504 GENERAL FARM PROGRAM 



than anybody else in this Nation. "What I would like to do more than 

 anything- I know is to take you by the arm and go right down the 

 road with you. 



Mr. Kline. We are both ready. 



Mr. Pace. You have made nine recommendations here for changes 

 in the Agricultural Act of 1948. They are all very constructive rec- 

 ommendations. With one exception, the last one, I find myself in 

 general accord with them. That is the one that makes the Aiken bill 

 effective immediately. 



You have recommended an entire reworking of the Marketing 

 Agreements Act to apply to all of the nonbasic commodities. I 

 agree with that, but you know what that means. That means weeks 

 of hearings and of legislating. It is now May 11. You have recom- 

 mended these changes as to cotton and tobacco and peanuts and other 

 commodities which are very necessary changes. 



Tomorrow, I hope by noon, we are supposed to see the bill presented 

 by the Secretary of Agriculture, which will contain the legislation 

 which he has recommended for price supports to go with numerous 

 changes in the marketing quota laws as to corn, wheat, and cotton. 

 This committee has enough to do, working day and niglit until the 

 day Congress adjourns. You know as well as I know that we can- 

 not get these recommendations into effect this 3'ear. You see how 

 this committee feels on the whole. You have sensed that. 



I understand there are some claims that the Senate committee may 

 be found to feel differently about it, but I have found no great differ- 

 ence over there except in one or two places. 



Is there anything wrong with us extending title I of this act for this 

 year and sitting down with you and others and doing the things you 

 recommend and the things we suggest and building a program? 



That will not only contribute to the welfare of the farmers of this 

 Nation but, as oui- distinguished chairman has said, will contribute to 

 the economic welfare of the entire Nation and in some respects to 

 the world. 



I think we are playing with too big a game to let go into a law that 

 you admit is not satisfactory, which the Secretary of Agriculture has 

 recommended that we repeal, and which I think nine-tenths of this 

 committee feel should never be permitted to go into effect in its present 

 shape. 



Is that an unreasonable request to make of you? 



Mr. Kline. Mr. Chairman, I appreciate more than I can say the 

 spirit in which your suggestion is made and concur wholeheartedly 

 with the suggestion that we work together on this thing. 



First. The American Farm Bureau, and I am personally in agree- 

 ment with its position, has recommended certain revisions in the act, 

 the most important of which are concerned with merely timing sO' 

 that the act of 1948 may become effective at an appropriate date, so 

 that agriculture doesn't get into trouble needlessly and, secondly, we 

 disagree with the assumption that the extension of what we call the 

 wartime legislation for another year is an appropriate answer to our 

 dilemma. 



What we fear there is that we shall develop a habit of approach on 

 a fixed-price basis which we believe to be inconsistent with the welfare 

 of agriculture. 



