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Show HOME TOWN REPORTER Consress Set to Pass Needed Farm Legislation By WALTER A. SIIEAD SINCE the farmers of the nation na-tion played the leading role in returning President Harry S. Truman to the White House, even more so than labor, la-bor, it is practical to assume that on the early agenda of the Democratic 81st congress will be some sorely needed farm legislation. Among the first will be the repeal or amendment of the Commoditv Credit Corporation act to give that agency the power to provide storage space for grain so that the support price program may function It will be remembered that this column pointed out this work of the grain lobby in the 80th congress, which belatedly be-latedly in the closing hours of the session pushed through this piece of legislation as a rider on the CCC act, and that the fact would play an important im-portant role in the farm vote. Another early act likely will be a clarification of the law which grants statutory exemption to farm trucks and trucks engaged exclusively in the transportation of agricultural commodities. This section of the motor carrier car-rier act, now a part of the Interstate Inter-state Commerce act, has been interpreted by the ICC to permit taxation of trucks carrying washed spinach or other packaged pack-aged fresh vegetables, classifying classify-ing them as "manufactured commodities." Early ratification of the international interna-tional wheat agreement act, a new long-range farm price support program, pro-gram, plus acreage controls, additional addi-tional funds for conservation, reclamation recla-mation and irrigation, for school lunch programs and for rural electrification elec-trification are almost certain of enactment. en-actment. Operation White House The 156-year-old White House Is getting ready for a major operation which -will cost us about a million dollars. The historic old mansion which is about to fall down has been declared unsafe for occupancy, and the President and his family have moved eater-cornered across the street to the old Blair and Blair-Lee mansions which are owned by the government and used for visiting dignitaries. The two old mansions, now temporary tem-porary White Houses, set flush on the street with only iron steps and railings between door and sidewalk, have really historic pasts going back to the early 1800s. Sentry boxes wherein are stationed secret service police have been set up on the walks before each house so visitors can be queried and screened. I In the old White House the President will carry on his business busi-ness in the executive offices which were built at each end of the main building by President Roosevelt. The walls will be straightened, new floors and cross beams Installed and the old house will be made completely com-pletely modern. It will take a year or more to do the Job. When Margaret Truman came home after the election she noticed the grand piano in her room was atilt. One leg had gone through the floor. The floors sag about six inches in some rooms. Successive attempts at modernization through installation installa-tion of plumbing, of electricity, etc., have weakened the floor joists. The grand stairway shakes and weaves; the heavy candelabra in the east room and the state dining room sway and tinkle. And the whole thing is a fire-trap. Big business may not like it but a peace-time excess profits tax will be enacted by this next congress. Time for exorbitant uncontrolled profits has passed and the nation is entering enter-ing a new era. 'Last year profits after taxes totalled 29 billion dollars. Only one-sixth went back into plant improvement and expansion. The new excess profits tax will not touch little business and one way the giant corporations which control production, produc-tion, distribution and price of the nation's basic commodities can avoid it is to bring prices down where they won't have to pay the tax. And that will help deflate the inflationary spiral. Potentially Powerful For many years the propaganda program of the National Association of Manufacturers and big business has been to split the farm and labor organizations, carrying out the old technique of divide and conquer. II these two organizations, which represent rep-resent the vast majority of the American people, would only join hands on agreed legislation tor each segment farm and labor instead of fighting one another, they could control this or any other congress. About the South Question in the next congress is: "Have the southern bloc congressmen congress-men and senators seen the light?" Will they play ball on progressive legislation, on a reasonable and fair civil rights program, or will they still take an 1860 standpoint and form another coalition with reactionary reac-tionary Republicans to block such legislation under the guise of states' rights? The enigma will be resolved one way after congress convenes. |
