464 GENERAL FARM PROGRAM 



As a producer, one is reluctant to depend upon a thing which has 

 in it that sort of uncertainty. It is the kind of thing I think any 

 group of citizens would seek to avoid. 



Mr. Andresen. Of course, the objective of the Secretary about 

 having prosperity income for the fanners is something we will all 

 subscribe to. We want to obtain abundant production and reasonable 

 food prices to the people. I think the time has come when someone 

 must tell the people the truth about the program and some other 

 things that are going on in the country. 



I have one other question. It has been suggested that this program 

 be put into operation for hogs at the present time. Have you any 

 views on that, Mr. Kline ? 



Mr. Kline. Yes. I might, in the first place, read a very brief state- 

 ment in the resolution of the American Farm Bureau last winter with 

 regard to the use of compensatoiy payments. 



We feel that compensatory income or price payments are not a desirable way 

 of supporting farm prices or of bringing- income into agriculture. 



The reasoning back of that statement is exactly that reasoning which 

 we have put in the record during the past few minutes. On the other 

 hand, I would note that the provision for compensatory payments is 

 in the act which was passed by the Congress last year, and that if any- 

 thing is to be done it should be done on the basis that what we are 

 going to do is to implement somewhat earlier a provision which is 

 already in the act. It could well be done by setting back the effective 

 date of that provision to the 1st of September, for instance. 



Mr. Andresen. Do you think it would help maintain the price of 

 hogs if we woidd export more pork ? 



Mr. Kline. Yes, any export would change the supply-and-demand 

 situation domestically. 



Mr. Andresen. Some of us have been trying to get the Department 

 of Commerce to remove the controls on the export of pork to Europe. 

 I note in a report that I received yesterday that the ECA is using 

 American money to buy bacon and other food products in Canada. I 

 think they should be purchased in the United States as long as we 

 are taxing the American people for the purpose of getting food to 

 these countries. 



In our conversations with the Department of Commerce on remov- 

 ing export controls on pork, we get very little encouragement. How- 

 ever, last week they did remove export controls on pigs' ears and 

 pigs' tails and pigs' feet. That is as far as they went. They did not 

 remove them on fatbacks and sowbellies and sides. 



Mr. Hill. Mr. Chairman, they have started at both ends so per- 

 haps they can do something for the in-between. 



Mr. Andresen. I think that is mostly wind. 



Mr. Hill. You mean my question? 



Mr. Andresen. No; the acts of the Commerce Department. But 

 they actually removed the export controls on pigs' ears, pigs' tails, 

 and pigs' feet. As long as the American people are being taxed to 

 pay around five or six billion dollars a year to people in the other 

 countries such funds should be used to buy surplus American 

 products. 



]\Ir. Kline. Let me say that we are in favor of the best export 

 program we can possibly get. Referring to ECA, one of the things 



