Show mand more local responsibility in service to lo farmers benson aim we want farmers to produce for a free market rather than for a federal bounty secretary benson recently told the national association of commissioners secretaries and directors of agriculture it is possible through individual and group action to solve many problems and achieve objectives locally with a minimum of federal assistance si and control the suggestions which we will make to congress next year for improvements in current farm programs will recognize the anaed for greater state and local parti participation cipa tion he said full scope of the suggestions and recommendations to be made to congress will not be determined until all surveys under way have been heard from however enough desire of the people for local control has been revealed so far to indicate that recommendations ions will move in that direction i benson orders beef price spread study A suddy on the spread in live prices between the price the farmer receives for beef and the price the housewife pays was ordered sept 25 by secretary benson the fact that according to the bureau of labor statistics the retail price of beef rose 6 per cent from july to august a time when abundant supplies and generally low cattle prices prevailed has been of concern to both farmers and consumers the tremendous job of moving meat from farm to table is highly complex and little understood der stood farmers of america are entitled to know if there is truth to the charge that margins are excessive changes made in financing price supports program changes in the program for financing and servicing price slip support port loans by the commodity credit corporation have been announced by the U S department of agriculture the changes are intended to achieve maximum investment of private funds in crop loans thus relieving the U S treasury as much as possible of a financial burden which would have to be taken care of through public borrowing interest of four per cent paid by producers remains the same lending agencies main mainly 1 y country banks which finance and also service price sup port loans will receive an interest rate of 2 per cent a year for the use of their funds while 1 invested and in addition will receive a fee up to Vs per cent a year for services depending upon the nature of the services in the case of grain and similar commodities the rate will be vi per cent a year certificates of interest will be offered for the first time in connection with grain and other commodity loans these c e will be ba freely negotiable will bear interest at the rate of avi 2 per cent a year and will be redeemed prior to maturity by promptly at any time upon demand |