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As lone as present farm progrants are on the statute books, of course, the taxpayers, including farmers, may expect to pay for them through raxes. It is economic irony, though, that the great majority of individual fanners do not benefit from this heavy government spending on price supports and other largely ineffectual measures-contrived for their financial assistance. Neither has it been demonstrated that the farm economy as a whole has moved aity closer to long-term stability than it was eight yearn ago, or, for that matter, 25 years ago.
Trie progression of annual appropriations for these devices is a mocking reminder of our ineffectiveness in the attempt to assure the farmer a reasonable return for his efforts in what we like to call our free-enterprise economy. Until we*summon the courage to break with this tradition of expensive tinkering, we sihall have to pay the bills.
A comment in the House Appropirations Committee report on the Agricultur Appropriation Hill is arresting:
"Many fail to realize that about half of the price support expenditures each year are- for such items as storage and handling, transportation, interest and administration. In fiscal year 1959, for example, storage, transportation, administrative and interest costs were 49 per cent of the total losses under the price support program. In 1959, storage and handling charges totaled $481.7 million. Storage charges for 1960 are estimated at $612
54.7%