582 GENERAL FARM PROGRAM 



vote. We have discussed it with some of them and we have had quite 

 a bit of encouragement. 



Mr. Hill. The gentleman did appear before this committee some 

 4 or 5 years ago on another piece of legislation that we were consider- 

 ing and recommended a board quite similar to this. 



Mr. Goss. It was the Farm Credit Board. It was somewhat dif- 

 ferent than this as it would necessarily have to be. We have some 

 pretty good boards in this Nation. For example, I do not believe 

 Congress could run the finances and all the intricacies which lie in our 

 • fiscal system w^ithout a Federal Reserve Board. We may not like 

 everything that board does, but it seems necessary. Congress just can- 

 not act fast enough to meet these conditions. You have to leave the 

 discretion with somebody. 



Mr, Hill. I can call your attention to a new board that has been 

 set up in the last few years. How about the Atomic Energy Com- 

 mission? Do you think the Congress could operate that? 



Mr. Goss. I do not know whether anybody is going to be able to 

 operate it or not. 



Mr. Hill. That is all. 



Mr. Pace. Are there any other questions? 



Let me say in conclusion, Mr. Goss, you know the great respect 

 I have for you but as long as the Department of Agriculture was set 

 up to look after the interest and welfare of the farmers of this Nation, 

 as long as the Labor Department's single purpose is to look after wage 

 earners, as far as I am concerned, I am not going to give authority 

 to distributors and processors of the food of this Nation to control 

 the farm policy of this Nation. You can have as many advisory 

 boards as you want. I think this committee and the Congress of the 

 United States come nearer representing the farmer, the consumer, the 

 distributor, the processor, than any board on the face of the earth 

 that could be created. 



For my part, when we come to farm legislation, I think the farmers 

 of this Nation should write the ticket subject to the over-all protec- 

 tion by the Congress of all other interests. I, for one, cannot em- 

 brace the proposition where the control of the farm program of this 

 Nation would be taken out of the Congress and the Secretary of 

 Agriculture and put into the hands of men who have a contrary 

 interest. 



Mr. HoEVEN. Will the gentleman yield? 



Mr. Pace. Yes. 



Mr. HoEVEN". Then I understand that my chairman agrees with the 

 expression that I made as to if and when a board is created it shall 

 be controlled by the farmers at the grass roots ? 



Mr. Pace, Absolutely. 



Mr. Goss. You would not fiind us adverse to that, Mr. Pace. We 

 have tried to approach this in a fair and open-minded way. We 

 do recognize that in the route from the farm to the table other in- 

 terests must be recognized and we want to work together with them. 

 We do not want to have them control it, but we do recognize the 

 necessity of Avorking together. 



Mr. Pace. Thank you very much, Mr. Goss. We are always glad 

 to have you and you are always very thought-provoking in the sug- 

 gestions you make. 



