684 GENERAL FARM PROGRAM 



4. Base period for allotments: We recommend that the historical 

 base period for the determination of wheat allotments for the States 

 and comities for any year be the immediately preceding 10 calendar 

 years always excluding 1949, and that consideration be given to a 

 requirement that the adjustments for trend referred to in section 334 

 of the Agricultural Adjustment Act of 1938 be made under a formul 

 giving equal weight to the averages for the most recent 5 years and 

 the most recent 10 years. 



5. Amount of national allotment: When acreage allotments are to 

 be put into effect we recommend that the national allotment be the 

 acreage necessary with normal yields to make available a supply of 

 wheat equal to 110 percent of a normal supply at the beginning of the 

 next marketing year. 



6. Effective date of the Agricultural Act of 1948: We recommend 

 that Congress direct the Secretary of Agriculture to follow the provi- 

 sions of title II of the Agricultural Act of 1948 in making determina- 

 tions this summer relative to marketing quotas and acreage allotments 

 on the 1950 wheat crop notwithstanding the fact that this title does 

 not become effective until January 1, 1950. 



7. Announcement of referendum results: We recommend that the 

 Secretary of Agriculture be required to announce results of the vote 

 in any referendum which he may hold on marketing quotas for wheat 

 within 15 days after the referendum is held. 



8. Amount of marketing quotas: When marketing quotas are in 

 effect on wheat we recommend (1 ) that a farmer be allowed to market 

 the actual or normal production, whichever is larger, of his allotted 

 acreage, (2) that excess wheat be handled as provided in the present 

 law except that the penalty rate be raised from the present 50 to 75 

 percent of the basic loan rate, and (3) that the average yield of the 

 harvested acreage multiplied by the excess acres minus any amount 

 necessary to permit the farmer to market the normal production of 

 his allotted acreage, shall be the number of bushels subject to the 

 penalty provisions. 



9. Use of diverted acres: We recommend that provisions for the 

 use of acres diverted from wheat production for grain under acreage 

 allotment and marketing-quota programs be similar to those followed 

 under previous control programs and that provisions be made for 

 adjustment in the permitted use of diverted acres by areas. 



10. Termination of quotas: We recommend that the Secretary of 

 Agriculture be required to terminate marketing quotas whenever he 

 determines at any time after May 1 of a crop year for which quotas 

 have been voted that the prospective total supply of wheat for the 

 marketing year will not exceed 120 percent of a normal supply. 



11. Program when quotas are defeated: We recommend that the 

 law be clarified (1) to make it mandatory for the Secretary of Agri- 

 culture to establish acreage allotments on wheat whenever he an- 

 nounces marketing quotas, (2) to provide that an adverse referendum 

 vote on marketing quotas shall not invalidate provisions for acreage 

 allotments, and (3) further to provide that an adverse vote on market- 

 ing quotas shall not prevent cooperators in the acreage allotment pro- 

 gram from receiving loans at the scheduled rate without the 20 percent 

 premium which would otherwise be available with acreage allotments, 

 but that no loan shall be available to noncooperators. 



