766 GENERAL FARM PROGRAM 



able position than anyone else. Are you satisfied to take the same 

 treatment that we give cotton? 



Mr. Vaughn. Certainly. I am glad, if for nothing else, to hear 

 you make that statement. The reason that I presented my argument 

 the way I did is because you know as well as I that livestock men 

 historically have been opposed to subsidies and Government payments. 

 We are now, as far as the wool industr}^ is concerned, putting ourselves 

 on a little different basis. We are trying to say to our Government 

 that although we have historically been opposed to tariff reductions 

 and opposed to reciprocal trade agreements, we admit those are in the 

 administration's policy and we are trying to adjust ourselves to those 

 on a basis on which we can go ahead and increase production. 



Mr. PoAGE. Would you be willing to say that if this- committee 

 treats you the same as we treat other commodities or at least as favor- 

 ably, you will be satisfied? I cannot see how in the world it would 

 make any difference to you what the tariff is if you have a support price 

 for your 360,000,000 pounds of wool. I agree with you that you should 

 be allowed to grow a minimum, but if you produce above that cer- 

 tainly you ought to suffer a cut in production just as the cotton grower 

 or anyone else does. Would you then be satisfied and quit complaining 

 about our tariff" policy? There is nobody in the United States who has 

 done more just plain bellyaching about the tariff policy than the wool 

 people. Wliy should you come around here complaining when you 

 accept the same kind of treatment everyone else in the United States 

 gets? If we give you that treatment what difference does the tariff 

 policy make to you if you know that you are going to get 90 percent of 

 parity on your wool, all that you produce up to 360,000,000 pounds? 



Mr. Vaughn. Mr. Congressman, if you knew how much difficulty 

 I have had in talking to my executive committee to get approval of 

 this statement, which is almost revolutionary from the standpoint of 

 the sheepmen in the effect that it does attempt to cooperate with the 

 administration in Government in their international thinking and does 

 attempt to say that we will take a subsidy in lieu of tariff you would 

 know how serious I am in saying "Yes" to your question. 



Mr. PoAGE. Fine. 



The Chairman. I would like to point out to you that in recent 

 years the cotton acreage in this country has been reduced from 

 49,000,000 to 23,000,000. Even in one year, 1947, the tobacco crop 

 in my county was reduced 28 percent and the farmers accepted that 

 without complaint. 



Mr. Andresen. Now, Mr. Vaughn, is it not a fact all of these other 

 commodities like cotton and wheat that are now under support have 

 been produced in surplus quantity in this country, and that is not the 

 case with wool. You do not produce enough wool to take care of the 

 needs of the American people. 



Mr. Vaughn. Currently we produce about one-third of what they 

 require. 



Mr. Andresen. Assuming that you are going to have a higher 

 support price than what you are getting now for wool and there is no 

 change made in the tariff law, what will be the effect on the dumping 

 of world wool on the American market? Will there be less wool com- 

 ing into the country than there is coming in now? 



Mr. Vaughn. Will you state that question again? 



