GENERAL FARM PROGRAM 501 



fair price and that it is the position of the Farm Bureau that if we 

 went this way in agriculture we would be going toward the kind of 

 completely administered price sj^stem in the economy which we think 

 is contrary to the interests of agriculture. 



We think it is contrary to the theory of high per-capita income in 

 agriculture. 



Mr. Pace. Let us suppose we guarantee them a job and that he will 

 get a minimum of 75 cents an hour if the bill passes. 



We will guarantee that if he does not get a job he will get unem- 

 ployment insurance. We will guarantee him many things under the 

 Social Security Act, of which the farmer enjoys no part. 



We will guarantee him by law the right of collective bargaining. 

 We guarantee industry protection under the tariff law. 



Mr. Kline, it seems to me that the man who works in the sun in the 

 field and produces the food for all of these millions to eat is entitled 

 to the same degree of security and protection that is enjoyed by the 

 people who eat that food. 



Mr. Hill. Mr. Chairman, you left out olie of the finest illustrations 

 there is. 



Now we have an 8-hour day. I am sure Mr. Kline would agree if 

 we have to establish in this Nation of ours a day's work of 8 hours 

 in industry, we could establish the same floor by saying that wheat 

 shall never sell under 75 cents a bushel. That is the thing I cannot 

 understand. That is what I was trying to get at this morning. 



Certainly we should have a floor under which these products can- 

 not be sold. I still think we can do that, Mr. Kline. 



Mr. Pace. Somebody said there were 130 commodities and somebody 

 said 250. Which is right? 



Mr. Kline. Two hundred and seventy-five is closer. 



Mr. Pace. You have a law which gives flexible support to cotton, 

 corn, wheat, rice, tobacco, peanuts, wool, and irish potatoes. That is 

 eight. Out of 273 commodities you have given them a support price 

 of from 60 to 90. Eight from 273 is 265. The producers of the other 

 265 commodities under this law have no protection other than the dis- 

 cretion of the Secretary of Agriculture. I ask you to point out to me 

 one sentence or one word in the bill that gives them any^protection 

 outside of the discretion of the Secretary of Agriculture. 



Mr. Kline, With the limitations which are included on the top of 

 page 14, we have made a suggestion with regard to nonbasic agricul- 

 tural commodities. It says, "Insofar as feasible price supports shall 

 be made available" — and no one should argue about feasibility — "to 

 the producers of any nonbasic agricultural commodity whenever acre- 

 age allotments, marketing quotas, or marketing agreements are in 

 effect." 



Mr. Pace. But you have no recommendation in that connection, Mr. 

 Kline. 



Mr. Kline. Yes ; yve are recommending, the extension of marketing 

 agreements to all commodities. That is recommendation No. 6. 



Mr. Pace. Are you willing to suspend the effective date of the Aiken 

 bill until we can get ready for the Aiken bill ? 



Mr. Kline. It is our opinion that the sooner we try to get to a more 

 permanent relationship the better off we shall be and the less difficulties 

 we shall have in administration. 



