Evening star., 1954-08-08
Mccarthy Proposal
May Be First Test
In Farm Plan Fight
BY the A.,eeiassd Press +.


Opposing leaders in the Senate
. battle over farm price supports
said yesterday that the first test
late tomorrow may come on a
proposal by Senator Mccarthy.
Republican, of Wisconsin to flex
supports up instead of down.
Both Senator Aiken, Republi-
can. of Vermont, who is leading
the administration fight for hex-
ible and lower supports, and
Senator Young, Republican, of
North Dakota, who heads the
group asking an extension of
present rigid supports at 80 per
cent of parity, said they will
vote against Senator McCarthy's
amendment.
It proposes a flexible system
beginning at 80 per cent Of parity
on basic crops and dairy prod
ucts and extending up to not
more than 100 per cent. That
would convert ceilings of past
farm supports into a floor.
Parity is a legal standard for
measuring farm prices, con-
ceived to be fair to the farmer
in relation to the cost of basic
things he buys.
The Senate has unanimously
agreed to choke off it's five days
and nights of campaign-year
farm oratory late tomorrow and
begin series of votes under
rules limiting the debate.
The debate continued yester-
day and the Senate finally re-
cessed at 1909 pm. until noon
tomorrow.
Gives His Stand.
II intend to vote for high
price supports" Senator Nc
Carthy said, adding that if his
amendment is beaten. II shall
support the straight 80 per cent
of parity"
He said the proposals by Sec
retary of Agriculture Benson,
which have strong backing of
President Eisenhower, would
serve to impoverish the farmer"
and might lead to a depression.
Senator Mccarthy can get
vote by calling up his amend
ment as substitute for one
offered by Senator Aiken, chair
man of the Senate Agriculture
Committee, which proposes sup
ports ranging from 80 to 80 per
cent of parity on cotton, wheat,
corn, rice and peanuts.
BY an 81 vote, Senator Young
and others on the Agriculture
Committee recommended a one
year extension of the existing
wartime 80 per cent supports on
these basic crops.
Both Predict Victory.~
Both Senators Aiken and
Young, in separate interviews,
predicted victory for their rival
programs, although both agree
the Senate is nearly evenly di-
vided, with the margin remain
ing from one to six votes.
Most Republicans are lined
up for the Aiken amendment
and most Democrats for extend
ing the rigid supports, so those
who cross party lines will de-
eide the issue.
Repeated polls of the Senate
by opposing camps and reporters
indicated that votes of these
Senators, who either are unde-
cided or refuse tosstate positions,
will decide the issue: Gordon,
Republican. of Oregon; Dwor-
shak, Republican, of Idaho;
Burke, Democrat, Of Ohio; Nc
Curran, Democrat, of Nevada,
and Green and Pastore, Demo-
Gratis, of Rhode Island.
Secretary Benson predicted in
a radio interview last night that
Congress will give the admin
istration most of what it wants
in the way of farm legislation.
Il think generally speaking
the farmers are overwhelmingly
in support of the flexible pro-
gram for agriculture, Mr.. Ben
son said. II think they have
seen that it's inevitable, if they
continue to produce beyond what
the market requires, that even
tualiy acreage control and mar
keting quotas will follow"