240 GENERAL FARM PROGRAM 



Mr. PoAGE. With no similar probability that there would be such 

 marketing quotas on, shall we say, hogs and milk. Probably I should 

 not use those as illustrations, because somebody will think I am 

 trying to knock some particular products. Shall I say tomatoes and 

 oranges. 



Secretary Brannan. Yes. 



Mr. PoAGE. In all probability you would not have marketing 

 quotas on those? 



Secretary Brannan. Of course not. They are not supported, even. 



Mr. PoAGE. As I understand it, you do propose that under the 

 complete program we would support all of those commodities? 



Secretary Brannan. No, Mr. Poage. I do not think we would 

 get around to supporting all the commodities. Perhaps we would 

 not support a great many more than we are supporting now. 



Let me give you the process of reasoning, whether it is right or 

 wrong. The list of commodities which we put in the priority group, 

 is the list of commodities which, taken from the list of commodities 

 which contribute most to the farm income, are the group of com- 

 modities which do contribute most to farm income. Therefore, if 

 you were working on farm income as an objective you would do your 

 work on the commodities which were of most good. 



I have also said in my initial statement, and again reiterated this 

 morning, that there are other commodities which do now enjoy 

 support and which would continue to enjoy support; and perhaps 

 there are some others which do not now enjoy support which it might 

 be in the public interest to bring in under support because they do 

 contribute materially to the income of perhaps some important seg- 

 ment or some appreciable segment of the farm population. 



Mr. PoAGE. Without any desire to go into a discussion of that I am 

 just trying to get something that I can use as an illustration without 

 embarrassment. 



Let me say eggs, because my district does not produce a substantial 

 amount of eggs. You do contemplate supporting the price of eggs? 



Secretary Brannan. We are now, sir, this very date. 



Mr. PoAGE. I know you are, indirectly. 



Secretary Brannan. Yes^ sir. 



Mr. PoAGE. And you do contemplate that the eggs would be in- 

 cluded in this program and that you would pay for the support of 

 eggs by a direct subsidy payment, as I understand it. 



Secretary Brannan. Yes; by a production payment. 



Mr. Poage. All right, a production payment. 



Secretary Brannan. Yes. 



Mr. Poage. Now there would be no probability that you would 

 have any restriction on the production of eggs next year, would there, 

 under this program? 



Secretary Brannan. I see none. 



Mr. Poage. What I am getting at is this: Is it not rather unfair to 

 say to the man who is producing eggs or milk or hogs, "You go ahead 

 and pro(hice 100 percent of your normal production. We assure you 

 that you will get 100 percent of a fair price, which means that you get 

 then a fair income from your farm." Then we turn to the man produc- 

 ing cotton over here and wheat and we say to him, "Now, we want to 

 give you a fair price for your product, too. A fair price is 28 cents for 

 your cotton, and $1 .86 for your wheat. We are going to give you that. 



