GENERAL FARM PROGRAJM • 973 



county and the trade we have worked up through the years, that the Govern- 

 ment in its program should not attempt to reduce the acreages. Since before 

 the war there has been a steady vokmtary decrease in acreage as evidenced by 

 census figures. So why should the Government force additional acreage reduc- 

 tion? We feel there should be no reduction on farms with produce under 10 acres 

 of potatoes. We also feel that in line with this, that those above 10 acres should 

 take a cut according to a scale derived so that larger grower received the largest 

 cut. 



(2) Marketing agreement. — W"e favor market agreement; but feel that under 

 present laws it is impossible to operate them in this area, i. e., where the grower 

 is the handler and he also makes direct sales. We are in favor of some change 

 in the present law so that marketing agreements will be workable in this area. 



(.?) Marketing quota law. — If quotas are used, we feel that there should not be 

 a penalty for a grower who stays within his acreage quota even if his yields 

 exceed those set up in the quota allotment. We do not want any program that 

 will put the Government in the position of supporting the potato grower but 

 rather would have one that will put the potato grower in a position to support 

 the Government. 



Harold R. Blakeley, 

 President, Erie County Potato Growers Cooperative, Inc., East Aurora, N. Y. 



Mr. Case, are yoii ready to report? 

 Mr. Case. Yes. 



FURTHER STATEMENT OF WILLIAM M. CASE, EXECUTIVE SECRE- 

 TARY. RED RIVER VALLEY POTATO GROWERS ASSOCIATION, 

 INC., GRAND FORKS, N. DAK. 



Mr. Case. The group met here until almost 2 o'clock. This is a 

 restatement of our deliberations at that time. 



We have been in session since meeting with the committee this 

 morning and, first, want to reiterate with the committee the four 

 major points that were brought out this morning, which were unani- 

 mously agreed upon by the National Potato Coimcil and others: 



1. We recommend that the flexible price support system allowing 

 the Secretary to set support prices from 60 to 90 percent of parity 

 be retained. 



2. We recommend that any price support be contingent upon 

 compliance with acreage goals and also marketing agreements, wher- 

 ever feasible. We believe marketing agreements will provide for the 

 consumer the better grades of potatoes. 



3. We recommend that, if practical, a program to make possible 

 the use of compensatory payments or production payments be devel- 

 oped and made available to the Department for use if necessary to 

 enforce compliance with production programs. 



4. We recommend that a definite formula for determining State 

 potato acreage allotments or goals be incorporated in long-time 

 legislation. 



WTien the meeting was recessed this morning, the subcommittee 

 left with us two major ciuestions on which thej^ would appreciate an 

 answer this afternoon. 



One question was, "Do you favor a fixed formula for setting acreage, 

 and, if so, what type formula?" 



In discussing this, our group has agreed in accordance with the 

 original presentation that there should be written into the legislation 

 a fixed formula for setting acreage goals. But, due to the fact that 

 some areas have not had stifficient time to study the various approaches 

 that might be taken, we would like to ask the committee to give us 30 

 days to study the matter to see if we cannot bring back to the com- 



