764 GENERAL FARM PROGRAM 



The Chairman. Are we to be criticized for the best that we could 

 do? 



Mr. Vaughn. You asked me a specific question. 



The Chairman. I have asked you where we have injured or em- 

 barrassed the wool industry. 



Mr. Vaughn. And I am saying that soon after you put that program 

 into operation, which you considered a desirable support program, 

 and which we accepted in good faith, you reduced the tariff, or some- 

 body reduced the tariif 25 percent, which has never been compensated 

 for, and during all this period costs have risen. 



The Chairman. Wliat difference would it make if we repealed the 

 tariff entirely as long as we gave the domestic producer a support 

 price of 110 percent of parity? How could that hurt you? 



Mr. Vaughn. It could hurt us very seriously. 



The Chairman. How? 



Mr. Vaughn. At the present time only one-third of the wool which 

 is consumed in the United States is produced here. 



The Chairman. If you get 110 percent of parity on whatever you 

 produce, that is all that you should ask for. Do you not believe that? 



Mr. Vaughn. Let me think a moment on that. 



The Chairman. I think that you need to do a little more thinking. 



Mr. Vaughn. I beg your pardon. I would like to have a deep 

 thought on it because I' assume you have not agreed with my pre-, 

 sentation. I would like for my secretary to make a statement 

 on that. 



STATEMENT OF J. M. JONES, SECRETARY OF THE NATIONAL WOOL 

 GROWERS ASSOCIATION 



Mr. Jones. I agree with my president, Mr. Chairman, that we 

 have appreciated the support program since 1943. I do not agree 

 that we have had a support at the level of 110 percent of parity. Our 

 support level has been, 2 years after the beginning of the program — 

 that would be 1945 — 42.3 cents per grease-pound on wool, and at the 

 present level of parity which we never considered correct and which 

 we presented to this committee a year ago was not a proper calculation, 

 the parity today is about 46.5 cents. Ninety percent of that would be 

 right in the neighborhood of 42.3, the present support program. 



Under the vSecretary's proposal, w^e grant you that wool has been 

 increased from the level which would be applicable to the Agricultural 

 Act of 1948, by about 6.4 cents per grease-pound above that level, 

 but we also believe from the Secretary's statement and from his pro- 

 posal that even though there might be sufficient money to support 

 wool after the priority commodities were supported, he would not 

 support wool at the so-called income level, or purchasing-power 

 level for wool. He would, if we understand it, support it for priority 

 commodities but not for wool. He would support at whatever level 

 he determined was necessary to do the job. 



The Chairman. Wliat statement of the Secretary do you have 

 reference to? 



Mr. Jones. The cross-examination and the statement of his 

 proposal in which he was asked the other day, April 26 



The Chairman. Do you mean the statement of April 7? 



]Mr. Jones. And the subsequent examination. 



