784 GENERAL FARM PROGRAM 



We are not so foolish as to believe the taxpayers of this country 

 will long continue an expenditure of this magnitude in order to main- 

 tain agricultural income at or near the wartime levels. This will be 

 especially true if prices of other segments of our national economy 

 continue on a downward trend. 



Price supports and production controls are hke a contagious dis- 

 ease — once started it spreads, is difficult to control, and it mov3S 

 from one commodity to another. You control the production and 

 price of a given commodity and immediately you are confronted 

 with controls over the raw product that goes into the production of 

 that commodity. 



Also, there comes a dem.and for a control of substitutes, and the 

 next step is the demand that the substitutes for the substitutes be 

 . controlled. 



This leads eventually to the elimination of free markets, which 

 allow prices to be determined by the free choice of the people. It 

 eliminates the freedom of operation which has long been enjoyed by 

 the people of this country and it is this freedom which we believe 

 has made our country great and preserved for our people the highest 

 standard of living enjoyed by any country in the w^orld. 



The National Livestock Producers Association is opposed to the 

 trend outlined in this new farm program and recommends that it be 

 checked, and that this proposed plan be rejected. 



In summary, the National Livestock Producers Association is 

 opposed to the principle of Government guaranties and undue regu- 

 lation. We recognize that the commitment on certain farm products 

 of 90 percent of parity w^hich has already been announced, must be 

 kept until January 1, 1950. 



We are not asking for Goverimient subsidies or floors under live- 

 stock prices, but if subsidies are to be continued after January 1, 

 1950, we prefer that these be on a basis of flexible parity such as is 

 now provided under the Hope-Aiken law. 



We m'ge that any changes in the Hope-Aiken law, or any new^ 

 legislation adopted, be in the direction of minimizing the activities 

 of the 'Government in the fields of price control, guaranties, and 

 regulation. 



We are unalterably opposed to the far-reaching, socialistic type of 

 program which has been presented by our Secretary of Agriculture, 

 Charles F. Brannan. 



We firmly believe in the principle enunciated in the quotation 

 from Thomas Jefferson, namely, "If we can prevent the Govern- 

 ment from wasting the labors of the people under the pretense of 

 caring for them, they will be happy." 



AFTER RECESS 



Mr. Pace. The committee will come to order. Mr. Wilson, do 

 you speak in behalf of the producers, or do you speak in behalf of 

 your organization as a service organization serving the producers? 



Mr. Wilson. In behalf of our organization, which is composed of 

 450,000 livestock producers; that is, cattle, hogs, and sheep. 



Mr. Pace. For the sake of the record, I want it to appear whether 

 or not there have been any conferences on your part with the pro- 

 ducers, and I want to know, as a matter of fact, whether you do 

 express your individual views. 



