GENERAL FARM PROGRAM 267 



vote in favor of a marketing quota they would get the full benefit of 

 the support program? 



Secretary Brannan. That is right. 



The Chairman. If those who produced refused to accept the advice 

 of the Department of Agriculture and the}^ voted against the market- 

 ing quotas, they would get no support price at all, and that is as it is 

 now? 



Secretary Brannan. Yes, as it is now. They would get 50 per- 

 cent under title II. 



The Chairman. That is, of the Aiken bill? 



Secretary Brannan. Yes, sir. 



The Chairman. I am assuming that the Aiken bill is going to be 

 repealed, and I hope that it will be. When you give the farmers the 

 best advice available and advise them that quotas are necessary and 

 desirable and then they refuse to accept that advice, they lose the 

 benefits of the support program? 



Secretary Brannan. That is right. 



The Chairman. Then it does not seem to me you would have any 

 problem with them. Now, if you go to a nonbasic commoditj^, do I 

 understand the Board of Directors of the Commodity Credit Corpo- 

 ration would determine what is fair support for a nonbasic commodity 

 not under control? 



Secretary Brannan. Yes ; I am trying to say that we would operate 

 in that area just as we are operating now^, namely, that whatever 

 commodities Congress told us to support and at whatever level they 

 told us to support them, we would. 



Second, as to the other commodities, we tried to put in my state- 

 ment of the seventh language from the existing \a.\\ , and there seemed 

 to be a little difference of opinion between you and Judge Hunter as 

 to whether it means the same thing in this discussion the other day, 

 but let me read the language. 



I said here after naming the so-called priority commodities: 



I recommend that the prices or returns of these first priority, or group 1, com- 

 modities be maintained at not less than the full support price standard. It 

 should be clearly understood that the support price standard is not a ceiling. 



Those commodities not included in the group 1 or priority list should be sup- 

 ported in line with or in relation to group 1 commodities, taking into account the 

 available funds and authorities, the ability of producers to keep supplies inline 

 with demand and other relevant factors. 



Air. Pace. At the point let me read the Steagall amendment 

 language. 



Secretary Brannan. All right. 



Mr. Pace. I do not know what Judge Hunter disagreed on. 



It states the supports of these other commodities shall be carried 



out — 



so as to bring the prices and income of the producers of nonbasic commodities 

 not covered by such public announcement to a fair parity relationship with 

 other commodities. 



Secretary Brannan. Do you interpret that to mean that we have 

 to bring all the commodities upon which we put support, that we can 

 only support them at 90 percent of parity because the basic provision 

 is at 90 percent? 



Mr. Pace. I think the interpretation of the words "fair parity 

 relationship" means the prevailing support level. 



