Evening star., 1956-03-26
Mandatory Soil
BankIs0pposed
ByHouseGroup
Vote Unanimous;
Form Bill Goes
To Conference
BY JOSEPH A. FOX

The House Agriculture Com
mittee today voted unanimous
opposition to the Senate farm
bill provision putting farmers
participation in the projected
soil bank on a compulsory basi>
The committee action was an
nounced by Chairman Cooley
Democrat of North Carolina
after a three hour study of the
legislation which this afternoon
was to go to a Senate House
conference committee for final
shaping,
Mr., Cooley said also there was
opposition in the committee to
Senate provisos which would put
a dollar limit on crop loans and
on the benefits to be paid farm.
ers who take land out of produc-
ton to put it in the soil bank.
The Eisenhower administra.
tion wanted soil bank participa.
tion to be voluntary, but the
Senate. in shaping its bill, i'm.
posed a requirement that farm.
ers take up to Is per cent of their
tillable cropland out of produc.
ton in order to qualify for sup.
port payments on any com.
modify.
The House Agriculture Com.
mlttee went over much of the
Senate bill this morning which
must be reconciled with a meas.
ure passed by the House last
year.
Limit of 100000
The Senate bill, lining up with
an administration idea, puts a
100000 limit on the support
payment any individual could re-
ceive on Government loans. II
also put limit of $500 on ln-
dividual payments FOR partici.
pating in the crop-cutback fea-
ture of the soil bank program
In addition to cutting back theil
acreage of cotton, wheat, pea
nuts and some tobacco in the
soil bank project, farmers also
will put other cropland in a .:un-
servation reserve.
Mr.. Cooley said that If a limit
is to be put on support payments
1t should be realistic.
Explaining his attitude, the
chairman said that while big
farm operators have qualified for
large payments on commodities
such as cotton, that they have
paid off their Federal loans to
the Government and reclaimed
their stocks. If the loan limit
is held down. he said they will
dump the commodity on the
market and hurt the little guy
He said he did not feel that
there should be any limit at all
on loans.
Making Specific Studies
While the Senate and House
conferees are working over the
legislation this afternoon. Mr.
Cooley said subcommittee of the
House Agriculture Committee
would be making specific studies
on commodities to find out how
each is affected by the new leg.
iSlation.
Mr. Cooley said the HOUSE
conferees would be free agents
in their discussions with the
Senate group, but that undoubt.
edly the committees opinion or
salient features of the Legislation
would weigh heavily.
Mr.. Cooley yesterday called of
a scheduled appearance of Sec
retary of Agriculture Benson
tomorrow before Mr.. Cooley!
committee. Mr.. Benson planned
to outline further the administra.
ton position on the bills which
have been passed.
Will Ask Written Views
Mr.. Cooley said he wanted tt
head off "any more propagan.
dizing' by the Agriculture head
and instead. would ask for hi.
views in writing.
The North Carolinian said hi
acted after a news story quotee
the Secretary as saying his meet
ing with the House COMMITTEES
would give him a chance fol
further missionary work on thu
farm bill"
tits too late to do any mis-
sionary work" Mr.. Cooley sale
in an interview. We're facing
facts. We don't want Mr.. Ben
son to use our committee room
as a forum" There was no i'm
See FARM, Page A.