110 GENERAL FARM PROGRAM 



Mr. Pace. The act itself provides that any downward adjustment 

 for the promotion of soil -conservation practic(^s shall not exceed 2 

 percent of the total acreasje allotment that would otherwise he made 

 to the county. 



Mr. Walker. Yes. 



Mr. Pace. That was not in the original act, was it? 



Mr. Walker. I do not know. 



Mr. Pace. Do you know of any other such provision? 



Mr. Walker. Mr. Bagwell might have that information. 



Mr. Pace. Do you know of any other marketing c^uota law that 

 has a comparable provision? 



Mr. Walker. Not to my knowledge. 



Mr. Pace. Mr. Bagwell? 



Mr. Bagwell. This was in the original act, Mr. Chairman; this 

 provision was not an amendment, but it was in the original act passed 

 in 1938. And in the case of wheat, there is a similar provision, as you 

 will see in section 334 (b), if you have the compilation of laws in front 

 of you; it appears on page 52. 



Mr. Pace. Yes. 



Mr. Bagwell. This is a similar provision to corn, but there is no 

 limitation on the amount of adjustments that could be made under 

 the conservation provision 



Mr. Pace (interposing). I am not saying it is not a fair provision, 

 but frankly I did not know it was in the law. Frankly it seems to 

 leave the gate wide open, where the Secretary, if he desires, under that 

 provision can make any adjustment in the acreage allotment, with- 

 out limitation. 



Mr. Walker. In carrying out the provisions of the act. 



Mr. Hill. The 10-year allocation of allotment was in the original 

 act? 



Mr. Walker. Yes. 



Mr. Pace. Yes. We are discussing now the provision that permits 

 the Secretary to make the adjustment in the case of corn, in a down- 

 ward adjustment for the promotion oi' soil-conservation practices, at 

 not to exceed 2 percent of the total acreage allotment. 



Mr. Granger. This 10-year provision has been in there for some 

 time? 

 . Mr. Pace. Yes. 



Mr. Hill. This same paragTaph carries the language, that the 

 acreage allotment shall be apportioned on the basis of ,the acreage of 

 corn during the 10 calendar years immediately preceding the calendar 

 year in which the apportioimient is determined. 



Mr. Granger. Yes. 



Mr. Hill. That might have been the beginning of the 10-year 

 sliding scale back in 1938? 



Mr. Pace. In reference to the adjustment in marketing price. No. 



Mr. Hill. You could not read that into it? 



Mr. Pace. Proceed, Mr. Walker. 



Mr. Walker. In carrying out these provisions, the department first 

 determines for each county of the commercial corn-producing area the 

 acreage planted to corn in the 10 calendar years immediately preceding 

 the calendar year in which the apportionment is to be made. 



The statistical data on acreage planted to corn used in these deter- 

 minations are the official estimates of the Crop Reporting Board, 



