570 GENERAL FARM PROGRAM 



term may be one way to do it; I do not know which would be the 

 better way. 



Mr. Andresen. I think it is extremely unfortunate that the agri- 

 cuhnral problems have been thrown into politics, and lately there has 

 been some very bitter discussion concerning certain legislation that is 

 now on the statute books, that if you do not favor this, or if you favor 

 certain statutes, you are an ignoramus or an imbecile, and I think the 

 quicker we get away from the political manipulations of this problem 

 the more we will be able to do and the better program we will have for 

 agriculture. 



Mr. Goss. I agree with you. 



Mr. Pace. Mr. Goss, while we are on this question of the Board : As 

 I understand your suggestion you would have 12 members represent- 

 ing agriculture and you qualify that by adding 12 who would repre- 

 sent business. 



Mr. Goss. No. Our present thinking is that we would have 12 rep- 

 resenting agriculture — and I do not like the word "representing;" I 

 would say those familiar with the problems of agriculture, whether we 

 get them from the farm or anybody else, but we want 12 who really 

 would be recognized leaders and be informed on agricultural problems. 



Mr. Pace. Your last suggestion I understood was that 12 would 

 represent business, 4 representing the processors, 4 representing the 

 distributors, and possibly 4 representing consumers. 



Mr. Goss. No; I did not make myself clear if I gave you that im- 

 pression. Mr. Pace. I would say 12 who are nominated by the leaders 

 of agriculture ; 4 who are nominated by processors, 4 by distributors, 

 and 4 the President would have to select from the general public. 



Mr. Pace. Are you willing to have a condition that this board, that 

 you suggest is to control the farmers of the Nation, begin to function 

 only after there has been set up a similar board to cover wages, wage 

 scales of those engaged in the processing of food commodities and 

 wearing apparel? It strikes me as rather singular, to be perfectly 

 frank with you, that we have a representative of a great farm organi- 

 zation to come here proposing that processors, 99 percent of whom 

 are interested in the purchase of food as cheaply as possible from 

 farmers, and distributors of these commodities be given the authority 

 to control the farm program of this Nation, because under your pro- 

 posal, the board would have the authority that notwithstanding the 

 good judgment the Secretary exercised, never could be put into effect 

 until the board authorized him to do so. 



To illustrate, we have today a situation where a $3.50 shirt has 15 

 cents worth of cotton in it ; and a 17-cent loaf of briead has 1.5 cents 

 worth of wheat in it, and most of the other items represent labor. 



It seems to me that if the farmers of this Nation are to have a board 

 control them that represents the people who are buying the commodi- 

 ties, processing the commodities, that there should also be a board to fix 

 the price of labor ; there should be a board to fix the price of tractors ; 

 there should be a board to fix the price of plow stocks. 



And I agree with your statement that agriculture is involved in the 

 general economy of this Nation, and if we are going to submit to a 

 board, and I am not saying that you are not right, I am saying that 

 let us also have a general economic board, over all the business of 

 America. 



