762 GENERAL FARM PROGRAM 



In summary then, if our statement has seemed a little at variance 

 with your already-thought-out ideas of commodity support, it is 

 because our industry is in a very different current position from other 

 industries of similar importance to the American people. 



The practical question that confronts us is not how small an outlay 

 from the Treasury will suffice to bolster the income of the people now 

 engaged in producing sheep. For the longtime benefit of everyone, 

 the much more pertinent question is: What sort of a Government 

 policy will stimulate an early increase in sheep and wool production? 



Such a policy must compensate for the removal of supports upon 

 which the industry was originally built. 



Such a policy must indicate at least by token support now and more 

 substantial support if depression comes that the Government actually 

 considers the industry important to the country. 



Above all, such policy must carefully desist from setting up 

 situations that discourage sheepmen from increasing production. 



If Government will do these simple and relatively inexpensive 

 things, we of the industry are convinced that greater production will 

 result with surer returns to ourselves and at the same time lower 

 prices to consumers. 



Mr. Pace. Thank you very much, Mr. Vaughn. 



Are there any questions? 



The Chairman. Mr. Vaughn, you are president of the National 

 Wool Growers Association. 



Mr. Vaughn. That is right. 



The Chairman. Do you intend this complaint against the Govern- 

 ment 'in view of the support price which the Government has provided 

 for wool during the emergency? Do you feel justified in making the 

 complaint? 



Mr. Vaughn. The support price to which you refer, I assume, is 

 the policy which the Government now has of buying wool from 

 farmers? 



The Chairman. It is not only a policy; it is the law, and it is 

 financed by the taxpayers' money to supports at 110 percent of 

 parity. Wool has been given preferential treatment over and above 

 that given to any other commodity in the country, and yet you say 

 that we have been sitting here "fiddling while Rome burns." 



Mr. Vaughn. I stated in my statement that I hoped it would be 

 sufficiently clear that this was not intended as an over-all criticism 

 of the Government. 



The Chairman. What do you mean, that we are sitting here 

 fiddling while Rome is burning, and letting the wool industry of the 

 country go to the dogs, so to speak? What do you mean by that? 



Mr. Vaughn. I mean just this. The Government has changed 

 its attitude on the importance of the wool industry on numerous 

 occasions; since 1940 in particular, and from that standpoint the man 

 who expects, or is contemplating going into an expanded sheep 

 production is forced to hesitate. 



The Chairman. Forced to hesitate? Do you not know that the 

 producers of every agricultural commodity are forced to hesitate 

 now in this postwar period of great change and reconversion? 



Mr. Vaughn. This hesitation took place before the postwar period. 

 It took place shortly after 1942, while the war was still on. 



The Chairman. And Rome was actually burning in 1942? 



