Milford chronicle., 1957-12-13
Mr.. BENSON STICKS TO HIS GUNS


No top government official has come in
for more criticism than Secretary of Agri-
culture Benson-and, on occasion, criticisms
have been carried to the point of downright
abuse. But the Secretary has stuck to his
guns
I'm recent talk before farm magazine
editors, Mr.. Benson said something he has
said, in essence, many times before" ". /.
we cannot whip the farm problem by con-
trolling production. He added that
controls do not reduce production, but do
impose severe restrictions upon farmers !;
that farm products will continue abundant
and cannot be priced as if they were now
scarce; and that legal formulas now govern
ing allotments and controls are obsolete.
Every new law affecting agriculture just
seems to make the surplus problem worse,
and more expensive to the taxpayers at
large. In many instances, the price supports
and subsidies have proven profitable pri-
marily to the huge corporation-type farms
not to the family farms which are the key
stone of u. S. agriculture.
On top of that, there are big areas of
agriculture which do not have the supports
and controls, which operate in the honored
traditions of free enterpHse--and which
have been notably successful Livestock is
prime example here. Meat animals move in
the free market, and supply and demand de-
termines the price. Prices rise and fall from
time to time-but they do that for sound
and natural reasons, not because some fall
ible human mind decides what they should
be on this day or that. And, over the years..
the prices average out at levels which are
fair to producer and consumer alike.
1Zo1Sx
~saas AN ATOMIC FIRST
News stories about the launching of the
Russians atomic-powered ship inevitably
stressed the fact that the vessel was the first
of its kind. Firsts have taken on special sig
niicance since Sputnik was placed in orbit.
In the case of the atomic ship, however,
the fact that Russia was first is not of major
significance Although the United States has
not yet launched surface vessel powered by
atomic fission, this country has had two
atomic SubmarineS-the first atomic vessels
of any kind-in operation for some time.
While pointing out this fact, one need not
underestimate the Importance of the Soviet
achievement. It's long-range significance
springs from the fact that the era of atomic
transportation has now really been opened.
Atomic power because its small fuel re-
quirements make long voyages and fast turn
arounds possible, is expected to have great
impact on ocean transport.
The first atomic vessel was an American
Navy submarine. Now the Russians have
come out with an atomic icebreaker, which
has considerable military value for them be-
cause of their long reaches of frozen coast
line. An even bigger step will be taken a
couple of years sence, when the United
States is expected to launch an atomic mer-
chant vessel of 21 900 tons.
This will mark the real turning point to-
ward civilian use of promising develop
ment. 1t may be--and we sincerely hope so
that when the history of the atomic age is
written the atomic merchantmen and pass
enger ships that piled the waters of the earth
will have far overshadowed the submarines
and other military craft
$1,000
IN SIMPLE HONESTY
The federal excise taxes used to be con-