814 GENERAL FARM PROGRAM 



when monarch Henku left an inscription on his tomb reading: "I was 

 lord and overseer of southern grain in this nome." Parenthetically, I 

 may remark that there was apparently no fightmg Tom Linder in 

 south Egypt. The report ends with this summary: 



The history of Government hmitation of price seems to teach one lesson — that 

 in attempting to ease the burdens of the people in time of high prices by arti- 

 ficially setting a limit to them, the people are not relieved but only exchange 

 one sot of ills for another which is greater. Among these ills are — 



1. The withholding of goods from the market, because consumers being in the 

 maiority, price fixing is usually in their interest. 



2. The dividing of the community into two hostile camps, one only which con- 

 siders that the Government at;ts in its interest. 



3. The practical difficulties of enforcing such limitation in prices which in the 

 very nature of the case requires the cooperation of both producer and consumer 

 to make it effective. 



While we do not subscribe entirely to the analysis by that able 

 economic analyst, Carl H. Wilken, he certainly sets out some sound 

 and constructive criticism of Mr. Brannan's program. We recommend 

 reading of his analysis as a "must." 



I shall not undertake to discuss in detail the proposed plan, but we 

 are opposed to it in its entirety. We believe the proposed discrimina- 

 tion between large and small feeders will curtail livestock production 

 in those areas where most animals are finished for market. 



Its inauguration right now would ruin virtually every one of our 

 member, because there is no provision for protecting inventories, 

 which were accumulated by purchases on an open competitive market. 



There is nothing seriously wrong with this industry which is not 

 directly attributable to the lack of competent planning and adminis- 

 tration in Mr. Brannan's Department. Have we any reason to 

 believe this will be an improvement over past experiments? 



I could take a lot of time in listing those things which have con- 

 tributed to our troubles, but time does not perniit. Summed up, 

 they refused to listen to the advice of our people, given as the end of 

 the war approached. They had a surplus of meat animals, and then 

 created a shortage of feed. They bought in almost record-breaking 

 crops of feed, only to find themselves short of feeding animals. 



They closed to us the export world market in fats and oils while a 

 hungry world clamored for them and bought them from other coun- 

 tries at prices several times the domestic market in this country. 

 They have able men in the Department, but seemingly prefer the 

 "great planners" as advisers. Practical men available to them are 

 frequently not consulted. 



Regardless of what you call this plan to conceal its real purpose, 

 it is our belief that this is one of the means designed to control produc- 

 tion by Government order, to control prices, to effect certain phases 

 of rationing, and, finally, to subsidize by one means or another the 

 producer directly, and the consumer by indirect means. 



If the United States Department of Agricidture would only devote 

 a few thousands of dollars in studying methods for wider usage of 

 some of the products of livestock, there would be no need for even 

 considering such un-American ideas. There is not and never has 

 been too much livestock produced. It still provides the finest, most 

 nutritious, and cheapest food, judged by nutritional tests. The 

 health of the Nation would be improved if every man, woman, and 

 child would increase their consumption of meat products a few 

 pounds each year. 



