GENERAL FARM PROGRAM 251 



the results would be the same but the psychology would be vastly 

 different; the financial result would be the same but the psychology 

 of it would be vastly different. 



The Chairman. Will the gentleman yield? 



Mr. PoAGE. Yes. 



The Chairman. The insm-ance providing for unemployment com- 

 pensation requires a contribution to the fund both from the employer 

 and the employee. 



Mr. PoAGE. That is right. 



The Chairman. Do you propose here that the farmer make a con- 

 tribution and the Federal Government make a contribution? 



Mr. PoAGE. That is right. 



The Chairman. And then in the event that the commodity gets 

 into difficulty that we have some fund to call upon to bail the farmer 

 out? 



Mr. PoAGE. That is right. 



The Chairman. At the same time relieve the Government of the 

 necessity of suffermg these great losses which we are now sustaining? 



Mr. PoAGE. It would reduce the expense on the Government by 

 whatever amount is taken in from the farmer, and over and above 

 the monetary phase, I think there is something vastly more impor- 

 tant, it would result in saving the self-respect of the American farmers. 

 I think the American farmer is the backbone of our citizenship ; I think 

 he knows what he wants, but he is self-reliant, a self-respecting citizen, 

 and he can look his fellowman in the face and feel that he has earned 

 his right to share in the national Government, and no man can feel 

 that way who just gets a subsidy check from the Government, who 

 simply gets something for nothing. 



Air. Hope. Will the gentleman yield? 



Mr. PoAGE. Yes. 



Mr. Hope. I just wanted to comment that perhaps there is no 

 greater subsidy to the farmer in the program that the gentleman sug- 

 gests than there is to the employee in the present social-security pro- 

 gram, where both the employer and the employee contribute, because 

 undoubtedly the employer passes it on and the consumer of the prod- 

 uct pays for it. 



Mr. Poage. Yes. 



Mr. Hope. So the public pays in a little different way; it pays to 

 the Government, but I do not see much difference, as far as the result 

 is concerned in the program you suggest, if you want to compare it 

 with the present unemployment program. 



Mr. Poage. I do not say the effect is different. 



Mr. Albert. Will the gentleman yield to me? 



Mr. Poage. Yes. 



Mr. Albert. You will admit that it would be much harder to ad- 

 minister that kind of an agricultural program than a pay-roll program? 



Mr. Poage. No; I will not admit that, because you can collect the 

 money as the commodity is marketed. 



The Chairman. It might be easier than this. 



Mr. Poage. In each instance you could provide for a deduction 

 from the amount the farmer receives, or you could add 5 cents tax 

 to the bushel of wheat and could collect it at the elevator, or you 

 could provide that the farmer would get just that much less. If he 

 had cotton to sell, you could collect it at the mill, or we could say 



