GENERAL FARM PROGRAAI 739 



or farms, then your county committees would have to do all that 

 preliminary work over again after the 1st of July? 



Mr. Walker. That would be impossible. It would be impossible 

 to do that if any directive from Congress would affect the work of 

 the county committees. 



Mr. Hope. So as a practical matter, are we not confronted with 

 the fact that there is nothing Congress can do now to change the 

 program as far as 1950 is concerned? 



Mr. Walker. That is correct. 



Mr. Hope. As I understand it, you are proceeding under the 1938 

 law which takes the 10-year average-planted acreage in each State 

 and in each county as the basis for the allotments to the States and 

 the counties, adjusted for trends. As I understand it, in making 

 your adjustment for trends you are taking the last 3 j^ears — ^1948, 

 1947, and 1946 — and giving that equal weight with the 10-year period 

 in determining the allotment that will be made to the States and the 

 counties. 



Mr. Walker. In determining the usual acreage for the county or 

 State upon which the allotment is based, that is correct. The trend 

 formula involves giving double weight to the last 3 years. 



Mr. Hope. And it is on that basis that you have given preliminary 

 quotas to the States and counties so they know what they are working 

 on? 



Mr. Walker. You mean marketing quotas? 



Mr. Hope. No, I mean acreage allotments. 



Mr. Walker. I do not quite understand your question. 



Mr. Hope. It is on the basis of that formula that you have furnished 

 information to the counties as to what their probable acreage allot- 

 ments will be so that they can be making the adjustments as far as 

 farm allotments are concerned. 



Mr. W alker. It is on that basis that we determine the county allot- 

 ments, but they have not been given out yet. Let me get this 

 straight. We compute an allotment on that basis. The computed 

 allotments are then reviewed with State officials where on the basis 

 of local information that is not readily available to us here, adjust- 

 ments may be made between counties by the State committee. 

 In making such adjustments the assistance of local committees or 

 field men who know these counties as utilized together with other 

 information such as air photographs and tabulations of acreage from 

 farm acreage reports. They will make certain adjustments between 

 counties not to exceed the computed State allotment. To that 

 extent we vary from the rigid mathematical formula, but these are 

 still further adjustments for trend. 



Air. Hope. Not as to the States, but as to the counties? 



Mr. Walker. That is correct. 



Mr. Pace. What is your authority for that? 



Mr. W ALKER. That is a further adjustment for trend. 



Mr. Pace. Then you said you give trends double credit for the 

 last 3 years? 



Mr. Walker. In adjusting for trend, you give double credit for 

 the last 3 years, that is correct. 



Mr. Pace. Then in addition to trend, you give the State com- 

 mittee the authority to shift from county to county? 



