GENERAL FARM PROGRAM 1045 



inserted at this point in the record. We will not include the depart- 

 mental bulletin entitled, "Marketing Activity." That will not be 

 included. 



Mr. O'Connor. It is just one page in there; page 7 is the only one. 



Mr. Pace. Do you want that in? 



Mr. O'Connor. Page 7, if you do not mind. 



Mr. Pace. Include page 7 of the bulletin attached. 



(The information is as follows:) 



A Brief by the American Tung Oil Association in Support of H. R. 3041 

 BY Hon. E. C. Gathings, Representative from Arkansas, and H. R. 29 

 (H. R. 5348, 1948) by Hon. William M. Colmer, Representative from 

 Mississippi, which Bills would Provide Parity Rating for the Amer- 

 ican Tung Industry and a Support Price Based upon a Percentage op 

 Parity 



For those who are interested in a brief review of the history of our American 

 tung industry and an outline of its present status we attach hereto photostatic 

 copy of an article appearing in the March 1949 issue of Marketing Activities, an 

 official monthly publication of the Production and Marketing Administration of 

 the United States Department of Agriculture. 



The area of commercial production of tung oil in the United States extends 

 from central Florida to southeast Texas in a belt about 100 miles wide along the 

 Gulf of Mexico in the six States of Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, Lou- 

 isiana, and Texas. Approximately 200,000 acres of cut-over pine lands are now 

 planted to tung trees. These tung trees grow in the Gulf Coast States in an 

 area that once grew long-leaf yellow pine timber, which has since been depleted. 



Before the timber was cut from these lands, the valuation for tax purposes ran 

 better than $100 per acre. After the timber was severed, the valuation dropped 

 to $1 per acre, and then the owners of the land let the lands go back to the 

 States rather than pay taxes on $1 per acre valuation. 



The tung groves, although they are in a young stage at this time, are being 

 assessed at $7.50 or more per acre. The tung industry gives employment to 

 many thousands of people who would have no other means of livelihood. If the 

 tung industry is denied a proper recognition, the tung groves that represent an 

 investment of millions of dollars will be abandoned, thousands of people will be 

 out of work; it will be impossible for the schools to operate properly, and many 

 will have to be closed; the roads will have no financial support; there will be no 

 funds for health programs, and the people will be thrown on the charity of the 

 Government agencies or welfare organizations. 



Tung nuts have proven to be the only suitable crop that can be grown on the 

 type of soil that exists where the long-leaf timber once grew. 

 ^ What would be left for the people in this section where tung is grown if they 

 were denied a livelihood from an industry that can thrive on a profitable basis 

 for all years to come, if there is no proper support by our Government during the 

 initial years of the industry? 



During the period of World War II, the tung industry became one of the 

 two or three most important cash crops to farmers growing it in the area of its 

 adaptability in the United States. It also added substantially to the economic 

 welfare of many hundreds of communities located in the domestic Tung Belt 

 through the substantial purchasing power which developed throughout the area. 

 As proof of the benefit which the tung industry has been to this section, we sub- 

 mit herewith photostatic copies of editorials appearing in several newspapers 

 pubhshed in typical tung-producing communities. 



We would further submit that during World War II, tung oil proved to be a 

 very valuable and strategic war material for the United States and was, and still 

 is on the strategic materials list. The only source of supply of this strategic tung 

 oil upon which our country had to depend was from the domestic production. 



Recent developments make it imperative that the American production of tung 

 oil be fostered and preserved because foreign supplies, for example, in China, may 

 be dominated by enemies of the United States. 



It is well to remember that it takes from 4 to 6 years to develop a tung grove, 

 and should the United States become involved in a war and our armed forces 

 require tung oil, as they did in World War II, it would be impossible to imme- 

 diately supply the needed tung oil if the domestic industry is allowed to perish at 

 this time. 



