996 GENERAL FARM PROGRAM 



were short of supplies of timo; in that war, tung being a strategic war 

 material, as will be developed in these hearings. 



Frankly, there may be some who would not agree with this state- 

 ment, but in my humble opinion, as one who has been interested in 

 this sul)je.t for 20 years or more, this industry, this tung industry is 

 still an infant industry; it is in its infant stage. The Government has 

 spent millions of dollars — well, I would say at least a million dollars, 

 and I have no definite figures on that^ — for experimental work with 

 tung. And Congress authorized, as a result of the effort of our 

 distinguished colleague, the chairman of the Senate subcommittee, on 

 appropriations. Senator Russell, as well as some humble efforts of this 

 speaker, established an experimental station for tung, which is now 

 stationed at Bogalusa, I^a., which is a splendid thing. 



I would like to go a little more fully into that, but time will not 

 permit. ■ 1 want to go now to the question of why we want a support 

 price for tung. 



Mr. Pace. Is this experimental station engaged in experimenting in 

 the growth of trees, in the use of oil, or what is the nature of the 

 experiment? 



Mr. CoLMER. Broadly speaking, Mr; Chairman, it is for the purpose 

 of growing trees, of developing the best type of trees, and they also 

 do some experimental work in the oil. 



Now as I said a moment ago, this oil industry is in its infant stage. 

 And we realize that and we might as well be perfectly frank with 

 you gentlemen that this tung is produced in a very limited area in 

 this country, along the Coastal Plain belt, about 100 miles wide, in 

 the States of Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, 

 and Texas. 



Therefore, we do not have too much political appeal, you see, on 

 a broad scale; we cannot make too much fuss politically or otherwise, 

 and we just as well face that, and be perfectly frank with you about it. 



This is an infant industry; it is struggling. During the war the 

 Government used millions of pounds of this tung. And I do not have 

 the time to go into that, but it will be developed by other witnesses, 

 except I repeat again it is a strategic war material and has been so in 

 the last 2 wars. The Navy used great gobs of it. This oil got .ip as 

 high as 48 (;ents a pound, I believe; is that right, Mr. Prichard? 



Mr. Prichard. As I recall it was 41 to 42. 



Mr. CoLMER. I do not remember the figures exactly, but say 41 

 cents. Today it is around 19 to 20 cents, notwithstanding the fact 

 that the labor costs and the effort and the fertilizer that went into 

 the production of that oil, of course, has doubled what it was prior 

 to the war, more than doubled. 



Now, why do we have to have this support price? Because this 

 is an infant industry; it is struggling. Private capital cannot and 

 will not continue in this field unless it can break even and make a 

 little return, and it should not engage in it unless it can make a reason- 

 able profit or break even. You and I would not argue that po nt, of 

 course. 



We are in competition with Chinese oil, and the biggest biUk, of 

 course, of tung oil used for years in this country is produced in China. 

 It is imported into this country. So that the industry represented 

 here this morning by this gathering in effect is in competition with 

 coolie labor in China. 



