Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1953-02-26
By Don Whitehead
Associoted Press Sfoff Writer

KANSAS CITY, Feb. 90
President Eisenhower and Secre-
tary of Agriculture Benson have
a greater reservoir of support in
the Midwest for their farm policy
than Washington alarms over
skidding farm prices might in
dictate.
1.-The farmers haven't risen up
with pitchforks in hand as some
would lead you to believe" one
farmer commented dryly in re-
ferring to outcries against Mr..
Benson'S recent statement that
farmers in the future should de-
pend less on Government bounty.
And this seems to be the con-
sensus of farmers, cattlemen,
farm editors and others who are
close to the agricultural world.
Most of them say the farmers
concern over recent price de-
clines does not reflect any grow
ing political GOODNESS toward the
Republican administration-yet.
But they always add the quail
flying word-yet.
There is uneaSineSS among the
farmers over the drop in prices.
They don't like the loss of in
come when the things they buy
haven't shown a corresponding
drop. They want to see prices
stabilized. And they want to
know more about the G.. o. P.
program that will replace the
present farm program in 1854.
LOudest Voices in Capital.
But there are no runaway
alarms ringing through the Mid
west to match some of the polit-
ical Juror kicked up in Washing
ton over the decline in farm in
come. In fact, there's consid-
cradle talk out here that the
price decline was inevitable and
that Government price props
aren't the whole answer to farm
security.
Listening to all sides, the
heart of the situation seems to
be this:
Cattlemen and farmers had a
good many prosperous years
under Democratic administra-
lions. They were so goodwin
World War II and the Korean
war boosting farm income-that
many sober farmers realized
there would have to be a read
iustment downward. Many OF
them preached for a change in
the farm program, including less
dependence on Government price
supports.
Then came a gradual two
year decline in prices with some
sharp breaks soon after Presi-
dent Elsenhower's Inauguration,
the worst of them in cattle
prices. The tremor of uneasi-
ness in the farm belt grew into a
wave of alarm by the time 1t
reached Washington.
The farmers une Sines
seemed to stem mainly from the
fact that in another year they
will give up the old model farm
program for an advertised prod
uct that hasn't even come Oh
the assembly line. And farm
people will tell you they need
more reinsurance from WASH
ington on details of the new
program.
Some of this uneasiness is in
volved in what the administra-
ton is planning on price sup
ports. Basic crops now are sup
ported at 80 per cent Of parity
a figure declared By law to be
fair to farmers, in relation to the
prices of things they must buy
and to those who buy their prod
uctS.
There are strong pressures in
farm groups and in Congress
for the administration to con-
tinue price supports beyond 1854
at the 80 per cent level. But
the major farm organizations
favor a flexible support program
ranging from IS to 80 per cent
of parity. These people think
rigid high price supports en-
courage huge SURPRISES, protect
inefficient farmers and create q
financial burden on the taxpay-
ers which in time will threaten
destruction of the farm program
The thinking OF the majo