The Chronicle star the Moss Point advertiser., 1950-01-20

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With the Congressional
theme song Of Economy,
Sweet Economy-Thy Virtues
are For Him-Not Me" filling
the air as. like robins in the
spring, it does at the beginning
fof every new session, it might
be profitable TO ponder for a
minute this question Of d wei
fare state and unbalanced
budgets and see Just who is TO
blame The usual pattern is for
the economy theme song 10
rise TO a swelling chorus, but
then be stilled 10 o mute and
silent voice as the boys roll out
the pork barrel and fill il with
pet projects and investments
in votes. This will be even
more popular this year with all
members of the House running
for reelection next year.
Let's make 1t clear from the
beginning. however. that we
are no proponents of a wei
fare" state. or any spread of
federal powers that would en-
danger the rights and freedom
of individuals. That's why we
hate both communism and fac
ism.
II might be well to point out
that none of the so-called "Wel-
fare legislation was passed at
the last session of Congress yet
we will end the fiscal year
with a $5-billion deficit.
Why?
First, almost half of this
years federal expenditure
went into the European cold"
war in the form of our own
military appropriations, Marsh
all plan expenditures, etc. Vet
Grams benefits took another
large chunk. Add interest on
the federal debt TO all of these
and you have over tWo-thirds
Of the budget accounted for.
It's on the domestic front
that huge quantities of pork
are consumed in pet Congress-
ional bills such as the billion
dollar Omnibus rivers and har-
bors appropriations, and in
subsidies to business and agri-
culture that eat up chunks Of
the ta&payer's money. We
might take as one example of
this the present fight by rep
resentatives from cotton pro-
ducing states on the matter of
acreage limitations to explain
a national pattern that is as
broad as our borders and ac-
counts in a substantial measure
i for the federal deficits.
:,
The federal government. by
vote of Congress. puts a
floor" under cotton prices and
maintains IL by purchasing sur
plus cotton with money COL
lected from taxpayers in all the
30 states. The taxpayers now
own over SLIGO 900 900 of COT
ton which was purchased to
hold up the price for cotton
growers. In The purchase of all
farm SURPRISES the figure is
now at $780, 00. GOO. and in
the last fiscal year the program
cost the taxpayers more than
a quarter of n billion dollars in
losses. The commodities pur-
chased under the support pro.
gram constitute an agricultural
map Of the US and include
corn. wheat tobacco. flaxseed.
peanuts. soYbeans. potatoes.
barley. dry beans and peas.
grain sorghums. oats. rice. rye.
dried eggs. tung oil. linseed oil.
wool. butter. turkeys. cheese.
dried milk. resin and turpen-
tine and others. Very few Con-
gressional districts are over
looked in that list.
In the face of the huge cot
ton surplus already held by the
taxpayers, acreage was to be
cut this year, both to reduce
additional surplus the taxpay-
ers would have to purchase to
support prices and to encour-
age other types Of planting.
What happens?
Sen. Eastland, hailing from
the cotton-growing Delta. plans
the Introduction of a bill that
will undermine the proposed
acreage eurtailment and, Of
course, increase the surplus to
be purchased by Uncle Sam.
Market demands and an al
ready existing surplus make no
difference the cotton will
be grown and purchased with
bonuses was increased to So
Sen. Ladner said his boz
ln4 err - rcn IL,