Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-04-06
Farm Bill Due
For Conferees'
Approval Today
BY JOSEPH A. FOX


were ready today to put the final
touches on the important cleo
tion-year farm bill, and get it in
shape for presentation to Con-
gress when the Easter holiday
ends Monday.
The House will get the meas
ure first-probably next We'd
nesday. In Texas City. Tex,
Senator johnson. Democrat of
Texas, Senate majority leader
expressed hope that both House
and Senate would approve the
bill next week, and send it TO
the White House. He also was
hopeful that President Essen
hover would approve the legis-
lation. which carries proposed
changes in the commodity price
support structure that are OPP
posed by the administration.
The President indicated at his
news conference Wednesday that
he might do that.
No Hitches Expected
em-by-item decisions that
the conferees reached in two
weeks of elaboration were sub
Ject to final approval today. but
no bitches were expected. The
big issue laid aside for deter
mlnation until the end was
whether participation in the 81 2
billion crop-reduction soil-bank
program is to be mandatory or
optional with farmers. The Sem
ate bill, which the conferees have
been reconciling with House.
passed measure, put participa-
ton on a mandatory basis if
growers want to qualify for sup
port prices on any commodity
The completed product, however.
is liable to call for voluntary par
tlcipation. in line with admins
tration desires.
The bill also would require
corn growers TO comply with
their planting allotments in or
der to qualify either for price
supports or Soil-bank payments.
Unwillingness of corn-growers
to abide by restrictions in the
past have produced SURPRISES
which the new legislation aims
to check.
Under the soil-bank program.
farmers are to be paid for taking
land out OF production in a
major attack on the surplus
problem.
The big fight ahead in both
House and Senate seems certain
to come over provisions rejigging
parity bases to provide more cash
income for the farmers this
year.
Two Parity Proposals
One provision would restore
for a year 80 per cent rigid sup
ports for basic crops-W heat,
cotton. corn. rice and peanuts.
Another would revoke a 5 per
cent cut made this year in the
base on which parity is calcu-
lated. Parity is the farmers
fair.return figure. The admin
istration wants the lower sup
ports which have prevailed for
two years.
The conferees inserted the
one-year support boost after the
Senate had turned down a SINH
lar proposal The House voted
for nigh supports A year ago and
Representative Cooley, Demo-
crat Of North Carolina. chair
man Of the House confereeS. pre-
diets the same thing will happen
again.
The farm situation has de-
Perforated he said. since the
House voted 206-2Ol last May 5
to return to higher rigid support
prices on the basicS
The recent vote in Minnesota
IN which the Democratic primary
vote topped that of the Repub-
Leans. showed the way the
farmers are thinking" he said
The imminence of final action
by the Conference Committee
presumably caused Secretary OF
Agriculture Benson to cut short
a visit TO Salt Lake City. He flew
back here last night. explaining
he was doing so IN response TO
an official call TO duty.
He was IN Salt Lake City to
attend the annual conference Of
the Mormon Church He is a
member Of the church's Council
OF II Apostles, ana this is the
INST conference ne has missed
since entering the cabinet IN
1858.