GENERAL FARM PROGRAM 969 



Mr. WicKHAM. No, sir. May I remind the Gongi-essman again 

 that we have never yet tried that 60-percent basis. 



It is our request that we be allowed to try 60 percent, because 90 

 percent is too hio:h. It is too his'h in our own county and too high 

 all over the Nation. 



Mr. Pack. The onl\ significant thino,- in thnt connection that at- 

 tracted me was that notwithstanding the 60-percent support, you say 

 still this year there are 20 percent not staying within thf> goals. 



Mr. WicKHA.M. Yes. 



Mr. Pace. It does not look like that 60 percent is going to be as 

 effective as you anticipate. 



Mr. WiCKHAM. Mr. Congressman, I am not acquainted with your 

 T)ersonal business. If somebody said that you could operate your 

 business this year for the fun of it. you w'ould say, "I guess I wall 

 do as I please and i might striice it rich. I will make a little gamble 

 on it." After all, there is no coTnpulsion in this thing. 



Mr. Pace. That is the point I made this morning, that when you 

 deal with goals alone, merely wilh acreage allotments, with no penalty 

 except not giving the support price, there is going to be somewhere 

 around 5 to 25 percent national gamble and you are not going to have 

 any real control over your production. 



Mr. WiCKHAM. ]Mr. Chairman, T submit to you that you are correct, 

 assuming there is a reasonable margin of profit. At 60 percent there 

 is no margin of pi-oht. The«e boys have money in the bank. They 

 have tried it. There is the outside possibility that they will come 

 out all right. After all, the industry has by formula reduced the 

 acreage phinted by an additional 15 percent this year in our own 

 attem.pt to get the su.pply down to the demand. 



Air. Pace. Is that 15 percent nationally? 



Mr. WiCKHAM. Well, I may be up or dow^n a small amount, but 

 in our area it is 23 percent. IVenty-three percent hurts. There are 

 those who say, "Well, n?aybe we are coming up with a short crop and 

 we will take a chance." But if we can get through 2 or 3 years of 

 this, w'e w'ill be ail right. But for goodness' sake, we are entitled to 

 the opportunity to get tlu'ough it." 



Mr. Pace. T^et me ask you one more question. If 80 percent of 

 you are ready to play boJi on a business basis, is there much harm in 

 seeing to it that the other 20 percent plaj' ball, loo? 



Mr. WiCKHAM. Mr. Chairman, that is why we are a little bit in- 

 clined to look with favor on compensatory payments and let the market 

 go where it will. If we are going to support the price at 60 percent, 

 W'e might just as well support it at 90. 



Mr. Pace. Why do you have to go to compensatory payments? 

 Wliy can you not just fix your acreage within a reasonable approach 

 of 3"our demand and do it \\ithout it costing the Government any- 

 thing? 



Mr. WiCKHAM. Then it puts a premium on the boy who takes a 

 gamble and says he has nothing to lose. 



Mr. Pace. He cannot take any gamble. You w ill have a penalty 

 on him that will take the gamble out. 



Mr. WiCKHAM. Mr. Chairman, we recognize that this has been done 

 in practically every major agricultural industry. We, the industry, 

 do not wish to do it that way if we can be allowed the opportunity 

 to work it the way we want to, which we say will cost the taxpayer 



