GENERAL FARM PROGRAM 349 



Mr. Pace. I think you could amend the Aiken bill in the same 

 manner that the Lesinski bill amends the Taft-Hartley Act. 



Now, Mr. Secretary, you stated in your statement that production 

 and price adjustment with a definite mcome objective must be the 

 core of our united effort. It is not yet quite clear to me, and I think 

 to other members of the committee. There you have used production 

 adjustments and price adjustments. Exactl}^ where is the line be- 

 tween abundant production and a leveling of supply and demand? 

 Where is that line? 



Secretary Branxax. Mr. Pace, I do not think anybody can put his 

 finger on any precise number of units of any commodity and say, 

 "the line is here." I think it lies somewhere in the area of the con- 

 sumption of a given commodity at prices which allow it to reach most 

 of the people who want it, not the people who are in the character of 

 relief or indigent or institutions, or any such thing as that. There is 

 a consumer demand in this country for most of the foods and other 

 items which we produce, which in a land of abundance ought to be 

 reached and can be reached at reasonable prices. That is the best 

 kind of line I can draw. 



Mr. Pace. Could it be said that you would in the administration 

 of this program seek an ample supply of food for all of the people, on 

 a good diet, at reasonable prices? 



Secretary Braxxan. That is right. 



Mr. Pace. Is that the philosophy that would obtain? 



Secretary Braxxan. That is right. 



Mr. Pace. Air. Secretary, you said in your statement, "I am aware 

 that this standard — " that is the income support standard — "does not 

 close the gap between average per capita farm and nonfarm income." 



Secretary Braxxax. Between $906 and $1,565. 



Mr. Pace. Would you object to this committee giving the Congress 

 a gadget which would move up toward a full parity income and realize 

 it within 5 years? 



Secretary Braxxax. I would have no objection to it. 



Mr. Pace. Would you recommend it? 



Secretary Braxxax. I would recommend the consideration of such 

 a gadget or whatever you might call it. I would also recommend the 

 consideration of a year or two of delay in its application. 



Mr. Pace. In order to see what it was doing? 



Secretary Braxxan. Yes, sir. 



Mr. Pace. Mr. Secretary, you have set out in effect four different 

 groups of commodities in your recommendations. I want to put 

 them all in one place. 



The fu'st is group 1, which you reconrmend be given first priority 

 and which you recommend be supported at the full support-price 

 standard, those being corn, cotton, wheat, tobacco, whole milk, eggs, 

 farm chickens, hogs, beef cattle, and lambs. 



On the first four — corn, cotton, wheat, and tobacco — you now have 

 production-control machinery through marketing-quota laws. On 

 the other six, you have none. As I understand, you propose to con- 

 trol production there through the payment method; that is, produc- 

 tion payments. Is that right? 



Secretary Braxxax. Allotments and the application of production 

 payments where possible. 



Mr. Pace. In the case of milk, eggs, chickens, and so forth, what 

 is your difference between allotments and goals? 



