70 



I just want to thank you for a very good statement. You have a 

 friend in the Secretary of Agriculture without question. You have 

 heard the testimony today that there will be new directives. 



I don't know where we will find the budget money, but I would 

 say to you that if we do not — let me put it the other way. A dollar 

 invested in a human life that you have described — it's either invest 

 now, or pay a whole lot later. 



I want to thank you for your testimony, your patience, and your 

 perseverance to come before the committee. We really do appreci- 

 ate it. 



Ms. Wynn. Thank you. 



The Chairman. Thank you very much. 



The same goes for Marcia Merry who has waited along with our 

 other guests. We will hear from you at this time. 



STATEMENT OF MARCIA MERRY, AGRICULTURAL EDITOR, 

 EXECUTIVE INTELLIGENCE REVIEW 



Ms. Merry. Thank you, Mr. Chairman and members of the com- 

 mittee. 



I thank the committee especially for having its first hearing of 

 the year on the topic of the economy. I think that is to be com- 

 mended because it is a vital question. 



What I have to say is not approved, as far as I know, by the 

 OMB. So I presume I have your attention even though it is late in 

 the day. And even though I am last, I thank you for giving me the 

 last word. 



As for my own background, I have everything in writing. I would 

 just like to speak extemporaneously to stress a few points today. 



First let me say by background that I, myself, come from many 

 generations of dairy farming and dairy business in Pennsylvania. I 

 am familiar with Federal entities because our Merry Dairy was the 

 first one to have a suit filed against us by the Interstate Commerce 

 Commission because we were selling buttermilk to the canal driv- 

 ers coming from Ohio to Pennsylvania. But that seems like a long- 

 gone innocent age. 



What I would like to discuss now is the state of the economy in 

 general, including agriculture. I have been writing on agriculture 

 news for the Executive Intelligence Review for about 20 years. I 

 think the situation we face today in the economy is a catastrophe. 

 As you see in today's Washington Post, whose business section has 

 as a front-page article how the economy is going up and that it 

 looks good — this up-and-down stuff is for the amusement parks. 



I think what the committee member said this morning to Secre- 

 tary Espy about problems in their district adds up to a national 

 picture where the entire physical economy is in an emergency situ- 

 ation. 



If you figure the actual unemployment as we did in the 1930's is 

 at least 17 percent overall. Basic industry — aerospace just an- 

 nounced 31,000 layoffs. That is our most important sector if we're 

 going to build any capital goods, for example, that are deeply 

 needed in certain parts of the country. 



In agriculture, the average age of the farmer is one way to look 

 at things. It is approaching 60. We don't have the new farmers. 



