Show J Taw t 1 I in WASHINGTON I By Walter Wolter Shead I d. d Future of Farm Loan I Agencies in Doubt I FARM pARM leaders here governmental 1 and private are split wide open over the question oi ot whether or not farm tarm credit agencies should be I combined under one head within the department of at agriculture or sepa separated separated rated from the department and oper operated I aced as an independent agency On the one hand there Is the Farm Fern Bureau federation the Na Ronal Council of at Farm opera Co Cooperatives Cooperatives tives and the National Grange who I Iare are backing the bill introduced by Con Can John W W. Flannagan Jr D D. i iq Va q which Would separate the farm credit agencies from the depart department I ment meat of at agriculture and place them under the Jurisdiction of or a bl part bipartisan I san board to be named by the Pres President I I ident of ot which the secretary of at agri agri- agriculture agriculture culture would be an ex officio cio mem memo ber On the other hand the progressive National Farmers union the secre secre- secretary secretary tary of agriculture and a group of at minded farm-minded congressmen are arc seek seek- seeking seeking ing to retain the farm credit agen ligen agencies I cies dies within the department of agri agri- agriculture agriculture culture under direct control of the secretary but with the appointment j i of an advisory y ly board and an assist assist- assistant assistant I ant secretary of ot agriculture who I would be the executive administrator tor of the agencies And aside from these two schools of thought there Is another group headed by Rep Harold Cooley D. D N N. C. C C and Reid F F. F Murray R R. 9 Wis who are seeking to set up an entirely new corporation to be known I as the Farmers' Farmers Home corporation which would operate upon a plan I r similar to the Federal Housing ad ad- administration administration ministration Insofar as farm loans are concerned and which would as as- assume assume I I sume many of the functions of the I I existing farm loan agencies within the D of A A. Struggle for Control Thus there Is a way three-way fight for control of the billion dol lar farm lending agencies which I since their inception in May 1933 have made various types of farm loans through June 30 1945 totaling e 16 under the head of the Farm Credit administration and an additional billion bUlion dollars under the Farm Security administration T various vari US lending agencies which have been established under the Farm Credit administration gov gov- governorship governorship governorship include the Federal Land banks the Production Credit cor cor- corporation corporation corporation the Federal Intermediate banks the Federal Farm Mortgage corporation the 13 Banks for Jor operatives Co-operatives Emergency Crop and Feed loans and the Regional r Agricultural Credit corporation all aU of which as of June 30 1945 had loans outstanding amounting to 2 The National Council of at Farm Co Co- Cooperatives Cot Col t l operatives and the Farm Bureau federation believe the Farm Credit agencies should be set up on an in in- independent independent independent dependent basis much the same as the Federal Reserve system and should ordinate co-ordinate the different fields of farm credit loans to eliminate eliminate nate gaps and duplications operating operating ing within the framework of the na national na- na national governmental policy under the jurisdiction of a partisan bi-partisan board of six to seven members Combine With Sec of at Agriculture Clinton P. P Ana An An- J a derson believes the Farm Security administration should be combined with the but by retaining all agencies within the department of agriculture He believes that farm loans are related inter-related with all the theother theother theother other functions of the department and that persons who have a voice in making credit available to farm tarm farmers ers erg should have a voice in the for tor- formulation formulation of other farm programs to tomake tomake tomake make a maximum contribution to the welfare of the farmer Because of the prevailing view that agencies of the federal govern govern- government ment meat should be grouped under cabi cabi- cabinet cabinet net officers responsible directly to the president Mr Anderson said I J believe that for the long run the question is not whether the farm credit and the farm security pro pro- programs programs programs grams should be set Jet up within an independent agency of the federal government To me the question rather seems to be whether it is ismore ismore ismore more appropriate for tor these agencies to be in the department of ot agriculture ture t re or in some other executive de department de- de department of government Since these are farmers farmers' farm en programs it seems obvious to me that they ey belong in that department which is engaged primarily with the problems of the farmers This writer believes that since Mr Flannagan Flanagan is chairman of the house agricultural committee and I his measure has been reported out for passage It Is likely it will stand standa a good chance to pass the house bouse in spite of the opposition of the agri agri- agricultural agricultural cultural Ct tural secretary Whether it will get by the senate however is an an- another another other question The Farmers union believes the Flannagan Flanagan bill will wiD definitely kill kiD the and they are standing alongside the secretary in the fight to keep the credit agencies within the department of agriculture II |