Evening star., 1953-10-24
Advisers
Meeting Today
With President
'Curuvun' COMING
To Capital Despite
Benson's Plea

IOp dSIlCuIGuIdl ADVISERS To-Day
began to shape up the program
the President has promised will
build markets, safeguard farm
income and protect consumers"
AS Government authorities
and advisers studied the farm
problem at conference here, a
cattlemen'S caravan pushed on
toward Washington despite Agri-
culture Secretary Benson's plea
that the delegation of some $50
Western cattlemen call off the
move.
President James G. Patuon of
the Farmers Union, which organ
lied the procession, sent word
that it was too late to stop The
group expects to arrive here to-
morrow and hopes to see Secre-
tary Benson and possibly the
President this week.
Meeting for the first time at
the White House was the Ma
tional Agricultural Advisory
Commission, whose ultimate
membership of l8 will include
II practical farmers. The COM
mission, headed by DR.. w I.
Myers, dean of COrnells Col
lege OF Agriculture, still has two
vacancies.
Secretary Benson also sat in
on the conference.
The White House expected to
have some announcement on
progress after the meeting, which
follows a tWo-day session of the
commission at the Agricul' re
Department. The conferees are
lunching at the White House
after the morning session
Backs Price Supports.
While the President has prom
ised that a better farm pro-
gram will be forthcoming than
that under which the crop and
cattle growers are operating, he
has presented publicly thus far
only what he himself describes
as a "sketchy" outline on the
steps contemplated.
Addressing a Kansas City
crowd of about 10000 including
1900 members of the Future
Farmers of America last week,
Gen. Eisenhower stressed that
'the price support principle must
be a part of any future farm
program.
The supports, applying to cot
ton. corn, wheat, peanuts, to-
bacco and rice, are designed TO
give the farmers an even break
between what they sell and what
they must buy, and they now are
scheduled to expire at the end
of 1854.
Influential mem ers of Con-
gress already have let it be
known that they will battle for
continuance of the program,
which Gen. Eisenhower said
might undergo some changes.
In announcing todays meet
ing. Gen. Eisenhower said the
commission was ready to 60 to
work on the final phases of the
program to be submitted early
in the next Congress. It's con-
cluSlOnS will tie in with those
reached by the farm belt studies
of the Senate and House Agri-
CULTURE Committees.
Traiff Studies Involved.
Influencing the ultimate
White House decisions too, no
doubt will be the trade and tariff
studies of the commission head
ed by Clarence Randall, presi-
dent of Inland Steel, which is
expected to emhaSiZe this coun-
try's need for foreign markets
to handle farm surplus.
About 25 busloads of livestock
growers from 20 Western States
are in the caravan heading
toward Washington. One group
of 40 cattle and sheep growers
from Utah and Idaho stopped
off in Springfield, H., for the
night.
Secretary Benson tried unSuc-
ceSSfully late yesterday to per-
suade the caravan from coming
to Washington. In a telegram
to Mr.. Patton he said such a
conference involving such a
large number of people is, not
suitable for an adequate ex-
change of ideas"
He declared a big session Of
that kind in Washington could
accomplish nothing" and that
a series of regional meetings
would be more practical. He also
said he would gladly confer with
a small workable group in
tSee AGRICULTURE, Page A-2)