Two hours before the voting began, Republican leaders in the House would not have given a wet wheat beard for the Benson farm program's chances. Indiana's Charlie Halleck, who has been the Administration's strong right arm in the House, conceded to friends that he was licked. Then the House noisily pulled the biggest surprise of the 83rd Congress by voting down a continuation of rigid 90% of parity price supports on the basic crops. It approved, instead, a system of flexible supports pegged on 82½ to 90% of parity. This was a compromise, but a compromise almost no one expected.
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