262 GENERAL FARM PROGRAM 



tive parity positions, you take into account the current high support 

 price you give flax. 



Secretary Brannan. That is right. 



Mr. Pace. But you take into account on butter, not the subsidy, 

 but give them credit only for the low ceiling price that was put on 

 butter. Do you not think that is a rank injustice to the dairymen 

 of this Nation? 



Secretary Brannan. No; I do not think that it is, but we have to 

 go back here and find out why we got into the high price support for 

 flax. 



Mr. Pace. Let us not; it does not matter. They are going to get 

 credit for it; are they not? 



Secretary Brannan. Yes, but we were serving a very important 

 national objective. 



Mr. Pace. That is right. 



Secretary Brannan. Just the same as we might be paying some 

 kind of additional sums of money to secure the production of certain 

 kinds of metals of which we are short. 



Mr. Pace. After that national need is over, flax will reap the 

 benefit of it. 



Secretary Brannan. Yes, but not a very substantial benefit of it 

 because that only happened in 1 year and that is to be equalized 

 out over a period of 10 years; and in the second place it has to be 

 related to the parity index, and third, we have two paragraphs in 

 there which say that where there are gross inequities or maladjust- 

 ments as a result of this formula, we should take a very good look at 

 them and miake adjustments and then give Congress a whole year to 

 look at what we have done and the farmers a whole year to look at 

 what we have done. Every formula that anyone can devise or that 

 we have come across will come up with some maladjustments in it. 

 There is one in corn or in hogs in the one that we have here. Why? 

 Because we had a very short corn crop and we had a very high price 

 for corn. You have got to take those rough spots off by arbitrary 

 action, and I admit that it would be arbitrary action and then when 

 we take some other arbitrary actions they are always subject to the 

 review of both the Congress and of this committee. 



Mr. Pace. Mr. Secretary, you proposed in testimony to the chair- 

 man and to Mr. Poage that you would support the 10 priority com- 

 modities at 100 percent of the support level, but that you did not 

 have any intention of supporting all commodities; is that right? 



Secretary Brannan. That is right. 



Mr. Pace. Then, Mr. Secretary, what is going to happen to the 

 parity support level of those commodities which are not supported? 



Secretary Brannan. I do not want to be facetious about it, but 

 if you will tell me what has happened to them in the last 2 years, or 

 what is going to happen in the next few years, you will have the 

 answer to your own C(uestion. 



Mr. Pace. They have not had in the last several years any such 

 proposal as you are now proposing, I understand, and the Aiken bill 

 is just as bad. 



Secretary Brannan. No; you do not understand my statement. 



There are many of those commodities which have never enjoyed 

 supports, and whatever has happened to them because they did not 

 enjoy supports will happen to them in the future because they do not 

 enjoy supports. 



