808 GENERAL FARM PROGRAM 



Changes in the market and style trends necessitate great flexibility more easily 

 attained by private firms or individuals than a large Government agency. This 

 is indicated by the fact that the CCC still have wools on hand of 1943, 1944, and 

 1945 clips despite the largest consumption of wool in our history during those years 

 and since of over a billion pounds per annum. Also, Congress made it mandatory 

 that this stock pile of CCC wools should be made available first for relief of Euro- 

 pean nations under the Marshall plan. 



We are therefore strongly opposed to any new law which might encourage the 

 Government's remaining in the business of buying and selling wool. 



We do approve of support for wool to prevent hardships at a level to be deter- 

 mined by Congress in line with support levels for other equally important agricul- 

 tural products. 



We are very perturbed at the small stocks of wool now in this country or being 

 grown in this country suitable for military requirements. 



The number of sheep in the country is now the .smallest it has been in the last 

 80 years and in the case of wool, the production is far below the barest minimum 

 requirements for our military forces in case of a national emergency, if those re- 

 quirements were at all comjjarable to those of the last war. 



Should Congress decide that for reasons of national defense there should be fur- 

 ther inducement offered to increase the number of sheep within the United States, 

 such inducement might be in the form of a direct subsidy which would obviate the 

 necessity of the Government's entering the wool business and raising the price of 

 wool to a point where it was beyond the reach of a large percentage of our people 

 to obtain their essential woolen clothing. 



One of the reasons for the small stocks of wool in this country at pre.sent is the 

 general feeling that prices are fictitiously high in dollars because of the official rate 

 we are obliged to pay for sterling. This feeling is confirmed by the fact that cer- 

 tain European nationals are able to obtain sterliTig at about 20 precent less than 

 the rate we are obliged to pay. While efforts are being made to correct this, we 

 do not believe that any permanent solution will be found until the dollar becomes 

 the convertible medium of exchange throughout the world. 



Air. Pace. Mr. Charles E. Jackson, general manager of the Na- 

 tional Fisheries Institute, Inc., was present, and asked that he be per- 

 mitted to submit his statement. Without objection the statement 

 was ordered to be inserted in the record at this point. 



(The statement of Mr. Jackson is as follows:) 



My name is Charles E. Jackson. I am general manager of the Natonal Fisheries 

 Institute, Inc., in Washington, D. C. Our organization represents a substantial 

 majority of the firms engaged in the production, processing (freezing and canning) 

 and distribution of fish and shellfish in the United States. Our membership in- 

 cludes all segments of the fishing industry between the fisherman and the retailer. 



The fishing industry is very much concerned over the proposal offered by the 

 Secretary of Agriculture in connection with the further subsidization of agri- 

 cultural commodities. Up to the present time we have no knowledge of the plan 

 except reports carried in the newspapers. In the event that legislation is intro- 

 duced, I shall ask that an opportunity be granted representatives of the National 

 Fisheries Institute to appear and testify regarding same. 



Fishing is perhaps the oldest industry in America. Those engaged in it are a 

 proud, independent group of people. Members of the National Fisheries Insti- 

 tute have not and do not seek a Government subsidy of any kind. We are greatly 

 concerned over the proposed plan for the reason that we do not see how it will be 

 possible for one element of the food industry, like fisheries, to compete with another 

 element of the food industry, like agriculture, if the latter is to be subsidized by 

 the Government. To a certain extent agriculture is competitive with the fishing 

 industry. Prior to the war, pork was regarded as one of the chief competitors of 

 fish, along with poultry, eggs and cheese. This has not been the case in recent 

 3'ears due to abnormal scarcities and other war conditions, but from what little is 

 known of the proposed farmer-consumer subsidy plan, we do not think it feasible 

 for the fishing industry to sel its products in competition with s ubsidized agri- 

 cultural products. 



Mr. Pace. The committee has present this morning a Member of 

 Congress, our colleague from the State of Texas, who will be glad to 

 introduce the next witness. The Honorable Tom Pickett, represent- 

 ing the Seventh Congressional District of Texas. 



