GENERAL FARM PROGRAM 655 



Mr. HoevejM. The sum and substance of your statement is that 

 you have a very unusual situation which demands special attention. 

 That is due to the fact you do not have rotation of crops and you 

 have a hmited amount of rainfall. 



What is the average rainfall in the Pacific Northwest? 



Air. Taylor. I could not give it to you for the Pacific Northwest; 

 I can give you the range. We have one gentleman here in our group — ■ 

 I believe the annual average rainfall in his area is !]{ inches. 

 Wliere I farm, it is 12 to 14 inches. In the greater part of the wheat- 

 producing area, I would say 8 to 14 inches would catch a good part 

 of the Columbia Basin area. 



Mr. Hill. I would like for the gentlemen on my right who are 

 carrying on a conversation to get that statement he made about the 

 rainfall, because the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Sutton) spoke 

 about combines, and he did not listen to what he said. You said you 

 have no rainfall? 



Mr. Taylor. Relatively speaking. 



Mr. Hill. He gets little rainfall. 



Mr. HoEVEN. Is it not a fact that the average annual rainfall for 

 the last period of 50 years is approximately 17 inches? 



Mr. Taylor. For our area? 



Mr. HoEVEN. Yes. 



Mr. Taylor. I do not believe it goes that high. 



If you get west of the Cascades, you are taking in 40- to 50-inch 

 rainfalls, but you have a limited rainfall in the area east of the moun- 

 tain. 



Mr. HoEVEN. On page 5 of your statement, you say: 



The market price for wheat under this plan should be at a level which would 

 permit a maximum of volume in export markets. The price range to be set under 

 the international wheat agreement would probably be a satisfactory level to 

 shoot at under a flexible loan program. 



Assuming the international wheat agreement is not approved, then 

 what is the basis of figuring your price? 



Mr. Taylor. We are not assuming a price-fixing program. It 

 would seek its own level in the open market, and if that level got 

 so low because of excess production that it was considered to be 

 detrimental to the economy of the country as a whole, that would be 

 the point at which it might be feasible to have acreage allotments 

 come into the picture. 



Mr. Albert. Mr. Taylor, do you think a program will remain 

 popular that places the entire cost on the housewives of this country? 

 I agree with what you say about placing the burden on the taxpayer, 

 but if you shift it to the housewife, how long do you think the program 

 will remain acceptable? 



Mr. Taylor. If the cost is not above parity, keeping in mind what 

 parity is, with relation to the cost of production and the cost of the 

 things she has to buy and ^vith relation to what the husband of the 

 housewife may earn, whatever his occupation is, I do not believe 

 there will be any criticism from that side; because, if it went into 

 effect, the plan would not raise the price of a loaf of bread. It would 

 just mean the miller bought it on a different basis and that the farmer 

 was guaranteed the parity price on just the portion used here in the 

 domestic market. 



