Brannan's Blues

The Department of Agriculture had 25 million bushels of hot potatoes on its hands. It had already, at a total cost of $35 million, given away all it could -- to deserving institutions, school-lunch programs and overseas relief. To give the rest away, complained Agriculture Secretary Charles F. Brannan dolorously, would cost the Government another $15 million.

Putting the problem to Congress, Char lie Brannan was too politic to remind its members of what they already knew too well: the potato glut was its baby. The Senate Agriculture Committee handed it back to Brannan, who decided to save the $15 million and dump the spuds.

Thus, in the next few weeks, potatoes which the Government will buy for about $1.10 a bushel will be "sold" back to the grower for fertilizer or feed for three-fifths of a cent a bushel. Just to make sure that no one then tries to sell them back to big-hearted Uncle Sam for another $1.10 a bushel, the Department of Agriculture will, appropriately, dye its abandoned spuds a deep blue.

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