GENERAL FARM PROGRAM 1157 



in and bought dried skim milk and we have bought butter. I am not 

 saying that is the only satisfactory way but we have had some impact 

 on it under our present authorities. Furthermore, in the milk area, as 

 you know, there are milk-marketing orders and agreements in ex- 

 istence which have stabilizing effects in the big milksheds. 



The problem is not as vexatious there from the farmer's point of 

 view, although in some of those areas it is a little vexatious from the 

 standpoint of the consumer. 



Mr. Albert. Will the gentleman yield, Mr. Chairman? 



Mr. Secretary, would it be possible to take these six commodities 

 that Air. Pace has outlined and list them in the order of desirability 

 for purposes of experimental production payment work? 



Secretary Bra.nxax. Right now? 



Mr. Albert. Well, tomorrow if you would like. 



Secretary Brannan. I think we can do it nosv. I would say one 

 would be potatoes. Two would be hogs. Wool would be three. 

 Eggs would be four, and milk would be five. My feeling is that before 

 we get into the chicken operation we should see what the impact of 

 the operations would be on eggs. The}' are very closely related 



Mr. Pace. Are there am^ other questions on hogs? 



Mr. Hope. Mr. Chairman. 



Mr. Pace. Mr. Hope. 



Mr. Hope. Air. Secretary, you would put potatoes at the top of the 

 list but I understood you to say a while ago that you did not think 

 we ought to apply it on potatoes this year. I understand you do think 

 we ought to apply it on pork this year and I am wondering what is the 

 difference in your reasoning, that we should apply it on pork and could 

 not very well apply it on potatoes. 



Secretary Brannan. First of all, we have no operating program in 

 force and effect on hogs as we now have on potatoes because we have 

 already gotten into the 1949 support operation on potatoes. I do 

 appreciate your asking that cjuestion Mr. Hope, so that we can make 

 this distinction. I realize the cjuestion was about a trial run. What I 

 was thinking of was what would be our situation after the first of the 

 year in relation to a trial run on most of these commodities. 



The question of hogs is a supplemental question because the ve.fa- 

 tiousness of it will be upon us, if your estimates are correct, in October 

 in an aggravated form and will run on into the next year for several 

 months. I am thinking in terms of these commodities by way of 

 supplement to or addition to the authoiity under title II, or in place of 

 that authority. I am also thinking about an amendment to the exist- 

 ing law for hogs for the balance of this year. 



Secretary Brannan. Is that clear to you also, Air. Albert? 



Air. Albert. Yes. 



Air. Hoeven. Air. Secretary, by that do you mean you would favor 

 advancing the effective date of the Aiken bill to about September 1 of 

 this year? 



Secretary Brannan. No; I am not saying the same thing at all. 

 You understand in all these perishable commodities you cannot handle 

 them under title II. You have to have a revision of that law. The 

 word "payments" is in the Aiken bill — I accept that as the recognition 

 of the feasibility of that device, but the Aiken bill will not allow you to 

 apply it to any perishable commodity except potatoes. 



