GENERAL FARM PROGRAM 731 



1950 crop of wheat. But there will certainly be some question raised 

 regarding the validity of such quotas if we go ahead now and proclaim 

 quotas on the 1950 crop without a clarifying amendment. "We feel 

 there will be legal questions raised regarding the validity of adminis- 

 tering this quota on the 1950 crop under one law when it was pro- 

 claimed under another, since the two laws are not in all respects 

 similar. 



Mr. Pace. I think that is something that the Solicitor's Office 

 should decide quickly and definitely. There are many members of this 

 committee and there are many members of the Senate committee who 

 would greatly hesitate about blessing the act of 1948 by advancing its 

 effective date or in any other manner or means. 



Consequentlj^, I think the passage of this bill is extremel}^ doubtful. 

 I think you could, with greater ease, pass one to repeal the act of 

 1948 and get it off the books. If this bill passes, then the Aiken bill is 

 in effect, and it could never be repealed until some statute were offered. 

 I think what this committee wants to know from you, as quickly as 

 you and Mr. Hunter can decide the legal questions involved, is, Can 

 you proceed to have marketing quotas or acreage allotments on the 

 1950 crop, as the matter stands today, with or without the Aiken 

 bill going into effect on the 1st day of January? 



That is one thing that this meeting was held to find out this morning. 



Air. Bagwell. We have had some doubts as matters now stand. 



Mr. Pace. We will go on to another question now. 



Mr. Hope. Before we leave that question, I would like to discuss 

 with Mr. Walker the question of whether a referendum should be held 

 next spring. 



Mr. Chairman, with your permission I would like to ask some 

 questions on that point. 



Mr. WooLLEY. Mr. Hope, I would like to say that I think Mr. 

 Walker's statement covers the point, but I think the committee should 

 know that we have been doing everything that we can do from a 

 standpoint of getting ready ar-d that the lack of a decision by the 

 Solicitor's office or lack of action by the Congress has not in any way 

 held us back in proceeding as fast as we coidd proceed. Our main 

 job has been to acquire information with respect to what has trans- 

 pired on farms and we have been pursuing that policy very vigorously 

 and we obtained money from the Congress to proceed with that work 

 and are so proceeding. It was assumed by the Admmistrator's office 

 that we would have, in a timely manner, a resolution of the question 

 of just how they could proceed or that the Congress would take the 

 action. That is what prompted me to comment that we were in 

 favor of enacting that part of the Aiken bill which would permit us 

 to proceed with the marketing quotas on wheat without any questions 

 and remove the doubt that Mr. Bagwell has spoken of. 



Mr. HoPF. You. are making preparations so as to be ready, if need 

 be, to hold a referendum before the 25th of July and the information 

 that you acquired and the preparations you are making are in con- 

 nection with the arrangements that are being made for acreage 

 allotments? 



Mr. WooLLEY. Yes. 



Mr. Hope. I would like to go into this question of the time for 

 holding a referendum on marketing quotas if marketing quotas are 

 proclaimed, because I think it is a very important question. 



