The people's voice., 1958-09-12

| ootn, needed Idrm legislation VIII
be hard to come by. We had TO take
four runs at it to get any kind of
farm bill passed in this Congress.
And each bill was weaker than its
predecessor.
President Eisenhower vetoed the
first bill, to freeze price supports and
planting allotments at levels no lower
than those of this year. The House
refused to consider the second, after
Agriculture Secretary Benson de-
nounced it as am economic mon
strosity''. The third measure, carry
ing some concessions to Mr.. Benson,
but not enough to satisfy him, was
voted down in the House early in
August. Democrats voted for that
latter bill almost 5-to-1. Republicans
were 4-to-1 against it.
The only good thing about the
fourth version, which cuts supports
for cotton, rice, corn and feed grains,
is the extension of the Wool Act.
CONSERVATION
The growing power of conservation
as a positive legislative force was
demonstrated clearly in this Con-
gress. Among bills supported by con-
servationists were those to:
Check the military land grabs from
the public domain; require hunting
and fishing on military installations
to be in compliance with state fish
and game laws; encourage continued
multiple use of such areas.
Provided for the first inventory
of this nations outdoor recreation
resources and needs. A commission
has three years to complete report
on outdoor recreation resources and
needs in the years 1876 and 1000,
ano recommendations for meeting
them.
Begin continuing studies of the
effects of pesticides on fish and wild
life, leading to determination of the
amounts and mixtures of such chemi-
Gals that can be used effectively to
control bugs, weeds and plant di-
seases while minimizing loss of
fish and wildlife resources.
Continue the water pollution con-
troll program of federal grants to
municipalities to stimulate the build
ing of sewage treatment plants de-
spite presidential recommendations
that the program be discontinued.
Move the Fish and Wildlife Service
toward full partnership with construc-
tion agencies in water resource de-
velopment projects to the end that
development and improvement of
recreation and fish and wildlife re-
sources are considered as part of
project planning.
Override Administration requests
for cuts in appropriations to finance
the Park Services "Mission 66' and
the Forest Services "Operation Out
DOORS. Mission Sc is to bring park
facilities up to visitor needs by 1866.
Operation Outdoors is the five-year
program designed to meet the grow
ing needs for public recreation facili-
ties in our national forests. In his
budget message, the President said
both were so good, and so needed,
that they should have less money.
Modernize boating laws and set a
uniform pattern for safety statutes
among the states
Conservation's big loss of the
85th Congress was the death of
federal multipurpose Hells Canyon
Dam on the Snake River on almost
a straight party-line vote in the
House Interior Committee.
Loss of almost million acre-feet |
of needed flood control storage to
the Administration abandonment of |
the public interest at Hells Canyon
resulted in a frantic drive to find |
some elsewhere. Alternatives selected |
was Bruces Eddy Dam on the Clear
water River in Idaho. 1t would re-
place about half the storage lost at |
Hells Canyon. But it would inundate
one of the last upland wildernesses
in America, destroy a unique scenic
and recreational area and cost US
fish and wildlife resources.
The Public Works Appropriation
Bill, as amended in the Senate and |
adopted by the House, includes in
struction that 100000 be used to
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