GENERAL FARM PROGRAM 773 



So you do say, in closing, if they want to go to work and explore 

 the whole field or realm of the production of livestock, your organiza- 

 tion has no objection to that whatsoever; is that correct? 



Mr. Smith. None whatever; no. 



Mr. Granger. Mr. Smith, I was out to Denver 2 weeks ago today, 

 and I saw at least 50 or 100 men come into the yard with cattle they 

 had fed, and they were losing $100 a head. You think that is all 

 right? 



Mr. Smith. No; I do not. I have not made any such statement. 

 But there are a great many things that contribute to that loss. 



Mr. Granger. But you do not want anything done about it; you 

 just think that will right itself? 



Mr. Smith. No; I do not want the Government to guarantee me 

 profits or against losses. I want them to give me a reasonable chance 

 to operate my business. 



Mr. Granger. But you know that situation exists? 



Mr. Smith. I know that is true; yes. 



Mr. Granger. And many of the feeders, as they have for the last 

 50 years, I know, have gone broke constantly feeding cattle. You 

 know that, do you not? 



Mr. Smith. Well, I have been broke myself. Yes. 



Mr. Granger. So have I. 



Mr. Smith. Yes. 



Mr. Granger. And you do not want to do anything about it? 



Mr. Smith. I do not want to do it in this way; no. I would not say 

 I do not want to do anything about it. 



Mr. Granger. But you have no program and are opposed to 

 everything that has been suggested. Do you not have a constructive 

 idea to offer this committee of what we might do? 



Mr. Smith. I have offered one. I believe in the American market 

 for the American producer. 



Mr. Granger. You know we have compensated for the cattle that 

 come from South America by a strict quarantine against Mexican 

 cattle that used to come in at the rate of 500,000 a year; you know that, 

 do you not? 



Mr. Smith. You have compensated for them, you say? 



Mr. Granger. I say you brought in formerly what was the equiva- 

 lent of 650,000 head in canned meat, and to offset that — not volun- 

 tarily but of necessity, because of disease in Mexican cattle — we have 

 barred the importation of 500,000 head of cattle that normally came 

 to this country. 



Mr. Smith. You know, Mr. Granger, I presume, that up until 

 August there was no prohibition against the importation of cattle from 

 Canada, but due to an agreement between our Government and the 

 English Government, all of it went to England. And no cattle was 

 coming in from the south for the same reason, and all of a sudden 

 that was dumped. 



Mr. Granger. There has not been any change in that, Mr. Smith. 



Mr. Smith. I beg pardon? 



Mr. Granger. You know as well as I do that the number of cattle 

 that could come in from Canada was restricted, and they could not 

 exceed that number. 



Mr. Smith. They were entirely prevented from coming to this 

 country until August 10, 1948. 



