1098 , GENERAL FARM PROGRAM 



No new agencies are called for, but the Secretary of Agriculture is 

 given the power to join more closely the work of the Soil Conservation 

 Service, conservation programs of the Production and Marketing 

 Administration, and the Extension Service for concerted action on 

 problems which confront this committee today. 



It is obvious that a balanced agricultural production that can de- 

 mand a rightful share of our national income depends on proper use of 

 our soil resources. The sooner we help farmers to use their soil re- 

 sources properly, as is done b}^ all farmers who have effective soil and 

 water conservation programs, the sooner we can ease the economic 

 problems that confront our people today. 



Now, Mr. Chairman, I hope I am not taking too much time. 



Mr. Pace. No, indeed. May I say here that is one of the most 

 sensible statements I ever heard on the point of the conservation of 

 soil. 



Mr. Jensen. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I know you have always 

 been very interested in the problem of soil conservation, as well as all 

 other problems so important to our Nation, and I want to compliment 

 this committee now, each and every one of you, for sitting in these 

 hearings so long, to learn just exactly what is needed and what is 

 best for this Nation through a good agricultural program. 



I can't minimize the importance of the job you have to do. 



I would like just to express my ideas relative to the different types 

 of programs that have been proposed for agriculture. 



I would like just to read a letter which I have been sending out to 

 my people who have asked me how I stood on the Aiken bill; and I 

 think I can give you a clear picture of what I think we should have in 

 the way of an agricultural program. 



I might say that the bill which you gentlemen passed in the House 

 in the Eightieth Congress, original bill, the House bill, which this 

 committee brought to the floor of the House and which was passed, 

 was, in my opinion, as good a bill as can be written, as could have been 

 written at that time, for agriculture; and I recommend today that 

 when you write the bill which you will no doubt bring out in this ses- 

 sion of Congress, that it will not be too far away from the provisions 

 of the bill which this committee approved and which the House ap- 

 proved during the last session of the Eightieth Congress. 



Mr. Pace. "Which is now title I? 



Mr. Jensen. That is right. 



If I may, Mr. Chairman, I would like to read this letter. It covers 

 about a page in the Congressional Record — it is a little less than a page; 

 but in so doing, you will note that I am not only telling you folks here, 

 this committee, what I think about the Aiken bill and some other 

 things in the agricultural field, but you will also note that this is what 

 I tell the people who hire me to come down and represent them in 

 Congress, the people of the Seventh District of. Iowa. The letter 



reads as follows: 



House of Representatives, 

 Washington, D. C, January 31, 1949. 

 Dear Friend: Regarding the 90 to 60 percent slide-down scale for basic farm 

 crops, versus the 90-percent support prices now in effect on such commodities, in 

 order that you will know just why I am for the 90-percent svipport price, I will 

 give you the background of what brought about the 90-60-percent provision 

 which goes into effect January 1, 1950, as provided in the Aiken bill. 



You know, of course, that the labor leaders made a lot of noise about high cost, 

 of food long before the last Presidential campaign got under way. They knew,. 



