264 GEXERAL FARM PROGRAM 



nonsupported commodities would be as regular as would be the parity 

 price of the 10 supported commodities? 



Secretary Brannan. As regular? 



Mr. Pace. Yes, or probably during all of the 10 years. 



Secretary Brannan. I think you have to answer that commodity 

 by commodity. If it is watermelons. I do not know what the answer is. 

 If it is artichokes, I do not know what the answer is, but if it is citrus 

 fruit, we may have a little more history about that. 



Mr. Pace. Well, let us take soybeans. 



Secretary Brannan. All right ; we have them in ample supply right 

 now in this country. 



Mr. Pace. And if they enjoy no support beyond the price of oil, 

 they will not bring very much. 



Secretary Brannan. No. 



Mr. Pace. It is not 1 of the 10 priority commodities. 



Secretary Brannan. But that does not say we are not going to 

 support it. 



Air. Pace. A'VTiat is going to determine that decision as to whether 

 you do or not? 



Secretary Brannan. Two things make up our minds, Congress on 

 the one hand by some such device as the Steagall amendment, or an 

 extension of the Steagall amendment, or the national welfare which 

 might make it highly important that we encourage the production 

 of that particular kind of a commodity. 



Air. Pace. You are not going to overlook the appeal of the pro- 

 ducer, are you? 



Secretary Brannan. Well, of course, we have been visiting a few 

 too. 



Mr. Pace. I think frankly that in the operation of the 10-year 

 average you very definitely benefit the regularly supported com- 

 modities in the determination of their parity price, and you ter- 

 rifically punish the unsupported commodities in determining their 

 parity price. 



Secretary Brannan. All right, but that happens today also. 



The Chairman. That is exactly opposite to the position taken by 

 Mr. Poage. 



Secretary Brannan. Yes; it is. 



Mr. Pace. Now, Air. Secretary, agam you propose to determine 

 the parity price of an individual commodity by its rclationshi]) , as 

 its market price relates to the market price of other commodities; 

 that is true, is it not? 



Secretary Brannan. Yes, in a very broad sense. 



Air. Pace. Earlier this mornmg you stated that you wanted to 

 administer this program with realistic abundance; that is true, is it not? 



Secretary Brannan. That is right. 



Air. Pace. What is going to be the reaction upon the individual 

 producer of a nonsupported commodity, one of the nonpriority com- 

 modities, when he learns that if he produces abundantly and his com- 

 modity sells cheaper in the market place, and he receives no pro- 

 duction payment, do you not think he will immediately say that when 

 he produces an abundance he is going to cut his own throat? 



Secretary Brannan. Is he not confronted with that exactly same 

 situation today, and was he not 5 years ago? 



Air. Pace. No, sir. 



Secretary Brannan. Certainly he was. 



