OCR Text |
Show " U . S . Experiments With ] Food Stamp Plan PlanSeekjng PlanSeeking PlanSeeking Seekjng Seeking Answer to Farm FarlTI Surplus Riddle Birmingham Binninghmn Chosen Chosenas as Fourth Cityto City to toTry toTry toTry Try Novel System Systeln . By OLIVER SHAWReleased SHAWReleased SHAW SHAWReleased ( Released by Western Newspaper Union ) BIRMINGHAM ALA- ALA ALAUncle ALA - Uncle Sam s test tube has hasmoved hasmoved hasmoved moved south Blrmmgham Birmingham Birminghamhas Blrmmghamhas has become the fourth fourth"gumea fourth"guinea fourth"guinea fourthguinea "gumea gumea "guinea guinea " pig ' city in m a sClen scien sClenbfic scientific scientific bfic tific trial tnal of what govern government government government ment officials business busmess and andagncultural andagricultural andagricultural agncultural agricultural observers hope . . . . . - .v v - + + nerM " - . , - 4---- 4 4,4 ! 4t ,4 4 , ' " "t t " ' " 'f f ' " " , ; f f'f _ . may be the solution of Amer Amerlea America America lea ica s No 1 prosperity prospenty prob problem problem problem lem- lem lemwant - want in the midst of ofplenty ofplenty ofplenty plenty " The plan Disposal of farmsurpluses farm farmsurpluses farmsurpluses surpluses to those who whoneed whoneed whoneed need them most through a as as as s mple procedure of touching touchmg the thehorn thehorn thehorn horn of plenty to a hungry man s slips slips slips lips It s the latest-and latest and latest - and most suc sue successfuleffort suecessfuleffort suecessful cessful-effort cessful effort - effort to slay a hardy per perenmal perennzal perennial enmal ennzal dragon \ who \ ho s $ been partlcu particu partlcularly particularly particularly larly obstieperous obstleperous obstreperous s nee nce 1929Today 1929Today 1929 1929Today Today while a large segment of ofthe ofthe ofthe the populat on finds it d fficult ficult to tomake tomake tomake make ends meet and st 11 II Il obta n nhealth nhealth nhealth health giving glvmg foods farmers produc producIng producing producing Ing many of America Amenca s crops find findthemselves findthemselves findthemselves themselves fac ng chaos because of ofru ofru ofru ru nous surpluses For eampleWeather exampleWeather example eample exampleWeather ' { Weather and other othcr factors gave gavecitrus gavecitrus gavecitrus citrus fru t gro gre vers last year the theb theb theb b ggest crops of oranges and grape grapefru grapefru grapefru fru t on record Lo ver teed feed pnces prices pnceswere priceswere priceswere were partly respons ble for m in mcreased increased increased creased egg production and the first firstquarter firstquarter firstquarter quarter of 1939 saw poultry output outputrise outputrise outputrise rise to the highest level tor for any slm sim slmlIar similar Simliar lIar ilar period penod in m 15 years ExceJJent Excellent ExceJJentpasturage Excellentpasturage Excellentpasturage pasturage has proved anything anythmg but a aboon aboon aboon boon tor for dairymen who \ worry \ orry be because because because cause the number of m 1k lk Ik cows IS ISmcreasmg isincreasing isincreasing mcreasmg increasing tor for the first time hme in five fiveyears fivesears years ) ears while normal buying buymg has hasfailed hasfailed hasfailed failed to consume all that is bemg being bemgproduced beingproduced beingproduced beingproducedHelp produced producedHelp Help Both Farmers NeedyPre NeedyPrey Needy NeedyPrev Preous Prev Pre\ Pre Prey \ ous attempts to fo unt e a thIs thIsGordian thisGordian thisGordian Gordian knot by destroying destroymg crops cropsproved cropsproved cropsproved proved unsuccessful These meth tfty " I ' 1 -3/ 3 - ri3 31 3BLII / ri BLII K SK b - ' ai wE S - j . . . s M 14 + v "Ii Ii " " ' . - _ ' 't t ' > . " ( " ' " wr- wr wrJr - t ta . . 'Za Za ' A15A w ' Jr / L a 5 5R 5r R r 3 + r rr rt t ' r 1/ 1 / ods did not even touch the ques queshon question question hon tion of low income mcome groups and thell their theirneed theirneed ' need for more and better food Now NowwIth Nowwith Nowwith wIth introduction mtroductIon of ot the agriculture agriculturedepartment agriculturedepartment agriculturedepartment department s food stamp plan m in mwhich inwhich mwhich which food chains chams and mdependent independent mdependentstorekeepers independentstorekeepers independentstorekeepers storekeepers are co operating operatmg a new newapproach newapproach newapproach approach is made Not only are arefarmels arefarmers arefarmeis farmels farmers proded prov pro\ pro pros \ ded with a broader broadermarJ.et broadermarket broadermarket marJ.et marJet market . but the 10 to lowest 10est \est est vest \ Income Incomegroups incomegroups incomegroups groups are gettng gett ng a chance to eat eatthe eatthe eatthe the food they need-and need and need - and more of ItHere itHere it itHere Here s ho v it worksA works worksA A person on relief employed by byWPA byWPA byWPA WPA or receiv recelv ng social secur ty tychecks tychecks tychecks checks is el g ble to apply for or orange orange orange ange food fDOd stamps wh vvh ch can be usedto used usedto usedto to buy $2 2 $ in groceries grocenes For every every$1 every1 $1 1 $ orange stamp he bu s he is glv giv glven given given en tree free one . ) , jO )0 0 i0 cent blue stamp The Theblue Theblue Theblue blue stamps may be used to pur purchase purchase purchase chase only surplus commodit es At Atprescnt Atpresent Atpresent prescnt present these include l11clude flour grape grapefru grapefru grapefru fru t oranges eggs dried dned prunes prunescorn prunescorn prunescorn corn meal butter dried dned beans nce rice nceand riceand riceand and cabbage Stamps can be re redeemed redeemed redeemed deemed by retailers at any bankIf bankIf bank bankIf If successful at Birmingham Blrmmgham as It Itappears itappears itappears appears to be at Rochester Daytonand Dayton Daytonand Daytonand and Seattle the plan may be ap applied applied applied plied to the ent re nahonLike nationLike nation nahon nationLike Like Earl er Campaigns CampaignsIt It ssm s s m lar m in some respects to tothe tothe tothe the producer consumer cam campalgns campazgns campaigns palgns pazgns staged the past three years yearsby yearsby yearsby by cha n stores to increase con consumptlOn consumption consumption sumptlOn sumption of surplus crops by ag aggresslvely aggressively aggressively gresslvely gressively promot ng such products productsThe productsThe productsThe The first nation nahon wide producer con conswner consumer consumer swner sumer drive dnve took place m in Apr 1 and andMay andMay andMay May of 1936 when chains chams repre represent represent represent sent ng 34 000 food stores undertook FULL MARKET BASKCT- BASKCT BASKET- BASKET BASKCTThe BASKETThe BASKET BASKETThe - The basket baskc.t baskct . being bemg handed thisSeattle thIS thISSeattle thisSeattle Seattle woman ttoman uoman contains surplus surplusfood surplusfood surplusfood food fooditems items tems purchasedwIth purchased with free freeblue freeblue , blue stamps On the counter are areother areother areother other groceries grocenes she bought withthe w with withthe th ththe the paid paul for orange stamps Thegovernment The Thegovernment Thegovernment government hopes in this way to tocut tocut tocut cut farm surpluses surplusesa a campaign to move Cahtorr Calsforr Californacanned la to tocanned ' canned peaches Producers ) of If can cannmg canning cannmg nmg ning peaches because of a carryover carry carryJver carryover Jver over : ol ot of Cal California orma peaches that to totaIled totailed totailed taIled 2 000 000 cases above normal normalm normalin m in 1936 were expecting expectmg a return ot of ofonly ofonly . only $15 15 $ a ton for the r crops-con crops con cropsconslderably cropsconsndcrably crops - - considcrably slderably sndcrably less than production productJoq productzoq co tsWhen isWhen ts is tsWhen When the campaign closed stocks stockson stockson stockson on hand had dropped to 1 929 000 000cases 000cases 000cases cases compared with the carryover carryoverof of 6 400 000 cases existing before the thedrive thedrive thedrive drive began For the growers thIS thISmeant thismeant thismeant meant approx appro ' ! : mately $30 30 $ per ton fer icr ferpeaches icrpeaches fcrpeaches peaches instead mstead of the $15 15 $ v . which whichmany whichmany hIch hIchmany many had fedredSmce fearedSince feared fedred fearedSince Since Smce that first campa gn the thednves thedrives thedrives dnves drives have been conducted across acrossthe acrossthe acrossthe the nat on a d ng producers of such suchvar suchvar suchvar var ed commodit commodlt es as beet beef lamb lambcitrus lambcitrus lambcitrus citrus frwt fruit , , turkeys walnuts ap appIes appies appies pIes eggs and onions omons As many as as187 187 000 chain cham and independent mdependent stores storeshave storeshave storeshave have co operated in m single smgle drives all alld alld alld d rected at mamta mainta mng lling farm pr ces cesh ceswhile ceswhile \\h h while \ e offering oIermg ! savings savmgs to consumersRetailers consumers consumersRetailers consumersRetailers Retailers PraisedLast PraisedLast Praised PraisedLast Last September the bureau of ag agrlcultural agrrcultural agncultural rlcultural rrcultural economics po ntmg nhng out outthat outthat outthat that these drives reduce the marg n nbet nbet nbet bet veen farm and retail prices said saidthat saidthat saidthat that of all the efforts being bemg made madeto madeto madeto to influence mtluence or st mulate conswnp consump conswnptlon consumption consumption tlon tion of farm products the retail retailcampa retailcampa retailcampa campa gns seem to be the most mosteffective mosteffective mosteffective effective The retailer s mhmate intimate mhmatecontact intimatecontact intimatecontact contact with the consumer places placeshim placeshim placeshim him in m a strategic pos tion hon to m in mfiuence influence influence fiuence fluence the dire direction chon of conswner consumer consumerexpend consumerexpend I expend turesI turesRetailers turesRetailers lures tures luresRetailers I Retailers were among the first to toassist toassist ' assist the department of agriculture agriculturewhen agriculturewhen agriculturewhen when the food stamp plan was set setup setup setup up To help move surplus products productschams productschains productschains chams chains are providing provldmg the same ex extenslve extensive extensive tenslve tensive promot on for the govern governmentdeslgnated governmentdesignated government-designated government designated ment-deslgnated ment deslgnated ment-designated designated - - surplus commodit commodlt commodl commodi t es-at es at es - at social seclal secial prices-that prices that prices - that they theygave theygave theygave gave for the earlier campaigns campaignsBenefits campaignsBenefits campaignsBenefits Benefits to be reaped from the theplan theplan theplan plan by farmers were illustrated at atRochester atRochester atRochester Rochester " , where here more than $60000 60000 $60000of $60 60 $ 000 000of 000of of surplus commodities commodlhes were sold soldm soldin soldm m in the first 30 days At present the plan is bemg being bemgfinanced beingfinanced beingfinanced financed by regular federal surplus surpluscommodity surpluscommodity surpluscommodity commodity corporal corporat on appropna appropria appropnahons appropriattons appropnations hons ttons It If America s 22 000 000 per persons persons persons sons on rel reI et ef of responded in m the same sameproportion sameproportion sameproportion proportion as they have in Roche- Roche Rocheter Rocheter Roche"ter Rocheter " - ter it would cost about $390 390 $ 000 000a 000 000a a year to feed them the blue stamp stampsurplus stampsurplus stampsurplus surplus foods If the 22 000 000 used usedthe usedthe usedthe the maximum number nwnber of blue bluestamps bluestamps bluestamps stamps congress would have to pro provide provide provide vide $572 572 $ 000 000 annually But In Inactual inactual inactual actual practice it is thought the theplan theplan theplan plan would involve mvolve no more than $ ? 50 000 000 a year It is also be beheved belzeved believed heved lzeved that in m normal crop years yearsthe yearsthe yearsthe the nat on wide operat on of the plan planwould planwould planwould would kill off all surplus farm product pro product product duct 01 o i with the poss ble except on onof onof onof of v \ heat Sponsors say the cost costwould costwould costwould would be less than any other pro propo proposed proposed po posed ed plan to raise farm pr cesAids cesAids ces cesAids Aids Bulk BulL . of FarmersTl rarmersTl farmersTi rarmers farmers Tl Ti e a food stamp plan is designed designedto to a d the broadest possible sect on onof onof onof of agriculture agrlculturc as shown by the pres present present present ent surplus bst lIst Corn meal from the thegreat thegreat thegreat great m dwest corn belt grapefruit grapefruitoranges grapefruitoranges grapefruitoranges oranges and prunes from southern southernstates southernstates southernstates states and California Callforma eggs and driedbeans dned dried dnedbeans driedbeans beans from all parts of rural Amer AmerIca America America Ica Butter s inclusion mcluslOn helps the thenorthwest thenorthwest thenorthwest northwest s great da ry states Flour Flouris IS a surplus problem of the western westernand westernand westernand and Pacific statesrarmers statesfarmers states statesFarmers Farmers rarmers simply hope it works worksAnd worksAnd worksAnd And judgment Judgmcnt on the plan s benefit benefitto benefitto to agriculture agnculture is withheld until it has hasbeen hasbeen hasbeen been tested longer and in more com coin commun coinmun cornmun mun t es Tt TI e a opinion oplmon of those eligl eligi eligible eligible ble to buy stamps is easier to gauge gaugeFor gaugeFor gaugeFor For example examp2e John Brown an un unemployed unemployed unemployed employed Rochester truck driverAt driverAt driver driverAt At first I hesitated because I Id Id Id d dn do t want to be singled smgkd out as a areliefer arehefer areliefer reliefer rehefer every week weeh . in m a store full fullof fullof fullof of my neighbors I found though thoughthat thoughthat that I ' " was as treated just . like l11.e l11e an or ord ord ord d nary customer customerI I have aHfe a \ wife \Hfe Hfe and two t\\O t O \ young youngsters youngsters youngsters sters and the extra food I can buy buyWith buywith buywith With these stamps means for our ourfamily ourfamily ourfamily family just the d fference iferenee bet veen veenthree veenthree veenthree three good nourishing nourlshmg meals a day dayand dayand dayand and two pretty tkimpy skimpy meals I ex expect expect expect pect to have a job aga n soon but butas butas butas as long as I ha\ ha ha\e ha e hae have \ e to take relict relief I Ilike Ilike Ilike like to take it this way |