The Glacier reporter. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1953-current, 1955-10-21
Farm Problem is
Getting Attention

Washington - The campaign
for the farm vote in next years
election shows signs of becom-
mo a contest in which each ma
ior party will try to pin blame
m the other for declining farm
urices and income.
The record would seem to
chow that farmers could find
grounds for pointing fingers at
both parties.
The tenor of the upcoming
campaign was foresounded in re-
cent debates over summer set
hacks in farm prices. Democrats
.crused the Eisenhower admins.
ration, saying its policies and
nroerams were inadequate to
protect farmers.
The administration came
riaht back with a refusal TO
accept responsibility. II said
policies and programs in
herited from the preceding
Democratic administration
are at fault.
For the administration, Secre'
tary of Agriculture Benson said
the Truman administration had
failed to set into action policies
and programs designed to help
agriculture adjust from abnor'
NAL war and postwar demands
for farm products to lower
peacetime requirements.
As a consequence, he said, un
marketable SURPRISES were &C
cumulated and they started
prices on a skid.
Furthermore, Benson said, the
Truman administration h d
failed to institute production
control measures for 1858 crops
and under the law, the new ad'
ministration could not start such
measures until 1854 crops. In
addition. he said, the Republic
cans inherited wartime incentive
price supports for major crops
which had to be continued
through the 1854 crop market
ing year.
Looking at the record
farmers might say that the
administration itself had not
taken full advantage Of
measures to put a brake on
farm production and that as
consequence additional
syrpIuses have accumulated.
The Republicans consequently
have taken the position that
while they were in power ir
1858, responsibility for farm pro
duction that year should be
charged to the Democrats. Sur
pluses accumulated under gov
eminent price support opera
tons through the 1858 crop veal
tOtaled about six billion dollars
These stocks included S1,133,
100000 in cotton, S1,236, OOO, 900
in corn, S2,169,OOO,0OO in wheat
$4,000 900 in tobacco, 1904, 900,
900 in butter, S168,OOO,OOO il
cheese, sl57,0O0,0OO in cotton
seed oil as well as lesser
amounts of wool, dried milk
other grains, peanuts, flaxseec
and the like.
Accordingly, the Republican.
have said, it was not until 1885,
that they were able to get into
operation their policies and pro
grams designed to adjust farm
production to its peacetime mar
kets and to reduce SURPRISES.
Since then they have invoked
rigid production controls on cot
ION, wheat, rice, peanuts anc
sugar crops and continued pre-
Nously inaugurated controls or
cotton.
In addition, they moved to en-
large export markets and EN-
parked upon a broader give
away program for disposal Of
surplus butter, cheese and driec
milk for welfare use at home
and abroad
his year, the administration
was able to shift to a flexible
Nlce support system which also
: designed, in times of sur
PlQses, to discourage production
F!ee guarantees for a broad lis
u products have been lowered
rom those of the Truman era
Yet, despite these meas
ores TO bring about farm ad-
lusfment, SURPRISES have
grown larger and farm out
put has eIir,bad - AVA.