428 GENERAL FARM PROGRAM 



I would agree with you that this would certainly be a much more 

 simple problem if we were living in a constantly expanding economy, 

 but we have our ups and downs and always have had and presumably 

 we will continue to have them. The more stable we can make it, the 

 better it is, and I agree with you that that has to be done across the 

 board. 



We cannot do that in agriculture and we cannot do it in industry 

 and we cannot do it in any particular segment of the economy. It 

 has to be done clear across the board. 



At the same time, it seems to me that we could hardly expect that 

 we were going to have a constantly expanding economy. There will be 

 ups and downs as we go along. Maybe the general trend will be up 

 as we go along and certainly there is room for improvement in our 

 diet. 



I feel optimistic about tlie general outlook, but I do not feel too 

 optimistic about our ability to handle this problem as easily as I get 

 the impression you think that it can be handled. 



I am not too pessimistic about it, of couree. 



Mr. Talbott. Of course, organizations like ourselves sometimes have 

 difficulties in making our position clear, that we appear here dealing 

 with certain phases of agriculture and price support legislation and 

 its related phases. We have to go before another committee of Con- 

 gress to discuss other important segments that relate to agriculture in 

 relation to what we conceive to be the total, so we do not have the op- 

 portunity to take the time of this committee to make a complete pro- 

 gram as we AHSualize it clear to the committee in terms of what our 

 concept is of all of the things that have to be done. 



As I understand it, the Council of Economic Advisers have stated 

 that the cost of the so-called depression of 19i29 to 1932 to the people 

 of America was about $300,000,000 and that a comparable decline in 

 the economy now would run to a cost of about $800,000,000, That is 

 probably going to be somewhere in the realm of the cost if we do not 

 do some of the things that need to be done. 



Tlien on the A'arious concepts of a farm program, I suppose anyone 

 can make whatever his best judgmetnt indicates to be an estimate of 

 the cost if we went along with section 2 of the 1948 Farm Act. Every- 

 one, I suppose, will make his own judgment as to a concept of the cost 

 to the Government of what our proposals are as compared to what the 

 Secretary's proposals are, and any other proposals there may be. 



Tliere could be, I suppose, some kind of a guess as to the probable 

 cost to the Federal Treasury for a mere extension of the Steagall sup- 

 ports for anotlier 2 years. Those are all things that are alternatives 



Surely we have to do the best we can to deal with all phases of the 

 economy in order to try to maintain our liigh level. 



Mr. Pace. Right there, Mr. Talbott, I have a question. You havb 

 just very clearly described the problems that face your organization. 

 I hope it gives you some idea of the problems that face this committee. 

 For example, it^ is 20 clays today since the Secretary presented his plan 

 to the conunittee and you tell us that there are still some features of 

 liis program that you need to analyze before your organization can 

 take a position on them. No doubt that is going to be true of other 

 organizations. 



The hearings before the committee will continue for probably three 

 more weeks. It is already near the 1st of May. Whether this com- 



