Show MARQUIS MARQUS CH Pat Fat Hog Eating Its ts Head Oil Off Symbolizes izes food V WASHINGTON A A fat hog eating its ita head of off is the tho sign and symbol of our dilemma over food hero here in America Various Important gentlemen In Washington Washington Wash Wash- ington have been trying during the past pMt week to wrestle with that fat tat hog and not too suc suc- uc- uc They talk with an almost mystic mystic mystic mys mys- tic awe of something called the hog corn balance That balance determines the amount of grain available for shipment to Eu Eu- rope Therefore it is important for tor millions of hungry Europeans Europeans Europeans Euro Euro- as well as for politics and profit here at home While ho was still head of ot theoffice the theoffice office of price administration Chester Bowles promised farmers farmers farmers farm farm- ers there Would be bo no decrease in hog prices before September 1 1916 1946 That commitment was part of the effort to Increase meat production But now the pendulum has swung the other way The objective objective objective tive Is to cut down on tho the feedIng feeding feeding feed- feed Ing of animals so that grain can be released for shipment abroad Hogs are arc being kept on tho the farm today until they fatten to and pounds which is very fat even for a hog Offers In Ingenious Plan So that ho could stick to his promise and still start a movement movement movement move move- ment of hogs toward the packIng packIng packing pack- pack Ing plants Bowles came camo up with an ingenious plan He proposed that farmers be paid a premium above the ceiling price for lightweight hogs hoSs At the tho same time a n small premium would be paid on 50 bushels of corn This could be done by government subsidy at a n. cost of or not more moro than The corn could be routed into channels where it would servo as animal feed and thereby release wheat for export ex ex- port Bowles was well aware that this would have the look of or simply caving in to higher price demands Therefore ho he proposed to counter it with an announcement announcement announcement announce announce- ment that after September 1 the tho price of hogs would be reduced Sound Idea on Idea on Paper Among others he consulted was Secretary of at Commerce Henry A. A Wallace ono one of the high priests of the hog corn-hog bal bal- ance Wallace felt that it was a sound idea on idea on paper But he expressed good natured doubt as asto asto asto to whether Bowles would have havethe havethe havethe the nerve in the face of the Impressive impressive impressive im im- Im- Im political power of the farm bloc to the re reduction reduction reduction re- re in hog prices which was the ke key to the plan Finally the proposal reached the president It is said to have been debated in his presence with Secretary of Agriculture Clinton P P. P Anderson Net result of that discussion was the curi euri- ous kind of compromise that h so often orten ended these The premium on li hogs was approved So aaa the premium on corn But the decrease In e ho hog prices aft September 1 got shoved asi d d I This was not ot of course final decision The debate t is b isun i un going on Some anno may be he made even before U-j. U M tj is in print Corn Price Inches Up J 1 An important faction ai the department of ag favors a 25 h ro increase In 25 ca or prices During the past pat years the price rice of or f corn con n hS Inched up about 10 An ab t jump of 25 Tc would ob vie J have an immediate and mark effect on the cost of ot j- j M Bowles contends it would the tho cost of ot living Index by 5 3 i within a short hort time I IThe The struggle over the con I hog balance Is part of ot the brat battle over commodity pf pr That battle Is rooted In power of ot the tho farm bloc it In ew gress It has many fronts One front Is cotton The The tion was whether cotton L Ji aped lation should be curbed by bye Oi e ern r n m men e n t action Secre Secretary Anderson has many frier among the southern in the hou house c He was Wa most molt t re to go along with is cj move to raise margins on th the tae of cotton purchase future ja Je Jeway way to put a brake on a boot boos ing cotton market that haa has wit VoLt the price to a year 22 high i t Anderson wanted a from Bowles that would him to approve such uch an order onto That Tha t would be bo a way out the southerners In congress J i Politically the ar argument ment 5 tit the farm bloc is hard to met m t. t Labor the farm leaders ins Insist got theirs and now its it's our turn ten What they ignore Is the lend of or farm prosperity which Is a e ready higher than at any pott since sinco World War I. I I J Meanwhile the fat tat hog go goon gOtt gOtton on eating He is eating li precious stuff that could allm ate tho the worlds world's hunger Copyright 1916 United Syndicate J |