Evening star., 1952-04-27
Calls for q President
Free Of Obligations
Writer Complains About Ties
With Pressure Groups
By Fronk R. Kent


Allan B. Klein. president of the Amer
lean Farm Federation Q.5 million
members). few days ago urged
Senate committee to reject the bill Of
Senator Robert Kerr (the millionaire
Oklahoma aspirant for the Democratic
presidential nomination. to guarantee
the farmer a profit on everything he
raises to sell. The reason given was
that that would be bad for the farmers
and bad for the country; that 1t would
inevitably compel 100 per cent general
price ceiling and end in an utterly
undesirable socialistic state.
This stand was so unique as to be
startling. It showed the spokesman for
a great group of voters rejecting the
proposal to increase its Federal SUBJ
sides at the taxpayers expense. Mr..
Klein took the view that farmers are
also taxpayers and that this 100 per
cent of parity guarantee plan is silly
and would be diSastrouS-that it would
add greatly to the cost of Government
and to the size of the national debt.
At the same time, it would adversely
affect not only recipients Of the in
creased subsidy but also non-recipients.
Mr.. Klein's words are thought -provok-
ing, indeed. They mean that at least
one leader of favored organization Is
clear-headed enough to see danger to
all when the point is reached where
one of every nine persons in the country
is receiving Federal funds in one form
or another. This may mark the end Of
the era of reckless giving away of the
peoples money. There may be other
bosses of pressure groups" who feel
like Mr.. Klein and will follow his lead,
On the other hand, it may not appeal
to less enlightened men and the demand
for more and more will continue to drive
candidates and congressman to ruinouS
extremes for voting support. In any
event, the Klein refusal to support a
measure increasing subsidy for his is
million farmers will give announcement
to all men who believe this gigantic
'handout" game cannot continue to be
played longer without national economic
collapse.
Certainly, it gives substance to the
argument that so far as the interests Of
all the people are concerned the most
desirable quality for the next President
is complete freedom from any link, tie.
bond or obligation to organized occupa-
tional, racial. religious or regional mi
norities. We have had no such President
since 1882 On the contrary, for 20 years
the dominant party has based its polit-
ical power upon these minoritieS. 1t has
run the country in their interests rather
than that of the great majority OF us
who do not belong to them.
In the past year, with the country
facing it's gravest crisis, the Truman
administration encouraged the labor
unions in numerous strikes and Slow
downs in key plants with defense con-
tracts. Months ago various authorities
pointed out that this directly promoted
imitation and already had increased the
cost of the defense effort by 20 per
cent. The climax came when, ignoring
all warnings, Mr. Truman threw his in
fluence on the side of the CIO steel
union. Endorsed its wage demands and
seized the steel plants. His action was
clearly political. 1t caused the reAg-
nation of his war mobilizer. Mr.. Wilson.
and widespread indignation in Congress
and the country. The subserviency with
which the President yields to the labor
bosses Is the more flagrant Wflen con-
trasted with his appeal to the rest Of
us for still further sacrifices in the form
of taxes.
Most of the American people do not
belong to labor unions, but all OF them
Gncluding those who do belong) do
pay taxes. And no one, rich or poor,
union or non-union, but is adversely
affected by initiation Consistent admin
istration support of the labor bosses is
unashamedly political. 1t is the chief
cause of imitation, the chief reason for
the dragging defense effort. heavy
taxes and the high cost of living. The
need of the Nation for an executive not
obligated to take the labor union side.
regardless of the interests of the rest OF
the country. is certainly clear. Yet.
there seems slight chance of getting
man thus free out of the Democratic
convention. Any candidate nominated
there with Mr.. Trumans support must
be cleared" through the CIO bosses
just as Mr.. Truman himself, on order
of the late Mr.. Roosevelt in 1914 was
cleared" through the late Sidney Hill
man and Philip Murray.