Show U. U S. S Experiments With Food Stamp Plan Seeking Answer to Farm Surplus Riddle iddle l Birmingham Chosen as Fourth City to Try Novel System By y OLIVER SUA SHAW W by Western Newspaper Union BIRMINGHAM ALA ALA ALA- Uncle Sams Sam's test tube has moved south Birmingham has become the fourth in scientific scientific scientific guinea pig city a trial of what government government govern govern- ment officials business and agricultural observers hope 0 4 f. f x i. i 4 i iF F AA A- A OA rr Spry t J t s e eti ti r may be the solution of Americas America's Americas America's Americas America's Amer Amer- ica's No 1 prosperity problem lem lem wont want in the midst of plenty The plan Disposal of farm surpluses to those who need them most through a simple procedure of ot touching the horn of plenty to a hungry mans man's lips Its It's the latest latest and and most successful suc sue effort to slay a hardy perennial perennial perennial per per- dragon who's been particularly particularly obstreperous since 1929 Today while a large segment of the population finds it difficult to tomake tomake tomake make ends meet and still obtain health health giving giving foods farmers producIng producing ing many of Americas America's crops find themselves facing chaos because of ruinous surpluses For example Weather and other factors gave citrus fruit growers last year the biggest crops of oranges and grapefruit grapefruit grape grape- fruit on record Lower feed prices were partly responsible for increased in creased egg production and the first quarter of 1939 saw poultry output rise to the highest level for any similar aim sim ilar filar period in IS 15 years Excellent pasturage has proved anything but a aboon aboon aboon boon for dairymen w who o worry because because be be- cause the number of ot milk cows is Increasing for the first time In five years while normal buying has failed Tailed to consume all that is being produced Help Both Doth Farmers Needy Previous attempts to untie this Gordian jordian knot by destroying crops proved unsuccessful These meth meth- did not even touch the question question ques tion of low Income groups and their need for more and better food Now with ith introduction of the agriculture departments department's food stamp plan in which food chains and independent storekeepers are operating co-operating a new approach is made Not only are farmers provided with a broader market but the lowest Income groups are getting a chance to eat the food they need need and and more of it Heres Here's how it works A person on relief employed by or receiving social security checks is eligible to apply for orange orange or or- ange food stamps which can be used to buy 2 in groceries For every 1 orange stamp he buys he is given en free tree one cent 50 blue stamp The blue stamps may be used to purchase purchase pur pur- chase only surplus commodities At present these include flour grapefruit grapefruit grapefruit grape grape- fruit oranges eggs dried prunes corn meal butter dried beans rice and cabbage Stamps can be redeemed redeemed re reo re- re I deemed by retailers at any bank If successful at Birmingham as it appears to be at Rochester Dayton and Seattle the plan may be applied applied applied ap ap- ap- ap plied to the tire entire nation Like Earlier Campaigns Its It's similar in some respects to the producer consumer campaigns cam eam staged the past three years by chain stores to increase consumption consumption con can of surplus crops by aggressively aggressively aggressively ag ag- ag- ag promoting such products I IThe The first wide nation producer con sumer drive took place in April and May of 1936 when chains representing representing food stores undertook u FULL MARKET BASKET BASKET- The basket being handed this Seattle woman contains surplus food items purchased with free blue stamps On the he counter are arc other groceries she bought with the paid for orange stamps The government hopes in this way ivay to cut farm surpluses a campaign to move California canned peaches Producers of canning canning canning can can- ning peaches because of a carryover carry carry- over Dver or of California peaches that totalled totalled totalled to to- cases eases above normal in 1936 1938 were expecting a return of only 15 a ton for their crops crops con considerably less than production costs When the campaign closed stocks on hand had dropped to cases eases compared with the carryover of cases existing before the drive began For the growers this meant approximately 30 per ton for peaches instead of the 15 which many had feared Since that first campaign the drives have been conducted across the nation aiding producers of such varied commodities as beef lamb citrus fruit turkeys walnuts apples ap pies ples eggs and onions As many as chain and independent stores have operated co-operated in single drives all directed at maintaining farm prices while offering savings to consumers Retailers Praised Last September the bureau of agricultural agricultural ag ago ag- ag economics pointing out that these drives reduce the margin between farm and retail prices said that tha t of all the efforts being made to influence or stimulate consumption consumption consumption tion of farm products the retail campaigns seem to be the most effective The retailers retailer's intimate contact with the consumer places him in ina a strategic position to influence in in- fluence the direction of consumer expenditures tures Retailers were among the first to assist the department of agriculture when the food stamp plan was set up To help move surplus products chains are providing the same extensive extensive ex promotion for the govern ment- ment designated ment-designated surplus commodities ties ties ties-at at secial prices that prices that they gave for the earlier campaigns Benefits to be reaped from tram the plan by farmers were illustrated at Rochester where more than of surplus commodities were were sold in the first 30 days At present the plan is being financed by regular federal surplus commodity corporation appropriations appropriations If Americas America's persons persons persons per per- sons on relief responded in the same proportion as they have in Rochester Roches Roches- ter it would cost about a year to feed them the blue stamp surplus foods If H the used the maximum number of blue stamps congress would have to provide provide provide pro pro- vide annually But Dut in actual practice it is thought the plan would Involve no more than a year It is also believed believed believed be be- that in normal crop years the wide nation-wide operation of the plan would kill kiU off olt all surplus farm production pro with the possible exception of wheat Sponsors say the cost would be less than any other proposed pro posed plan to raise farm prices Aids Bulk Dulk of Farmers The food stamp plan is designed to aid the broadest possible section of agriculture as shown by the present pres ent surplus list Corn meal from torn the great midwest corn belt grapefruit oranges and prunes from southern states and California eggs and dried beans from all parts of rural Amer ica Butters Butter's inclusion helps the northwest's great dairy states Flour Flouris is a surplus problem of the western and Pacific states Farmers simply hope it works And judgment on the plans plan's benefit to agriculture is withheld until it has been tested longer and in more com com- The opinion of those eligible eligible eligi eligi- ble to buy stamps is easier to gauge For example John Brown an unemployed unemployed un employed Rochester truck driver At first I hesitated because I didn't want to be singled out as 81 a every week in a store full of my neighbors I found though that I was treated just like an ordinary ordinary or or- customer I have a wife and two youngsters young the and and the extra food I can buy with these stamps means for our just the difference e between three good nourishing meals a day and two pretty skimpy meals I expect ex ex- peet to have have a job again soon but butas butas as long as I have to take relief I J like to take it this way |