GENERAL FARM PROGRAM 1079 



Mr. Chairman, since I began my statement, the gentleman from 

 Texas, Mr. Thornberry, in whose district a considerable number of 

 goats run, has come in, and he would like to make a brief statement. 

 He wants to be associated with me, and others in the interest of this 

 program, and I might also add that Mr. Allies, the gentleman from 

 New Mexico, is likewise interested and he is here, or on his way. 



Mr. PoAGE. Would you yield? As a representative of a couple of 

 counties that also have angoras, I would ask to be included in that. 

 Of course you and I have discussed this proposition time and again. 

 I have suggested the only solution was to come in under the section 

 for wool growers, because they can't exist as I see it separate and 

 apart. They have to come in and go through the same process as the 

 wool grower. 



Mr. Fisher. That is exactly correct, just as mohair is blended with 

 wool in all of these fabrics to which I referred, so we must blend it, 

 legislatively speaking, also. 



Mr. Granger. I would like to say for the record that in conferring 

 with representatives of the wool growers here, they certainly have 

 no objection to the definition of mohair being treated along with wool, 

 they do that providing the cotton people have no objection. 



Mr. Fisher. I am certain the cotton people have no objection. 

 That is fine. 



Now, Mr. Chairman, Mr. Ernest Williams, who flew up from Texas 

 yesterday to attend this hearing, has a very brief statement in behalf 

 of the growers, if you will hear him. 



Mr. Pace. Thanlv you, Mr. Fisher. Mr. Williams, we will be 

 delighted to hear from you. 



STATEMENT OF ERNEST L. WILLIAMS, SECRETARY TREASURER 

 TEXAS SHEEP AND GOAT RAISERS ASSOCIATION, INC., SAN 

 ANGELO, TEX. 



Mr. Wniiams. Mr. Chairman and members of the committee, 

 my name is Ernest L. Williams. I am secretary-treasurer of the 

 Texas Sheep and Goat Raisers Association, Inc., with headquarters 

 in San Angelo, Tex. 



I want to thank the members of this committee for this opportunity 

 to appear befoie you in behalf of the mohair industry and to request 

 that you include mohair in the agriculture bill you are now considering. 



In 1943 a support program for wool was set up through the Com- 

 modity Credit Corporation in which mohair was included. However, 

 at that time mohair was not in financial trouble and the growers 

 asked that it be removed from the program. They felt that they 

 should not ask for assistance from the Federal Government when it 

 was not needed. 



From 1943 through the spring of 1947 mohair sold at fair prices, 

 but since that time the prices the mills were willing to pay have been 

 very low as compared to the increased costs of production. 



We believe that the depressed mohair market has been caused by 

 abnormall}^ high postwar importation of coarse wools that were able 

 to come into this country under a tariff reduction of nearly 50 percent. 

 These wools are mostly Argentine and Uruguayan origin and are of 

 high luster and long staple but do not possess the other desirable 

 characteristics of mohair. 



