the State to make speeches
for the Democratic ticket. He has won
in the past himself because of strong
support among the Republicans-sup-
port which a Democrat must have to
win here. Whether he will tear his
shirt for Mr.. Loveland is question,
however. Further it is doubtful that
Senator Gillette can swing his Repub-
lican friends to Mr.. Loveland. The Sem
ator,. too, is hostile to the Brannan
farm plan. ,-, =