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Show I the HarAV'iJM'-'V iiomE At Touun f IN WASHINGTON Unwanted Powers TTNLESS present plans are quick-ly quick-ly changed the department of agriculture will have controls of both food and agriculture under the administration plans of handling rationing when and if such controls are deemed necessary to stop price rises and to give priorities and allocations al-locations in the war effort. In other words, instead of an OPA, which handled such matters during World War II, the department depart-ment of agriculture will do the job at least until administration leaders lead-ers believe that an overall agency is necessary. The theory is that the department is the only old line agency familiar with both the food and food processing industries and with the farms and may be able to avoid some mistakes made by the OPA. It is rather well known that there are many in the department depart-ment who do not want this power or authority and some objectors point out that with the USDA In charge of the farm price legislation they would be charged with keeping keep-ing the price up to the farmers farm-ers and trying to hold it down to the consumers. Another and more political reason rea-son for opposition is that at best rationing and price control is a thankless job, that a temporary agency such as OPA could be liquidated liqui-dated when the need is over and any ill-will would be forgotten. But the department of agriculture must remain at the same old stand and continue to do business. Little Heard of Surpluses Little is being heard about those surpluses these days, the dried milk and butter and cheese and potatoes po-tatoes and other commodities which were boing stored up as result of the price support program. As a matter of fact, those very surpluses may come in right handy in the mobilization plans, if not to feed and help our own armies, then perhaps per-haps those of our allies. With reports from the department depart-ment of another lush harvest and demands for continued all-out food and fibre production indications are that our country has been looking look-ing ahead. For instance, the full significance of the 1951 wheat acreage allotment announced some weeks ago can now be appreciated. The allotment of 72.8 million acres is something like 10 million more than needed to supply our domestic and export wheat demand. So the 1951 allotment Is not a peace-time allotment. AFEF Wins Victory The Farm Bureau Federation won a victory when the house agricultural agricul-tural committee voted to defer action ac-tion on the Granger bill (HR 8676) which would have "divorced" the extension service in land grant colleges from the farm bureau in states where there is now a legal tie-up between the two agencies. The final vote on the measure was 17 to 8 indicating that seven Democrats Demo-crats joined with the 10 Republicans Republi-cans on the committee to defeat the measure. The bill had the support sup-port of some farm leaders. Kline Agrees With Truman Allan B. Kline, president of the American Farm Bureau Federation, Federa-tion, who does not agree with President Pres-ident Truman often, is In agreement agree-ment with him on the matter of all-out controls at this time. Mr. Truman has said that he is ready to use price, wage and rationing controls when necessary, but that the time has not come.' Kline said: "Although price controls and rationing might reasonably be a part of our war effort at a time when some 40 or 50 per cent of our entire en-tire output was diverted to defense, de-fense, they are not appropriate to the present situation." Kline believes that increased taxes, needed credit controls and stepped-up efforts at production will make it possible for us to control con-trol inflation at its source without resort to price and rationing controls con-trols at this time. Agencies Borrow Funds Although the appropriation bill was supposed to have been passed before the end of fiscal year 1950, that is before June 30, 1950, as this is written it is still the subject of haggling and debate in conference confer-ence committee. In the meantime many federal agencies are paying employees out of "borrowed" funds. The Council of State Chamber of Commerce charges that the senate sen-ate appropriations committee pumped "$132,401,000 additional tax dollars into the 1951 corps of engineers appropriation for non-war non-war works projects. It was an irresponsible ir-responsible capitulation to selfish, short-sighted, local interests, contractors con-tractors and pork barrel politicians," politi-cians," says the State Chamber Council in its report. This report will be studied in all its aspects by interested parties and used as political po-litical ammunition. |