GENERAL FARM PROGRAM 371 



\Aill become fully operative on Juniiary 1, 1050. we were strengthened 

 in our conviction that the law fell far short of nieetino; the needs of the 

 country, of agriculture, or of the working farmers within agriculture. 



As Mr. Patton stated to you. immediately following adjournment of 

 the last session of Congress, we started stalf work in our national office 

 and in our various State offices in regard to the framework of the pro- 

 gram adopted by the members of the Fainiers Union in convention on 

 our interpretation of the problem in an effort to have ready for presen- 

 tation at some point during this Congress a draft of legislation. This 

 stalf work concurrently was carried on with periodic conferences and 

 meetings on the })robleni of not only officers and elected leadership but 

 lay people, members, working farmers in the Farmers Union, and 

 finally culminated in February, this year, with the appointment by 

 President Patton of a drafting com.mittee to seek to get down on paper 

 the thinkin.g and the work that had been up to that time accomplished. 



That committee did jirepare a draft. That draft was presented in 

 mid-^.Iarch to the delegates and members in attendance at the biennial 

 leadership conference of the National Farmers' Union held in Denver, 

 where a thorough analysis was given. There were a few minor 

 changes suggested, and the final draft up to this ])oint of the bill which, 

 parenthetically, I may say has not been introduced and is merel}' being^ 

 presented here as the result of our thinking in the Farmers Union in 

 relation to this total problem. 



I should say also, before I start in on an analysis of our thinking as 

 expressed in the bill, that the draft, copies of which I believe are before 

 the members of the conmiittee, is not in any sense an omnibus bill 

 which might seek to deal with all phases of the ]n-oblems of agriculture 

 or family-type farmers, but only seeks to deal with those things which 

 we think are so essential in the present calendar framework that it 

 seems to us they require first priority in terms of the attention of 

 Congress. 



Mr. Pace. Mr. Talbott. without objection there will be inserted in 

 the record at this point a copy of the bill that is presented to the 

 committee. 



(The bill referred to is as follows :) 



A BILL To assure the stability aud adequacy of agricultural income, with special reference 

 to that of family-type farmers, and the stability and adequacy of national supplies of 

 food aud fiber, and for other purposes 



Be it enartcfl ft;/ the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States 

 of Ameriea iv Concfvess assembled. That this Act may be cited as tlie Family 

 Farmers' 100 Per Centum of Parity Act of 1940. 



TITLE I— MAINTENANCE OF FAR.M INCOME 



Sec. 101. It is hereby dechired to be the policy of Congress to promote the 

 expansion of family-type farming as the most desirable pattern in American agri- 

 culture, and, pursuant to that policy, it is the purpose of this Act to insure tliat 

 family-type farmers shall receive tlie major share of governmental assistance 

 authorized under the Act. It is furtlier declared to be the purpose of Congress to 

 give, so far as may be feasible, equal treatment to all agricultural commodities in 

 the extension of (Tovernment assistance of any kind, to the end both that eqtiity 

 may be served and that shifts into and out of production of particular kinds of 

 agricultural conmiodities may be encouraged without resort, so far as may be pos- 

 sible, to acreage i-eductions, marketing quotas, or other similar controls, although 

 it is specifically provided herewith that present authorities for invocation of such 

 controls shall remain intact for use when imperative. It is further declared to 

 91215— 49— Bor. r. pt. 3 2 



