GENERAL FARM PROGRAM 885 



Mr. Pace. And consequently when the farmer organizations come 

 here and recommend it, 1 do not give any consideration to their repre- 

 sentations, other than a respectful hearing to anybody that appears 

 before this committee. 



Thank you very much. 



Mr. Ronald. Thank you. 



(The statement is as follows:) 



(The bill and other data referred to is being retained in the com- 

 mittee files.) 



Explanation of Exhibits Placed in Records by Malcolm B. Ronald op 

 Mitchell, S. Dak. in Connection With Testimony Before House Agki- 

 ■cuLTURAL Subcommittee on Price Supports 



As a result of discussions at farmer meetings, sponsored by the Daily Republic 

 •of Mitchell, S. Dak., in eight States a farm program arising from the grass roots 

 lias been developed. This program has been drawn up in correct bill form by 

 an attorney experienced in drafting agricultural legislation, and is included, to- 

 gether with explanatory matter. 



In addition will be found a printed explanation of the program in bill form 

 written by William R. Ronald, publisher of the Daily Republic. This explanation 

 was written primarily to expedite discussion of the proposal by farmer committees 

 in all parts of the United States. It may also be of interest to Members of 

 Congress who would like more details about the proposal than will be found in 

 the mimeographed bill which was prepared by a professional bill drafter. 



Suggested Short-Range Legislation 



For the reasons advanced in my verbal testimony, I believe it is of vital im- 

 portance that a start be made in returning the administration of farm programs 

 to the farmers themselves. If the Eighty-first Congress will take a decisive step 

 in that direction, the ground work will have been laid for the development of a 

 successful long-range agricultural commodity price-support program. 



In the attached proposed bill will be found provision for the creation of a 

 National Farmers' Council, to be elected by the farmers themselves. This 

 council would operate as a farmer-elected organization at all levels, from the 

 township to the national. 



Why not provide, as soon as possible, for the election of such a council and 

 direct that it work out suggested price-support legislation meeting the following 

 broad requirements: 



1. A program that would be largely self-sustaining and not dependent upon 

 Congress for payments of any sort from the Federal Treasury. 



2. A two-priced s^^stem under which each individual farmer would be assured 

 of 100 percent of a fair parity price on his share of the total volume of each com- 

 modity which is consumed domestically each year. For any volume of production 

 marketed above each individual farmer's parity quota, each producer would re- 

 ceive only the amount for which surplus deduction could be disposed by a surplus 

 ■disposal agency. 



3. Creation of a surplus disposal and price support corporation, possibly an 

 enlarged and broadened version of the present Commodity Credit Corporation. 



4. Provision that the surplus disposal corporation also would provide price 

 support loans on nonperishable commodities at full paritj% to assure that farmers 

 would in fact receive 100 percent of parity on each individual's proportionate 

 share of each commodity marketed each year. 



5. Methods of disposing of the surplus at the best possible price should include 

 exports at world prices, but in conformity with all international agreements by 

 the United States, food and clothing programs at reduced prices for the low-income 

 group and the subsidizing of new uses for agricultural products in industry. 



6. A farmer-recommended device for disposing of the surplus without cost to 

 the Federal Government. (Two proposals for accomplishing this which have 

 received favorable comment will be found in the attached mimeographed bill 

 and the printed program explanation in bill form.) 



7. Provision that the Department of Agriculture be authorized by Congress to set 

 forth the limits within which such a farmer-administered program shall operate 

 in order to protect the general welfare and to provide technical assistance and 



