GENERAL FARM PROGRAM 1107 



professor to figure it cut. Even an oicl faiv-poi' like me can get that 

 answer, and if the markets of the United States and the markets 

 of the world are not read}^ to absorb that second oO acres of wheat 

 to at least meet the cost of production, T am willing to let that 50 

 acres grow sweet clover and plow it under and not grow wheat. 

 That is not regimentation but rather horse sense, and I submit com- 

 mon sense is one of the most uncommon things in the United States 

 today. 



I hope you gentlemen vvork out a farm program that will maintain 

 agricultural buying power, and at the same time will give soil con- 

 servation, and I want you to link the two together. I don't care 

 whether it is the Brannan program or some other program, but I do 

 think a good, honest soil-conservation program or some other out- 

 standing program like that will solve the problem. Such a program 

 can be written. If the price in the market drops below the cost of 

 production, it won't cost the taxpayer anything. If it does sink 

 below the cost of production, even considering the Brannan plan, the 

 consumer, who is also the taxpayer, will benefit. I like that part of 

 it mighty well. 



On the other hand, the other fellow says it will cost so maich to do 

 it. I want to ask him what it will cost if we don't do it. We found 

 out in 1930 and 1933 what it cost not to do it. 



I hope we don't have to have a repetition of what we had in 1932, 

 and I hope I don't have to drink a glass of water out of a keg, such 

 as I was forced to drink from in 1932. 



Mr. Pace. Thank you very much. It was a very interesting 

 statement and we are glad to have it. 



Mr. Pace. Out next witness will be Mr. Carl H. Wilken, of the 

 Raw Materials National Council, Sioux City, Iowa. 



IVIr.* HoEVEX. Mr. Chairman, I am sure all members of this com- 

 mittee are acc^uainted with Mr. Wilken who has appeared before 

 this committee on numerous occasions and before other committees 

 of Congress. He is an economic analyst with the Raw Materials 

 National Council and he is held in the highest regard in his field of 

 economics. 



Mr. Pace. I agree with the gentleman. Mr. Wilken, will you 

 take the stand? 



STATEMENT OF CARL H. WILKEN, ECONOMIC ANALYST, RAW 

 MATERIALS NATIONAL COUNCIL, SIOUX CITY, IOWA 



Mr. Wilken. Mr. Cliairman and members of the committee, I 

 appeared before the House Committee on Agriculture in 1947 with a 

 fairly comprehensive statement as to a long-term farm program with 

 my recommendations. Nothing has happened since then to change the 

 basic factors which enter into our economic problem. Instead, the 

 record since then substantiates my analysis at that time. 



I am going to be brief and specific as I know the committee is about 

 ready to close the hearings. The question you have to answer is, 

 What are we going to do after hearing all the different groups? My 

 pm-pose in appearing before the committee is to set forth as simply 

 as I can the key factors which will determine whether any farm bill 

 will do what is required. 



