GENEKAL FAEM PEOGKAM (TESTIMONY OF FARM 

 OEGANIZATIONS) 



THURSDAY, APRIL 28, 1949 



House of Eepresextatives, 



Special Committee of the 

 Committee of Agriculture, 



Washington, D. C. 

 The special subcommittee met again at 10 a. m. April 28, Mr. Pace 

 presiding. 



Mr. Pace. The committee "will please come to order. 

 It is the privilege of the committee this morning to hear witnesses 

 in behalf of the American Farm Bureau Federation. As listed with 

 the committee, the witnesses will consist of Mr. Kline, the president ; 

 Mr. Schenck, the president of the Indiana Farm Bureau Federation 

 and one of the directors ; Mr. George AVilson of the American Farm 

 Bureau Federation of California, one of the directors; Mr. Walter 

 Kandolph, president of the Alabama Farm Bureau and one of the di- 

 rectors; and Mr. Wilson Heaps, president of the Maryland Farm Bti- 

 reau, and a member of the board of directors. 



Mr. Kline, we will be delighted to hear from you at this time. 



STATEMENT OF ALLAN B. KLINE, PRESIDENT, AMERICAN FARM 

 BUREAU FEDERATION 



Mr. Klixe. IMr. Chairman and members of the committee, I am 

 happy to present a statement on behalf of the American Farm Bureau 

 Federation with regard to the over-all farm program. I can save 

 some time for the committee b}^ speaking extemporaneously with re- 

 gard to the first page and a half of my prepared testimony. 



It merely recites the fact that there are in this organization 1,325,000 

 farm families, that we make it our business to develop in the most 

 democratic method possible over-all policies for farmers so that we 

 may speak with authority in tiying to determine things which are for 

 both the welfare of farmers and the general welfare. 



In doing that we have two great problems. One is to compromise 

 differences which arise between areas and which arise between com- 

 modities and develop out of full discussion the best over-all policies 

 which we possibly can in the interests of agriculture. It also recites 

 a little about the method of the development of policies, how they are 

 founded basically on activities at the county level and come up through 

 the States, and finally, voting delegates to the annual meeting deter- 

 mine on the basis of reports of a resolution conunittee what the Farm 

 Bureau is to be for during the coming year. 



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