Show U S experiments with food stamp plan seeking answer to farm surplus riddle birmingham chosen as fourth city to try novel system by OLIVER SHAW released by western newspaper union birmingham ALA uncle sams test tube has moved south birmingham has become the fourth guinea guine a pig city in a scientific trial of what government officials business and agricultural observers ers hope aff rf c 1 4 may be the solution of americas no 1 I prosperity problem want in the midst of plenty the plan disposal of farm surpluses to those who need them most through a simple procedure of touching the h horn 0 rn ot of plenty to a hungry mans li lips ps its the latest and most successful effort to slay a hardy perennial dragon chos been particularly obstreperous since 1929 today while a large segment of the population finds it difficult to make ends meet and still obtain health giving foods farmers farrr bets producing many of americas crops find themselves facing chaos because of bulno ruinous us surpluses for example weather and other factors gave ci citrus trus fruit growers last year the bi biggest crops of oranges and grapefruit on record lower feed prices were partly responsible for increased egg production and the first quarter of 1939 saw poultry output rise to the highest level for any similar period in 15 years excellent pasturage has proved anything but a boon for dairymen who worry because the number of milk cows is increasing tor for the first time in five years while normal bu buying ying has failed to consume all that Is being produced help both farmers needy previous attempts to untie this gordian knot by destroying crops proved unsuccessful these meth ali I 1 I 1 V Z a SOL 7 OA v V v r i 1 rall vy friy i 11 abw 1 did not even touch the question ot of low income groups and their need for more and better food now with introduction of the agriculture departments food stamp plan in which food chains and independent storekeepers are operating cooperating co a new lip 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 and more of it heres how it works A person on relief employed by or receiving social security checks is eligible to apply for orange food stamps which can be used to buy 2 in groc groceries erlei for every 1 orange stamp he buys he is given free one 50 cent blue stamp the blue stamps may be used to purchase only surplus commodities at present these include flour grapefruit oranges eggs dried prunes co coin in meal butter dried beans rice and cabbage stamps can be redeemed by retailers at any bank if successful at birmingham as it app appears ears to be at rochester dayton an and d seattle the plan may be applied to the entire nation like earlier campaigns its similar in some respects to the producer consumer campaigns staged the past three years by chain stores to increase consumption su of surplus crops by aggressively gres promoting such products the first nationwide nation wide producer con sumer drive took place in april and may of 1938 1936 when chains representing food stores undertook FULL MARKET BASKET the basket being handed this seattle woman contains surplus food items purchased with free blue stamps on the counter are other groceries she bought with wit the paid for orange stamps the government hopes in this way to 0 o cut arni surpluses a campaign to move california canned peaches producers of canning reaches peaches because of a carryover ol of california peaches t that hat to cases above normal in 1936 were expecting a return of only 15 a ton for their crops coni sider ably less than production costs when the campaign closed stocks on hand had dropped to cases compared with the carryover of cases existing before the drive began for the growers this meant approximately 30 per ton for pe peaches aches instead of 0 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 eggs and onions As many as chain and independent stores have operated cooperated co in single drives all directed at maintaining farm prices while offering savings to consumers retailers praised last september the bureau of agricultural ri economics pointing out that these drives reduce the margin between farm and retail pric prices said that of all the efforts being made mabb t to 0 influence or stimulate consumption of farm products the retail campaigns seem to be the most effective the retailers intimate contact with the consumer places him in a strategic position to influence the direction of consumer expenditures 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 promotion for the govern ment designated surplus commodities at secial prices that they gave for the earlier campaigns benefits to be reaped from the plan by farmers were illustrated at rochester where more than of surplus commodities were sold in the first 30 days at present the plan Is being financed by regular federal surplus commodity corporation appropriations if americas persons on relief responded in the same proportion as they have in rochester it would cost about a year to feed them the blue stamp surplus foods if the used the maximum number of blue stamps congress would have to provide annually but in actual practice it is thought the plan would involve no more than a year it Is al also believed that in normal crop years the nationwide nation wide operation of the plan would kill off all surplus farm arm production with the pos possible isible exception of wheat sponsors so say y the cost would be less than any other proposed plan to raise farm prices aids bulk of farmers the food stamp plan Is designed to aid the broadest possible section of agriculture as shown by the present surplus list corn meal from the great midwest corn belt grapefruit oranges and prunes from southern states and california eggs and dried beans from all parts of rural adal america butters inclusion helps the great dairy states flour is a surplus problem of the western and pacific states farmers simply hope it works and judgment on the plans benefit to agriculture is withheld until it has been tested longer and in more communities muni ties the opinion of those eligible to buy stamps is easier to gauge for example john brown an unemployed rochester truck driver at first I 1 hesitated because I 1 want to be singled out as ai a rel re liefer lefer every week in a store full of my neighbors I 1 found though that I 1 was wa treated just like an or binary cu customer 11 1 I have a wife and two youngsters and ana the extra food I 1 can buy with these stamps means mean s f for 0 r our family lust just the difference between three good nourishing meals a day and two pretty skimpy meals meal I 1 expect ats to have a job again iksoon on but as long as I 1 have to take relief I 1 uke like to take lt it this way |