Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-01-12
FARM
Might Penalize at First

Continued From First Page
flexibility than it otherwise
would have.
Senator Ellender, who had
said he favors high rigid prod
'ucts supports for quality"
products, asked Mr.. Benson's
views on this. The Secretary said
I'VE feel the market itself will
reflect these differences in quail
ity."
The Republican farm program
adopted in 1854 substituted a
flexible scale of supports for the
high rigid level applied by the
Democrats for the basic crops.
In drafting new legislation.
Mr.. Benson said he thought
Congress should give the Depart
ment of Agriculture reasonable
discretion" in administration.
While there has been COM
plant that the presidential pro-
gram offered-no immediate re-
lief for the farmers, Mr.. Ben
son told the committee that the
certificates could In all probable
.ity be issued as soon after the
new planting season as compli-
ance could be determined.
Calls Program Economical
This particular phase of the
program, he said. would be
largely and perhaps wholly
financed by the commodities al
ready owned by the Government
rather than by a new outlay of
funds" He added that in terms
Iof alternatives, this program
called an acreage reserve pro-
grants not costly, but eco
Inomical." And he expressed
doubt that the Government could
avert loss by taking any other
course. The Secretary pointed
out that storage costs for the APP
Iproximately So billion in sur
Ipluses held by the Government is
now running at about the rate
of a million dollars a day.
He also urged the Presidents
proposal to support corn on a
discretionary rather than a
mandatory basis, arguing that
there is good reason to believe"
that the support prices could be
raised by this change. He
pointed out that many producers
have not observed the acreage
IallotmentS on which support
prices are based and the over
supply has grown so large that
"a further cut in acreage in in
prospect. He added that heavy
supplies of corn result in lower
prices for hogs and feed cattle
and said it was essential to bring
this grain under the acreage
reserve plan.
Calls for Dollar Limits
Secretary Benson also made a
strong plea for adoption of Presi-
dent Eisenhower's proposal to put
dollar limits on the price supports
given to an individual farmer or
farm operating concern. He pre-
sented a table that showed a
large share of the total dollars
are loaned on the production of
a relatively few farms. 1t has
been widely argued that the big
farm corporations are the prin-
cipal beneflciaries Of supports.
This afternoon, the National
Farmers Organization, a protest
group launched in Southern Iowa
in late fall, was to make its first
pitch" before the committee.
Skidding hog prices and the.
drought that cut harshly into
the 1865 corn crop in southern
Iowa. gave birth to the MO
which has its headquarters in
Corning. Iowa. 1t claims nearly
$4,000 members in eight Central
Western States.
overall. the MO wants 100
per cent parity for all farm
products. Specifically, it is look
ing for a Stopper hundred floor
on butcher hogs and $50 on good
to choice cattle. Prices now are
around $11 and $21.
Oren L. Staley. a 32-year-old
short-horn breeder from Rea,
Mo-, the MO president, told re-
porters yesterday that he would
ask the Senate Committee for
emergency measures. particular