GENERAL FARM PROGRAM 695 



Mr. Hill. I think we are leaving out one thing about wheat and 

 cotton. I do not know of anyone who could fill his belly full of cot- 

 ton and live, and I hope, as far as wheat is concerned, that people 

 will have enough to live. I doubt if there has ever been a surplus of 

 wheat in the world. What do you think of that statement? I can 

 back it up by the finest authorities on agriculture Wheat is some- 

 thing people live by and that will maintain life, whereas you all know, 

 if you go in the south temperate zone or torrid zone, you do not even 

 need clothes. 



Mr. Pace. You are talking about people eating something. What 

 we are trying to do is to give the farmer enough money to fill his 

 individual needs, and certainly the gentleman (Mr. Hill) is not going 

 to insist here or anywhere else — because I know how big and fair- 

 minded he is — that the cotton producer is not entitled to be treated 

 the same as the wheat producer is treated. 



Mr. Hill. I think they would be entitled to the protection of their 

 market. I do not know what else they are entitled to. I am not 

 going into that. I am talking about marketing cotton, about the 

 value of cotton as human food and as a necessity of life as compared 

 with wheat. 



Mr. Pace. I know" that is what you are talking about, and you 

 are not talking about what I am talking about. You got off the 

 problem. I am saying this, that if the wheat grower under acreage 

 allotments can get 80 percent of parity, why is not the cotton grower 

 under acreage allotments entitled to 80 percent of parity. That is 

 all I am saying. 



Mr. Hill. But you are assuming that is the Government's business. 



Mr. HoEVEX. May I suggest that we are here to hear witnesses 

 and not members of the committee, we can discuss these matters 

 among ourselves in executive session at some later time. 



Mr. Pace. I agree with you about that. 



Mr. SuTTOx. Mr. Hughes, under your recommendation No. 7 

 "Announcement of referendum results," you recommend that the 

 Secretary announce the vote on the referendum 15 days after the 

 referendum is held. Wliat is the purpose behind that? 



Mr. Hughes. The wording of the law now is such that it does not 

 make any statement as to when he shall announce the result of the 

 referendum. 



Mr. SuTTOx. Do you not think that is a little hasty — 15 days? 



]Mr. Hughes. I do not believe so. There is an element of doubt 

 in there. You see, he must ask for a referendum before July 1, and 

 it must be held before July 30. 



Air. SuTTOx\ That is right. 



Mr. Hughes. We felt, as wdieat growers, since we start seeding 

 wheat in some areas in August, we should have that information as 

 soon as possible in order to plan our operations and seeding. That 

 is the reason, 



Mr. SuTTOX. I was just wondering about getting a tabulation of 

 the vote witli'n 15 days, that is taken all over the country. 



Mr. Hughes. The tabulation is done in each county, and the 

 result of the tabulation is announced by the Department. I think 

 it can be done. 



Mr. Sutton. Then the purpose of that rebommendation is so that 

 the wheat growers would be notified in due time? 



