The Farmville herald. (Farmville, Va.) 1957-current, 1963-11-01

WASHINGTON. Oct. 3l-While
the Kennedy administration is
buSily trying to arrange a huge
sale Of wheat to Russia. it is
also quietly setting the stage to
put through Congress a costly
new plan for government price
supports for this grain.
The administration estimate
Of the cost Of this two-year price
support program is 1881 $50 900.
President Kennedy and his
congressional chiefs are aware
there is no CHARGE of getting
anything done on this new farm
legislation this year. It's too late
for that. What they are doing is
laying the groundwork for action
in 1854 a major election year
when the President, the entire
House of Representatives ard "a
senator's. Is Of them Democrats,
must run.
Administration strategy is to
start the ball rolling as early as
possible on this new farm pro-
gram to enhance its prospects of
enactment next year on the eye
of a highly uncertain electoral
battle.
Two httle-noticed moves sig
nailed this significant backstage
maneuvering:
*Circulatlon among influen-
tial members Of Congress. par
ticularly from surplus connmodi,
ty areas, Of a set Of official sta
tistics showing that farm price
$ U p po r t S and related pro-
grams" since 1888 have cost
American taxpayers the stagger.
ing total of 1854 billion. That is
more than 10 per cent OF the
national debt.
Introduction of a 50 called
"two-year wheat BILL providing
for $2-a-bushel wheat in the do.
nestle market and competitive
prices in the world market by
three st a unc h administration
supporters. Senate Whip Hubert
Humphrey, MINI. and Senator'S
Eugene Mccarthy, MINI, mad
Quinton Burdick. N. Oak.
Senator George Aiken, VT,
senior Republican on the Agri.
culture Committee. asked the
President. at a White House con.
ference on selling surplus grain
to the Soviet bloc. whether other
commodities would be offered
the Communists.
Yes replied the President
Cotton and dairy producst.
The U. S. has surplus stocks
Of more than II million bales Of
cotton: 293.870 million pounds Of
butter; 1882 million pounds Of
cheese: 4l6.650 million pounds Of
powdered milk.
GREASING THE SKIDS-The
set Of charts detailing the stu
pend0us expenditures for farm
price supports since the start Of
that program in October 1898 is
particularly noteworthy for two
reasons:
sThis is the first time officia
stress is being placed on the i'm
mense cost Of such legislation
Always in the past the financial
burden Of such farm aid has
been soft-pedaled. But now the
| administration is going out of it.
! way to make a powerful poin1
Of it.
*These statistics reveal thai
Of the 1854 billion spent fol
price supports in the 30 years Of
their existence. $2O.8 billion is
listed as Commodity Credit
Corporation losses" That is
some two-thirds of the colossal
cost of this farm aid has gone
down the drain in various ways
f, Largest expenditures were
sos billion for wheat; $40 bill
hon for feed grains; $3.5 billion
for dairy products: 1858 billion
Tor cotton; 1855 million for soy
beans; $538 million for wool;
$3.5 billion for interest: $2.1 bill
hon for wartime consumer sub
I sides"
Major CCC losses were 81 bill
hon for feed grains; $3.l billion
for dairy products: $2.5 billion
for wheat: sl8 billion for cot
ton; S3.2 billion for interest.
Gigantic as the 1854 billion
overall price support total is. i,
IS actually not the whole story
Not included in that monumental
figure is another $2.9 billion 70,
export subsidies for cash sales
from October 1888 to July |
1868.
\ This addition raises the CRANE
total to 1898 billion = which fol
80 years is an annual average
Of more than $l.3 billion.
I In 1854. then-Agriculture Sec
rotary Ezra Taft Benson sub
\ mitted CCC report to the Sen
ate Agriculture Committee show
ing that upwards Of SIG billion
had been spent for price sup
ports = in the first 20 years Of
this farm program. In the nine
years since then, it has cost an
other s20.4 billion.
NEW BARGAIN PLAN-While