Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-01-15

munity which saw stock dividends
and workers take-home pay climb
to new highs. Overall national in
come jumped per cent In the
period. At the end Of the year, the
Governments price index for in
dustrials was at 1874 per cent: for
agriculture. figured on the same
1947-49 base. 1t stood at 1913 per
cent, the lowest since June. 1916.
And. the Agriculture Department
says, things are going to get worse
before they get better. Recently. the
department gloomily predicted that
farmers were in for another 5 per
cent drop In prices this year.
Men In agriculture, unlike those
in other industries. suffer from
chronic handicap at the market
place. The very nature Of the farm
industry makes 1t unreasonable to
expect the farmer to stimulate con-
sumption Of hts product. Because Of
the inherent unpredictables In
farming. such as the weather and
market demands, the farmer is
unable to plant just that amount,
and no more, which will bring him
the greatest return. In addition.
new methods Of distribution, a
f1ckle national palate and ever
changing demands for such prod
ucts as fiber crops help to make
farming even more of a gamble.
Any solution that would amount
to real relief obviously is a task
for Uncle Sam.
Presidents Solution
Last week. President Eisenhower
and many-but not all-Republi-
cans in Congress thought he had
the answer.
The soil bank plan, major rec
ommendation in the Presidents
program. would pay farmers to take
out Of production much of the land
now being used to grow surplus
crops. An estimated 40 million to
so million acres would be retired
at a cost to the Government of 81
billion in 1856 and 50 billion over
the next three years.
The nine-point program sent to
Capitol Hill on Monday also in
cluded:
. A dollar limit on the size of
price support loans to any one in
dividual farmer or farming unit.
. New efforts to get rid of stored
surplus crops which now amount
to about So billion. One weapon
the President urged against the &C
cumulated hoard was partial aban-
donrnent Of the acreage allotment
system in favor Of one that tells
the farmer exactly how many
pounds or bushels he can grow. The
President also suggested that sur
pluses might be sold to Iron Cur
tain countries, if Congress will re-
peal the present prohibition against
this.
. Refund of the Federal gasoline
tax to farmers where the fuel is
put to farm use only. This would
cost about $50 million a year.
. An increase of IS per cent in
the $l03 million of appropriations
foc agricultural research.
. A relaxation of production con-
trolls on several crops. including
corn and rice.
. A stepped-up rural development
program designed to benefit the
small light-production farms.
. An about attack on dust bowl
problems in the Great Plains.
. Assurance Of adequate credit to
farmers.
Actually. the soil bank idea is not
new. It has its genesis in the Agri-
culture Adjustment Act of 1888
which was declared unconstitu-
tional in 1896 by a 6-3 decision of
the Supreme Court
A Bold Program
The Republican Presidents pro-
posals constituted a bold program
by almost any standards. But no
body seemed to feel that it was so
bold as to endanger the free enter
prise system. Republicans from the
farm States were disappointed that
the proposals offer no relief this
year, one of those years when the
man with the hoe is the best friend
or worst enemy-a politician ever
had.
Already. planting time is almost