Evening star., 1955-05-04
BY ROBERT X. WALSH


Chances of ultimate victory
for the administrators flexible
farm price supports program in
Congress were viewed by Presi-
dent Eisenhower today as favor
able despite a possible setback
in the House.
A showdown vote was sched-
uled for late this afternoon in
the House on a bill to restore
the rigid high price supports
system on five basic crops. The
measure would repeal a 1854
congressional enactment author
iZing flexible supports.
President Eisenhower said at
his news conference today that
the flexible policy has not yet
had an opportunity to operate
because 1t applies to 1855 crops.
Given a fair chance, he pre-
dicued, the program would even
tually remove many of the farm
price troubles he said have oc-
CURED under the 80 per cent of
parity arrangement.
The President was asked about
accusations made in the course
of House general debate yester-
day that the high price sup
ports drive, spearheaded by
Democrats with considerable Re-
publican support, was political
maneuver." He replied that
newspapermen in close touch
with the farm bill debate knew
the situation better than he did
and could draw their own de-
ductions as to whether politics
was being made a bigger factor
than economics.
Odds seemed slightly in favor
of passage of the measure to
knock out the flexible price sup.
port provision Congress enacted
a year ago with administration
backing. House approval, how
ever, would end only one battle.
Still ahead are the tougher tasks
of putting the bill through the
Senate and then overriding q
probable Presidential veto.
But there was no mere shad-
ow-boxing during the five hours
of House debate yesterday after
noon. The fight was likely to be
waged as bitterly over some pro-
posed amendments before the
final vote late today.
For the Record
While insisting that the farm
price support problem was eco
nomic instead of partisan, many
members nevertheless were in
tent on making a political record.
Speeches which attacked the
senhower administrations
farm policies and those which
defended it obviously were de-
signed to WOO the so-called farm
vote in the 1856 elections.
The speech-making showed
that party lines were split. It
also indicated that some Demo-
Gratis from big city or industrial
districts felt more kindly than
they did a year ago toward rigid,
high price supports. Only final
vote today would disclose whether
the anti-f1exible forces have
picked up sufficient votes from
those Democrats and from Re-
publicans to score any sort Of
impressive victory in the House.
The bill would restore for 1885.
1856 and 1857 the 80 per cent Of
parity price supports on wheat.
corn, cotton, rice and peanuts.
It would continue the 80 per cent
supports for tobacco, and raise
from IS to 80 per cent the mini
mum level for support of dairy
products.
Seeks Repeal
Thus it seeks to repeal the
1854 enactment which author
lied flexible price supports for
the five basic crops at 82Ea to
80 per cent in 1855. and as low
as rs per cent of parity in 1856
and thereafter. Parity is a
standard designed to give farm
ers fair prices for their products
In relation to what they must
pay for goods and services.
House Republican Lea der
Martin. noting that the flexible
support law would not become
operative until the harvest this
year, protested that the bill
would kill this new plan before
1t even has a chance"
Recalling that the flexible
price plan was enacted for a
sick agriculture" Mr.. Martin
declared:
Proponents of the bill for the
80 per cent support plan admit
that it will bring no remedy. no
changes. for it provides nothing
but a continuation of the con-
ditions which have brou 9, h t
about hardship to our farmers.