GEXEEAL FARM PROGRAM 1173 



Secretary Brannax. For all practical purposes, on meat they are 

 off now. 



Mr. Murray. They are? 



Secretar}^ Brannax. They are. Do you know anybody offshore 

 that wants to buy meat that cannot buy it today in the United States? 



Mr. Murray. No; except thej^ can buy it cheaper some place else; 

 they can buy it cheaper in Argentina. And the same on cotton. 

 And that is the trouble; our support price is higher than the world 

 price, and that is the reason we import in pounds, bushels, and 

 tons more agricultural products this year than last year. 



Secretary Braxxax. Would you advocate that we drop the support 

 price to the Argentine level? 



Mr. Murray. I have not said anything about that. I would live 

 up to the law, first of all. I would spend my time following the law 

 we have. I would figure out, in connection with the support price 

 of milk, that $1.50 multiplied by $2.46 equals $3.69, and 90 percent 

 of that is $3.21, and then I would know what the support price of 

 milk was, and that would not be $2.40, $2.50, and $2.60 a hundred 

 that the}^ are getting at the present time in many sections. I would 

 do that first. 



I do not want to say anything more about that. You know there 

 is nothing personal in what I say to you. 



Secretary Brannax. No. 



Mr. Murray. And I compliment you on one thing you did; you 

 did admit that the New Deal part of the program did not make sense, 

 because twice in your testimony you called attention to the fact that 

 only 25 percent of agriculture was covered and you wanted to take 

 care of the other 75 percent. I liked that point. I said "Here is a 

 man who is going to look after livestock." I did not think you were 

 going to reverse and have me change my opinion so quickly. 



Mr. Pace. Shall w^e leave hogs now and go to the next commodity? 



If there are no further questions on hogs, we will take up eggs next. 



Is there presently a support price on eggs? 



Secretary Braxxax. Yes, sir. 



Mr. Pace. ^Yhat is the support price? 



Secretary Braxxan. The support price on eggs is around 35 cents 

 a dozen at the farm. 



Mr. Pace. How has that support been maintained — through the 

 purchase of what? 



Secretary Brannan. Through the purchase from driers of dried 



^Ir. Pace. WTiat has been the cost annuallv in the last 2 or 3 years? 



Mr. Willis. In 1937, it was $13,209,000; iii 1948, it is $25,928,000; 

 and estimated for 1949, it is $7,760,000. That estimate for 1949 was 

 a budget estimate that was given to the Appropriations Committee 

 in February. Since that time that figure would be increased. 



Mr. Pace. Those losses in 1947 and 1948 are total losses — or is 

 that the amount purchased? 



Mr. Willis. Those are the amounts of losses as a result of the 

 purchases. 



Mr. Murray. He said 35 cents a dozen at the farm. That does 

 not mean a thing to me, because what kind of eggs are you talking 

 about? You grade eggs; every farmer I know grades eggs. What is 

 that 35 cents a dozen for — any kind of eggs — pullet eggs, large eggs, 

 or small eggs? 



