728 GENERAL FARM PROGRAM 



Mr. Bagwell. It seems to me that there would be no authority 

 to hold the referendum that late because the law that would be in 

 effect next May 15 would require the referendum to be held before 

 the crop is planted. 



Mr. Hope. But in the case the referendum would have been called 

 at the time when the 1938 act was in effect. At the time it was 

 called it was called under a valid law. 



Mr. Bagwell. It seems to me that the holding of the referendum 

 is more important than its announcement. The law now says that a 

 referedum shall be held not later than July 25. It used to say, as I 

 I'ecall it, June 10. We had to announce quotas by May 15. Then I 

 believe we had until June 10 to hold the referendum. That June 10 

 was changed by the 1948 act to July 25. Tliat Avrs changed because 

 quotas under the 1948 act are required to be proclaimed not -later 

 than July 1, so we have a maximum of 25 days, which is the same 

 amount of time as between May 15 and June 10 under the 1938 act. 



Mr. Hope. July 25 is of the year preceding the planting, and the 

 June 10 is the following year, preceding harvest. 



Mr. Bagwell. That is right. 



Mr. Andresen. Will the gentleman yield? 



Mr. Hope. Yes. 



Mr. Andresen. Will you tell us just what course the Department 

 is following, how they are going at this under the circumstances? 

 Are you anticipating that the act of 1948 and the Aiken part of it 

 will go into operation on January 1? 



Mr. Bagwell. We certainly have no reason to doubt it. 



Mr. Andresen. Are you pursuing, then, a policy that will put the 

 Aiken Act into operation now, and following out the provisions of 

 that act rather than going according to the act of 1938? 



Mr. Bagwell. I think Mr. Walker had better tell you what is 

 being done. As I understand it, we are going ahead with acreage 

 allotments now. 



Mr. Walker. Wliat we are pursuing now is the determination of 

 acreage allotments that may be used for price-support purposes or 

 for marketing-quota purposes. 



Mr. Andresen. When will those be announced? 



Mr. Walker. The acreage allotments will have to be announced 

 by July 15. 



Mr. Hope. That is under the old law? 



Mr. Walker. That is right. 



Mr. Bagwell. That was not changed by the 1948 act? 



Mr. Walker. In fact, all of the acreage-allotment provisions are 

 in the old law. 



Mr. Andresen. So that is the first step which you are now ready 

 to take by July 15? 



Mr. Walker. That is correct. 



Mr. Andresen. I can see considerable justification for not announc- 

 ing a vote on marketing quotas until after you know what the winter 

 wheat crop is going to be, because you may have a drought this fall 

 or you may have considerable winter kill. Until at least the lOtli of 

 May next year it would be difficult to determine what the size of the 

 winter wheat crop would be. 



Mr. Pace. Will the gentleman yield? 



Mr. Andresen. Yes. 



