GENERAL FARM PROGRAM 693 



Mr. Hughes. He gets no support at all, of course. It would not 

 be lawful for him to get support. 



Mr. Pace. Let us stop there. Let us say he doesn't get but 99 

 percent or 95 percent. You know that is what would happen. 



Mr. Hughes. I would say it would depend on the number who 

 do it and the possible suppl}'' of wheat available. It might make 

 quite a lot of difference if any large percentage of them were outside 

 of the program. 



Mr. Pace. Here is the difficulty I have found in this program: 

 I think the farmers of this Nation are one of the fairest groups in the 

 world, but I think, of all people on earth, the one thing that the farmers 

 demand is that they be treated fairly and equitably. 



Mr. Hughes. I agree with you. 



Mr. Pace. But then, when they see me, Bill Jones or John Smith, 

 jumping the program and getting practically the same benefits from 

 it, what are you going to do? You are going to jump the program, 

 too, are you not? 



Mr. Hughes. I suppose that would be true. However, I think 

 in some of those other recommendations — we had a lot of discussion 

 on that very thing in Omaha, and I think in some* of those other 

 recommendations in regard to market quota penalties we have kind 

 of taken care of that sort of thing. 



Mr. Pace. Whatever the wheat growers want, as long as it is within 

 reason, suits me, but all I am asking is, if the wheat farmers are going 

 to get benefits under acreage allotments, then I hope you will agree 

 with me that the cotton growers, peanut growers, rice growers, 

 tobacco growers, and corn growers should have exactly the same type 

 of program. 



Air. Hughes. I think we owe the growers of these other crops the 

 assurance that we will go into market quotas, the same as they do, 

 to protect the market. 



Mr. Pace. You see, the Secretary has a discretion there. Wlien- 

 ever he puts market quotas on you under the Aiken bill and you turn 

 them down, then the only support you get is 50 percent of parity. 



Mr. Hughes. That is right. 



Mr. Pace. You recommend that that be changed; that you still 

 get whatever you are entitled to under the flexible schedule? 



Mr. Hughes. I may be wrong on that, but I believe the present 

 law provides that the support price will be 50 percent to everybody. 



Mr. Pace. That is right. 



Mr. Hughes. We are limiting this privilege to the man who has 

 complied with the acreage allotment. We would not give any support 

 who has not complied. 



Mr. Pace. I will again say that is not important to me, because 

 they will get practically the same thing — one directly and the other 

 indirectly. You see, the Secretary can do this: He can order market- 

 ing quotas on wheat, and if you turn them down by the necessary 

 two-thirds, the support to the wheat growers then is 50 percent of 

 parity. In corn, simply by not ordering marketing quotas but simply 

 using acreage controls, they get whatever support they are entitled 

 to under this flexible schedule. 



Do you think the Secretary should have such discretion as between 

 commodities? 



