Show Fa Farm m Prices and Inflation I Frank G. G Shelley Storm clouds aro are gathering over the country for what promIses promises promises prom prom- to be a multi billion dollar supports blow over price Whether the tho brawl settles anything anything anything any any- thing or merely adds to the confusion confusion contusion con con- fusion remains to be bo seen So Sotar editorials editorials- far tar city newspaper with a a. fow few exceptions have exceptions have heaped fuel on the fire of or misunderstanding misunderstanding misunderstanding mis mis- understanding and amI these editorials editorials editorials editor editor- radio have been reflected by commentators It is refreshing to find rInd an occasional exception such as the article written b by Stan Farnsworth in the su Sunday da this August 29 Tribune where writer has obviously taken the time to become with basic baste reasons for a long time agricultural program Here are of few Sic basic facts which everyone should know 1 Price supports were started during the war to encourage production production production pro pro- of badly needed items which were in short supply and nd which could not be increased under under under un un- der O. O P. P As A.'s historical price scheme 2 The continuation of price supports by means of commodity loans is an attempt to realize order orderly marketing by making It possible for farmers to market when they want to rather than being forced to sell to meet taxes taxes taxes tax tax- es and other cash obligations Unless some program of this kind is in effect farmers get little or nothing for their work The consumers pay highest prices price and the speculator gets rich 3 Parity is theoretically that point at which the things the I farmer sells is in is balance with the things he lie buys The principle Is Just that simple However in Its application it becomes extremely extremely extremely ex ex- complicated but because no one has yet et been able to find a basic point or time where everything was in balance I The application of 90 per cent or any other per cent of parity will be faulty until a proper point of beginning can be bo reached 4 Deeply underlying the tho parity price parity price support support production production tion con control or production balance balanco balanco bal bal- anco ance problem is the question of whether or not farmers can have any assurance of an income for their years year's work This assurance assurance assurance assur assur- ance has been given labor In guaranteed minimum wages to utilities through protection t i Ion o n against competition and In price fixing by br government to guarantee guarantee guarantee guar guar- antee a satisfactory Income to maritime companies In direct subsidies etc 5 During the last Congressional al session Farm Bureau Dureau worked hard for Cor a modernization of the parity parit formula to become effective effective effective tive in 1949 Congress particularly particular particular- ly the House Agricultural Committee Committee Com Coin insisted on making the new plan effective o in 1950 C. C Tho The price farmers receive has vcr very little to do with the tho price consumers pay and farmers farmers farm farm- ers themselves have very little littleto to sa say in determining prices The farmers farmer's share of inflation inflation inflation tion is not nearly as great as the public is being made to believe The Tho U. U S. S Department of Agriculture Agriculture Agri Agri- culture reports that retail food I prices are now at a record level but tho the farmers farmer's share of the time consumers' consumers dollar is near tho the lowest point In five years In Incont cont contrast ast marketing charges are bumping against their all time high Last year the nations nation's food marketing bill totaled 15 billion billion billion bil bil- lion dollars the highest level in history |