GENERAL FARM PROGRAM 971 



optimum production which can be absorbed in trade channels is pei'- 

 haps 350, so we overprodu'-ed by 60,000.000. 



Mr. Andresek. But our popidation has gone up by 14,000,000 in 

 the hist 6 or 7 years, and it is continuing to go tip rapidly. 



Mr. "WicKHAM. Mr. Congressman, the humaa stomach is capable 

 of holding just so much food. If a man drinks orange juice and eats 

 vegetables and steak, he \v\\\ not eat potatoes. 



Mr. Andresen. Steak? i cannot see that. 



Mr. WicKHAM. I submit if the steak is big enough you will not 

 eat half the potato. 



Mr. Andresen. I just want to make one observation here. I am 

 convinced that if we had the Brannan program in operation now 

 farmers would not be getting more than 40 to 50 cents a bushel for 

 their potatoes throughout the coimtry. You have sold potatoes for 

 50 cents, have you not? 



Mr. WiCKHAM. Mr. Andresen, if that were to happen, the potato 

 production next year would be half what it was this year and the 

 price to the consumer woidd be at least $4 a bushel because we have 

 sold potatoes at $4.25 a bushel in 1929. Who paid for it tlu-ough the 

 nose? The housewife, your wife, and the next one. If you want to 

 do that, it is O. K. with me. 



Mr. Andresen. I am not urging that, but I just want to point out 

 that over a long period of years potato production has been an in-and- 

 out proposition, where any farmer can go into the prodtiction of 

 potatoes and if the price was low he stayed out next year. It was 

 generally the commercial producers that stayed in all the time and 

 that kept somewhat uniform production and supplied the Nation 

 with potatoes. 



Mr. WicKHAM. Mr. Andresen, you are talking exactly down our 

 alley. If we can get that stipport price low enough to scjueeze out 

 these noncommercial producers. Secretary Brannan will not like it, 

 I)ut we will do exactly what you are suggesting. 



Mr. Andresen. We do not want to make you people entirely de- 

 pendent upon the Government for yoiu- income, because if potatoes 

 do go to 40 cents a bushel and you should have $1.58 a bushel, it is 

 going to be an awful job to find money from the taxpayers to see that 

 you keep going. 



Mr. Pace. Let me bring out one more thing before you sit down. 

 I am sure you understand that this committee is charged with the 

 responsibility of as nearly as possible treating all agricultural pro- 

 ducers in this Nation equall}'. I think we slioidd do that, do you not? 



Mr. WiCKHAM. Yes. 



Mr. Pace. There are some things in the Agricultural Act of 1948, 

 known as the Aiken bill, which I seriously doubt if anybody ever 

 intended keeping in it. They were put in there with the idea that 

 the bill would come before this committee and the House wotdd act 

 and then the two bodies would go into conference and iron them out. 

 Under the Agricultural Act of 1948, there are five to seven com- 

 modities that have special treatment. There is a provision in there 

 that tobacco shall always get 90 percent of parity. It is picked out. 



Mr. Andresen. That is the Barkley amendment. 



Mr. Pace. There is a provision in tkere that Irish potatoes shall 

 not be supported at less than 60 percent of parity. That is the 

 Brewster amendment. There is a provision in there that wool shall 



