Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-12-08
Benson Is in Position
To Press His Program

more than Q million acres, yet
corn production either stays at
about the same level or climbs.
This year. for instance. the crop
was the third largest In history.
The best that most agricultural
experts have to say for the soil
bank Is that its results have been
discouraeing. Many frankly label
1t dismal failure. It's FIRST full
year Of operation. marked by IA
grant abuses. proved costly, And
moreover. 1t didn't accomplish Its
primary goal. which was to make
a big dent in the mountains Of
surplus crops. Corn growers got
$l96 million under the plan. and
still grew their bumper crop.
The big part OF the soil bank
so far has been the acreage re-
serve. This temporary "emer-
gency" plan was devised to cut
production Of crops already in
oversupply. The farmer was paid
TO take surplus-producing lands
out Of production for a minimum
Of one year.
Now the department is said to
wish to shift the soil bank en-
phasis TO the conservation reserve
feature Of the bank. The objective
would be to take rs million acres
Of all feed crops, not Just the
major basic crops. out OF produc-
ton. The retired land would be
put to forage. trees or water
storage. with the Government
sharing in establishing the land
in grasses and trees and paying
farmers set amounts each year for
from three TO Is years under
contract.
See Better chonces
The administration has reason
to believe that this year its
chances for having its way with
Congress are better than ever be-
fore. Besides the existing cracks in
the farm coalition. there Is a talk
ing point that Is certain to have
broad appeal: economy.
Mr.. Benson likely will be able To
show how much OF that hard
sought money that is to ba d.
verted from civilian programs to
defense can be had from farm
program savings - II his program
Is enacted. The Secretary at his
Tuesday press conference specif-
cally mentioned changes in the
soil bank as one possible source.
Mr.. Benson's continued tenure
has plenty Of political implications
for the 1858 congressional election
year.
The recent throwing at
Sioux Falls. S. Oak. with Mr..
Benson as targetl. was a quite
unnecessary reminder that the
Farm Belt still does not admire
him.
The incident occurred in one
Of the four normally Republican
congressional districts which the
Democrats won in 1856 in the
Midwest farm country. Those
Republicans - many OF them
highly placed--who have been
calling Mr.. Benson q political
liability often cited these four
losses as proof of their claim,
plus the loss Of two Midwest Gov
ernors. the near defeat OF South
Dakota's Senator Francis Case.
the loss last summer Of a Senate
seat in Wisconsin. and the fact
that all the big grain States gave
Mr.. Eisenhower larger majorities
in 1856 than in 1852.
The continuance OF Mr.. Benson
in the face OF all this could
mean that the top Republicans
who call the party's shots have
come TO regard the Secretary as
political asset. His popularity
IN urban areas is not to be dis
counted.
Wallace's Farmer and Iowa
Homestead put it this way re-
Gently:
His lower farm price support
program has prevented food
prices from rising as much as
other items. And city people
always think that food prices
are too high. As the farm
population shrinks. well have less
and less influence in political
circles"
Having q Secretary of Agricul-
ture that Is more popular in the