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By 



CRESTON FOSTER 

 editor, lAA Record 



in the Democratic and Republican plat- 

 torms, we urge continued bipartisan con- 

 gressional support of the principal provi- 

 sions of this legislation during the com- 

 ing years." 



While voicing support of the major 

 provisions of the Act, the delegates in 

 resolution authorized the board of direc- 

 tors to seek such amendments to the Act 

 as may be deemed to be in the interest of 

 farm people and the national welfare. 



The delegates in resolution also pointed 

 out that: 



"The flexible price-support program is 

 one that recognizes the needs of con- 

 sumers as well as the rights and needs of 

 producers. This is essential, for unless 

 we can maintain a sound, workable farm 

 program, circumstances similar to those 

 which brought disparity and ruin to farm- 

 ers after World War I may again pre- 

 vail." 



The long-term part of the Agricultural 

 Act is due to become effective Jan. 1, 

 1950. It stipulates that prices of basic 

 farm commodities (wheat, corn, cotton, 

 rice, tobacco and peanuts) shall be sup- 

 ported at from 60 to 90 per cent of parity, 

 depending on whether supplies are larger 

 or smaller than normal. A 10-year mov- 

 ing average basis for computing parity is 

 also included in the law. 



Price supports of 90 per cent of parity 

 are provided on the basic commodities 

 and a few selected non-basic commodities 

 through the crop year of 1949. In its 

 resolutions at the convention, the Farm 

 Bureau insisted that these commitments 

 by the government for 1949 be kept. 



Federation President Allan B. Kline in 

 his annual convention address backed the 

 Agricultural Act because it "was designed 

 to fit a dynamic economy .... if a farmer 

 wants a high standard of living he must 

 protect the right to produce, with the re- 

 sources at his command, the things best 

 suited to market demand. These basic 

 principles are sound. ." 



Sen. George D. Aiken, one of the au- 

 thors of legislation contained in the Agri- 

 cultural Act, told Farm Bureau folks at 

 the convention that "agriculture is at the 

 crossroads." 



"We can take one road with its cost- 

 plus guarantees and easy money for per- 

 haps two years more, with the certainty 

 that controls, quotas and penalties will 

 then overtake us. 



"Or we can take the other road which 

 leads to a long period of agricultural 

 prosperity for America at a somewhat 

 lower level, with the assurance that the 

 farmer will remain free to run his own 

 farm," Senator Aiken said. 



He s.iid that the Farm Bureau has long 

 recognized this situation and went to 

 work and got a long-range farm pro- 

 gram adopted by Congress last summer. 

 This program, now known as the Agricul- 

 tural Act of 1948, was secured in the 

 face of predictions that it couldn't be 

 done, the Senator said in paying tribute 

 to the Farm Bureau membership. 



"Now th.u legislation is threatened by 

 the advocates of permanent incentive 

 price supports for farm commodities," 

 Sen.itor Aiken reported, "and the Farm 

 Bureau again has its work cut out for it 

 to defend and sustain those principles for 

 which it has fought for many years." 



Harold E. Stassen, former governor of 

 Minnesota, whose address received much 

 applause from the Farm Bureau conven- 



More than 6,000 farm people attended fhe 

 30th annual convenfion of the American 

 farm Bureau federation in Atlantit City in 

 December. This Is a view of one of the 

 general sessions. 



tion, said he favored flexible price sup- 

 ports. 



It would not be for the best interests 

 of either the farmers or the people as a 

 whole to ask the government to support 

 farm prices at 90 per cent of parity re- 

 gardless of the size of the crop or the 

 amount of carryover, Stassen said. 



"I therefore am opposed to any 

 {Continued on next fJge) 



Illinois farmer i at Farm Bureau convention 

 in Atlantic City check program on board- 

 walk before entering session. Seated left 

 to right are: T. H. Johnson, and E. f. Rade^ 

 macher. Standing are J. i. Stewart and 

 f. 6. Johnson. All are from Montgomery 

 county. 



FEBRUARY. 1949 



