GENERAL FARM PROGRAM 491 



been here and told you how he proposes to administer it and you say 

 you do not approve of that method. 



It just does not add up, Mr. Kline. 



Mr. Kline. First I think that we should put in the record here what 

 we are for, and that is this, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, in section 302 (a) of 

 the act which limits the discretion. 



]\Ir. Pace. Wait a minute. It does not limit the discretion of the 

 Secretary in administering the act. 



]Mr. Klixe. I agree with that but it sets out the basis on which he 

 is supposed to administer the law. It sets out the basis on which con- 

 sideration is given according to the law. This is instructions of the 

 Congress in the law with regard to how these things ought to be done 

 and under what conditions so that if one were to get outside of them 

 as an administrator, certainly the American Farm Bureau Federation 

 would not expect to be tongue-tied and we would give to the Congress 

 the kind of support I think they would want in that case. Also, I 

 want to point out that one of the limitations is appropriations. 



Mr. Pace. Mr. Kline, let me saj^ that my views and yours are very 

 contrary when you say that 1 to 8 are instructions by the Congress. 



They are no such thing. They are an almost unbridled and unlim- 

 ited, discretion in the Secretary of Agriculture. There are no instruc- 

 tions in the elements that he can consider. 



The Secretary of Agriculture under section 302 (a) has absolute, 

 unbridled discretion as to when he will support a nonbasic commodity, 

 how he shall support it, and what conditions of eligibility he shall 

 put upon the producers of that commodity. That is not a letter of 

 instructions. 



Mr. Kline. I must note, Mr. Chairman, that we as a farm organ- 

 ization must insist that that is one of the provisions the Secretary shall 

 give consideration to, and we are ready to insist that he give con- 

 sideration to that, and that we have something to say about what is 

 reasonable. 



Mr. Pace. Mr. Kline, if it does not inconvenience you, we will 

 stand recessed until 2 o'clock. 



Mr. Kline. Thank you. 



(Whereupon, at 12 o'clock noon, the committee recessed until 2 

 p. m., same day.) 



AFTERNOON SESSION 



Mr. Pace. The committee will come to order. 

 Mr. Kline, will you return to the stand, please ? 



FURTHER STATEMENT OF ALLAN B. KLINE, PRESIDENT, AMERICAN 

 FARM BUREAU FEDERATION 



Mr. Pace. Mr. Kline, before we get back on the general program 

 there is one thing I want to inquire about. 



On page 13 of your statement, as I understand, you recommend 

 that in the event the producers should fail to approve marketing 

 quotas the Secretary should put acreage allotments into effect and that 

 the producers should enjoy the support level, whatever it might be 



