Jackson advocate. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1939-current, 1958-04-19
Meany Bids
Ike Sign Bill
Toad Farmers

AFL-CIO Pres. George Meany
has urged Pres. Eisenhower to sign
the bill passed by Congress which
would forbid Agriculture Sec. Ezra
Taft Benson from cutting farmers
income an estimated $500 million
this year by reducing price sup
ports.
The bill, earlier approved by the
House, was accepted by the Senate
without change and sent to the
White House. 1t would freeze both
farm price support and. acreage
allotment minimums at their pres
ent levels for one year.
Simple justice and economic
wisdom would be served by this
action to prevent further drop in
farmers incomes" Meany said in
a telegram to the President.
Pointing out that farm income
has declined by about one-third in
the last nine years, Meany said
that declining farm income is a
definite forerunner of a decline of
the economy as a whole" He
added that any further drop in
farm income at this time "would
still further depress our present fall
tering economy. Until and unless
other solutions to farmers prob
lens are developed, present price
supports should not be reduced"
Repudiates Benson Policies
Congressional approval of the
freeze" measure, which, in effect,
repudiates Administration farm
policies, left Eisenhower confront
ed with an explosive election year
veto decision. This was further
complicated when Senate Republi-
cans, previously the main stumb-
ling block to congressional moves
to overturn Benson's flexible"
price support policies, voted II to
IA to urge the President.to approve
the one-year freeze.
Similar action was also urged by
Pres. Thomas ]. Lloyd and Sec
Treas. Patrick E. German of the
Meat Cutters, who wired Eisen-
hover urging him to reject what
they called an extremely danger
Gus divide and conquer tech
nique."
From 1855 to 1857, Sec. Benson
attempted to blame workers wage
gains for farmers economic plight"
they said. "Now he is trying to
blame farmers price supports for
high food prices workers must
pay"
Benson Backed By Ike
Earlier, Benson and Senate Mi
nority Leader William F. Know
land (R-Calif.), who both strongly
opposed the measure, had predict
ed a presidential veto. Eisenhower
has called the measure a "180-
degree turn in the wrong direc-
ton"
Senate Majority Leader Lyndon
Johnson (D-Tex.), however, warned
the Administration that the expect
ed veto would be crushing blow
to the nations farmers.
Political experts also have point
ed out that such action would hurt
reelection campaigns of many Re-
publican farm state lawmakers.
Significantly, Sen. George D. Aiken
(R-Vt.), ranking COP member of
the Senate Agriculture Committee
and previously a leading supporter
of the Administrators controver-
sial farm policies, urged the Senate
to adopt the House measure.
Senate approval was by a roll
call vote of 48 to 80. The House
vote was 210 to 172. Neither was
sufficient to override a veto.
The effect of the bill; should it
become law, would be to cancel
price-support cuts already ordered
for dairy products, wheat, rice,
barley, dry beans, flaxseed, rye,
grain sorghums and cottonseed and
to bar future reductions below 1857
levels for all other farm commodi-
ties. 1t also would prevent cuts
below 1858 levels in 1859 planting
allotments for all crops except to-
bacco.
Johnson pointed out that already
under the Eisenhower Administers