1062 GENERAL FARM PROGRAM 



Mr. CoLMER. We have done the best we could. We are on the 

 verge of bankruptcy. If we do not get some support from the Govern- 

 ment, in this thing, I do not know what will happen to it. I dislike 

 to think of these good people that have put their life savings in this 

 industry losing it, and their efforts. I daresay there is not a gentle- 

 man on this committee, or Mr. Pritchard for that matter in his ex- 

 perience, who has not witnessed an occasion where some agricultural 

 enterprise was started; a disastrous season or two followed, and they 

 just folded up. I have seen that happen in the vegetable production 

 in my country. It would be very unfortunate from the standpoint 

 of the investors, the growers, the industry itself, as well as the country, 

 for that to happen. 



Just one final thing, and then I am through. Some time ago, some 

 years ago, the then President of the United States pointed his finger 

 down across the Mason-Dixon line and said, that section was the 

 economic problem No. 1 of the country. Now you have people down 

 there trying to do something about that economic problem. This 

 industry furnishes employment to thousands of people, poor people, 

 children, Negroes, who go out and pick these nuts up, and help to 

 market them. Well, we can put them on relief. That is one way to 

 handle it. Great Britain, realizing this situation, is expending money, 

 I do not know, Mr. Wright, whether they got it from the United 

 States or whether they got it out of the British pound, but they see 

 the danger to their country, arid they are not going to be caught 

 napping. 



It has been pointed out, I do not know how authentically, but it 

 has been pointed out that Russia is doing the same thing — developing 

 their own tung industry. 



Mr. Chairman, again I express our appreciation. We leave our 

 problem in your sympathetic hands. 



Mr. Pace. Thank you. Now, a final word, with such exceptions 

 as anybody wants to take to it, from the chief of the oil section of the 

 Department of Agriculture, Mr. George Prichard. 



Mr. CoLMER. I would like to ask permission to insert in the record 

 a statement that I received from Mr. O. V. Wells, Chief of the Bureau 

 of Agricultural Economics of the United States Department of 

 Agriculture on the question of parity. 



Mr. Pace. That will be filed. 



(The statement is as follows:) 



Department of Agriculture, 

 Bureau of Agricultural Economics, 



Washington, D. C, May 6, 1949. 

 Hon. William M. Colmer, 



United States House of Representatives. 

 Dear Mr. Colmer: In response to your telephone inquiry requesting my com- 

 ments on H. R. 29 relative to the parity price for tung nuts, we have computed a 

 base-period price of $35.60, which, on the basis of April 15, would give a paritv 

 price of $74. 



Our data on tung nuts are collected in December of each year and relate to the 

 whole season, which is generally for the 5 months, November through March, the 

 bulk of the crop usually being sold after January 1. The above base-period price 

 has been computed using the prices for the crop years 1935-36 to 1939-40, inclu- 



