Evening star., 1954-12-17
Farm Bureau Votes
Against Indorsing
Private Power Deal
BY The Assoeiaied Press

BY the Assoeiased Press
NEW YORK, Dec. 1.-THE
American Farm Bureau Fedora
ton has refused TO favor use
Of private power to supplement
operations Of the Tennessee VAL
ley Authority. At its 36th an
nual convention here yesterday.
the bureau urged, however. that
Twas operations not be ex-
panded.
1--WE support full and adequate
power service and supply within
the TVA area, " the organizations
resolution read. I'VE favor con-
tinued distribution of power In
the area now served. We be-
lieve the present service area
should not be expanded"
A proposal to indorse use of
private power to supplement
TVA operations had been adopt
ed earlier by the groups Reso-
lutions Committee. It was turned
down by floor vote of the 159
voting delegates among the $500
members attending, the con-
vention.
Blocked by S0utherneFs.
Southern delegates, led by
T. j. Hitch of Columbia, Tenn,
blocked passage of a final SEN
tence of the committees pro-
posal fayoring power supply BY
private industry.
The deleted sentence read:
eve favor the development OF
private production Of power to
supplement TWAS power supply
where arrangements can be made
for the purchase by IVA Of such
power on a satisfactory and eco
nomic basis"
A solid front of Southern dele
gates lined up behind Mr.. Hitch
to defeat the passage OF the sem
tence.
Could Be Misunderstood.
1--WE don't need 1t (the SEN
tence) and it would cause con-
siderable misunderstanding In
our part of the country" said
Walter Randolph of Montgom-
cry, Ala, vice president Of the
national organization and Ala
bama State president.
George Wilson of Berkeley.
Calf, chairman of the commit
tee which recommended the reso-
luton, declined to argue the is
sue.
In the past, the Farm Bureau
has opposed Government-pro-
duced power except as a last re-
sort. However, it has described
IVA as desirable method, I'M
der the circumstances. for the
development of the resources of
the Tennessee Valley area"
The Resolutions Committees
statement supporting private
power made no mention of the
Eisenhower administration con-
troversial Dixon Yates power
contract.
Many delegates, however, felt
that the deleted sentence sup
ported the Government plan
which would permit a private
syndicate's building of a steam
generating plant to provide
power for the IVA.
The Dixon-Yates contract Is
bitterly opposed by the IVA and
by Democrats generally.
New Head Is Neutral.
Charles B. Shuman, cattle and
hog farmer of Sullivan, ILL.,, who
was elected head of the Farm
Bureau yesterday, said at a news
conference he had mo position"
on the Dixon-Yates contract.
He said he was opposed to ex-
pansion of the IVA beyond the
area that it presently serves, but
added that expansion within the
area probably Is necessary"
Mr.. Shuman, who succeeded
Allan B. Kline, is a strong advo-
cate of the administration flex-
ible price support policy. He
said that he generally agrees
with Agriculture Secretary Ezra
Taft Benson. except on the issue
of diverted acres"
The issue deals with what use
a farmer should make Of land
that he takes out of production
of certain crop as part of the
Governments price support pro-
gram,