GENERAL FARM PROGRAM 1005 



which I will give to the reporter, and also, I must go to another 

 committee meeting. 



I want to say at this time, speaking for the Second Congressional 

 District of Florida, which has many millions of dollars invested in 

 the tung oil groves, that these producers have followed the procedure 

 of good orderly agricultural practices and have spent a lot of money 

 making them into better groves, and they also have been encouraged 

 in building up this industry at some considerable expense. This 

 industry has been encouraged by the Government, and in the last 

 war particularly, when it was found that the products were needed, 

 as they were before, and were vital to the military effort. 



I have in my statement a good many statistics which will be even 

 more interesting in that form than by reading them to you. But 

 I do want to say again that at the present time we are consuming 

 about 155,000,000 pounds of tung oil in this country a year, while 

 we are asking for protection to only about 15,000 tons in the United 

 States, which are reaUy the crux of the supply so far as the need for 

 military requirements are concerned. This was found out during 

 the last war, and as a matter of fact, the Government took it aU over 

 during the war. 



There is one thing that I have not heard brought out and have not 

 brought out concerning what actually happened as a result of the 

 Government taking over all the production dm-ing the war. As was 

 pointed out recently in an article in Fortune Magazine, concerning 

 the tung industry, when the Government took over the entire output 

 of the industry during the war, it stimulated the effort to find substi- 

 tutes and in some fields there were substitutes found, not in the mili- 

 tary field. There were places where substitutes for tung oil can be 

 used, where they had been heretofore using tung oil; and when during 

 the war they had no tung oil available they found and made use of 

 substitutes and it is going to take some time to rebuild the market. 



I woidd like to say that there are other methods, in my opinion, by 

 which the tung industry can be helped, as indicated here by remarks 

 that have been made, but I do believe those are things that can be 

 done as a part of the pattern. 



I believe the Federal Government at the present time has the ad- 

 ministrative authority, under article VI, I believe it is, of the general 

 agreement, paragraph 5, to stop the dUmping which is taking place 

 at the present time. 



But we have an immediate situation confronting us. If this dump- 

 ing continues it is going to force out of business those now engaged in 

 the industry. 



One other point: If the Goverxmient did take over 100 percent of 

 this particidar product it would not involve a terriffic proposition, 

 and we undoubtedly could make use of it for stock piling defense pur- 

 poses, at least for one season. 



Again I thank you, Mr. Chairman, for this opportunity. I do 

 hope that this committee will consider the feasibility of doing every- 

 thing that can be done to relieve the situation. I deeply appreciate 

 you letting me have this opportunity to make my statement. I do 

 have another meeting and with your permission I will include as a 

 part of my remarks the statement handed to the reporter. 



