Show U S experiments with food stamp plan seeking answer to farm surplus riddle birmingham chosen as yourth fourth city to try novel system is by OLIVER SHAW released Ite leased by western newspaper union birmingham ALA uncle sams test tube has moved south birmingham has become athe the fourth guinea pig city in a scientific trial of what government officials business and agricultural observers hope hop e almay may be the solution of ameri 14 11 J 9 j 5 MR Q t c jarrat X k I 1 cas no 1 prosperity problem decant want in the midst of plenty the plan disposal of farm surpluses to those w who 0 need them most through a simple procedure of touching the horn of plenty to a hungry mans lips 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 producing many of americas crops find themselves selves facing chaos because of ruinous us surpluses for example weather and other factors gave citrus fruit growers last year the biggest crops of oranges and grapefruit on record lower feed prices were partly responsible for increased creased egg production and the first quarter of 1939 saw poultry output arise rise to the highest level for any sim pilar par period in 15 years excellent V 4 11 R 1 4 awl D ik J L LIE na ar f y A op S 1 3 04 ra i 11 r V evl pasturage has proved anything but a boon for dairymen who worry because the number of milk cows is increasing for the first time in five years while normal buying 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 methods did not even touch the question of low income groups and their need for more and better food now with introduction of the agriculture departments food stamp plan in in which food chains and independent storekeepers are operating cooperating co 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 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 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 the paid for orange stamps the g government 0 vern ment hopes in this way to cut farm surp surpluses I 1 uses to buy 2 in groceries for every 1 orange stamp he buys he is given free one 50 cent blue stam stamp p the blue stamps may be used to purchase only surplus commodities at present these include flour grapefruit oranges eggs dried prunes corn meal butter dried beans rice and cabbage stamps can be redeemed by retailers at any bank it if successful at birmingham as it appears to be at rochester dayton and seattle the plan may be applied to the entire nation like earlier campaigns its similar in some respects to the producer consumer campaigns camree staged the past th three ree years by chain stores to increase consumption 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 1936 when chains representing food stores undertook a campaign to move california canned peaches producers of canning peaches because of a carryover of california peaches that to cases above normal in 1936 were expecting a return of only 15 a ton for their crops considerably 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 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 eggs and onions As many as chain and independent stores have operated cooperated co in single drives an 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 prices said that of all the efforts being made to 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 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 special prices that they gave for the earlier campaigns 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 sta stamp mp 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 also believed that in normal crop years the nationwide nation wide operation of the plan would kill off all surplus farm production with the possible exception of wheat sponsors say the cost would be less than any other proposed plan to raise farm prices |