Evening star., 1951-07-17
Prospects Brighten
For Saving 10 Pct.
Beef Price RoIIback

Deer FnCe kOIlDdCk
The price rollback battle in the
House took turn favorable to
administration forces today, with
better prospects of saving some of
that authority in the economic
controls bill.
Republicans and many Demo-
cratic members from predomi-
nantly agricultural districts were
as confident as ever of winning a
fight to ban future rollbacsS on
farm products.
But as the issue went into
another day of debate administra-
tion leaders said they saw a good
chance of saving the present 10
per cent rollback on beef prices.
Democratic quarters also held
growing hope of sufficient Repub-
lican support to beat down an at
tempt to ban future rollbacks of
every kind, industrial as we'll as
agricultural.
Ready for Compromise.
In order to put through an
amendment to keep the present
rollback on beef prices, Admins
tration forces seemed ready to
agree to a compromise whereby
all future rollbacks on farm ccm-
modify prices would be barred.
That was the gist of an amend
ment offered by the House Bank
ing Committee late yesterday and
due for further debate today.
The amendment would direct
the Secretary of Agriculture to
determine agricultural prices as
of last May 19. 1t would prohibit
any rollback of more than 10 per
cent of that price. The effect
would be to allow the 10 per cent
beef price rollback ordered last
month by Price Stabilizer Michael
V. Disable. 1t would ban two fur
ther such rollbacks of AZ per cent
each which Mr.. Disable ID Or
dered for August l and October !.
The House met an hour earlier
today. Speaker Rayburn tndi-
Gated it may hold night sessions
later in the week to finish work
on the bill by Friday. Start Of
yesterdays debate on the rollback
amendments was delayed until
after 4 pm. because the House
was tied up with other matters.
Faces Many Amendments.
The House bill to extend the
Defense Production Act for a year
as opposed to a Senate-passed |
bill for an eight-month extension
still faces many other contro-
'versial amendment proposals. The
price rollback issue, however, is /
regarded as the crux Of the House
debate that began almost three
weeks ago.
Besides the Banking Committee
amendment to retain the present
10 per cent rollback on beef prices,
these proposals also figure in to-
days discussion:
l. An amendment sponsored by
Representative Cooley, Democrat,
of North Carolina. chairman of
the Agriculture Committee, to ban
all farm price rollbacks, including
the one already made on beef. /
2. An amendment by Repre-
sentative Cox. Democr of
Georgia to bar all price rollbacks,
including those on industrial goods
as well as farm products.
Attacks Beef Price Rollback.
Although Administration forces
believed they could count on
enough Republican votes to beat
the Cox amendment. some mem
bers saw a possibility that future
rollbacks might be banned on a
few types of non-agricultural
products.
Mr.. Cooley centered his attack
yesterday largely on the beef /
price rollback. He called it d
wholly un-American, illegal and
immoral device" which had cost |
cattlemen $700 million.
He charged that the beef price 1
rollback was ordered to save" the .
big meat packers from a price
squeeze that resulted mainly from
pay increased granted packing I
house workers.
Another Southern Democrat, I
Representative Brown of Georgia,
led the attack on the Cooley pro-
poSal. Mr. Brown cited conflict
ing figures on prices that beef
raisers were getting above parity.
Some say 135 per cent of parity
and some say 152 per cent" ne
said. IF we're going to give all
those people 152 per cent of parity,
then I'm in favor of putting 152
per cent of parity on every COM
modify in the country"
Parity is a formula designed to
assure the farmer a fair return in
relation to things he buys.
When the House took up the
rollback amendment debate, Re-
publican Floor Leader Martin told
reporters that "bureaucrats and
certain irresponsible elements of
the press and radio" were mis-
representing Republican attacks
on the administrations bill
Mr.. Martin charged that the
administration was trying to put
across their socialistic plans"
under the guise of economic con-
trolls.
Gr0cerS Protest Against Bill.
To obscure their real motives, "
he declared, administration
spokesmen are accusing all op-
ponents of their controls bill of
wanting to scuttle controls en-
tirely and of having no regard
for the consuming public. Moth
ing could be further from the
truth"
Elsewhere at the Capitol yes
terday representatives of the
United States Wholesale Grocers'
Association protested against a.
bill they said would ease price
dico,iy,, in a tioy, l,orc ~, tho Doh