1192 GENERAL FARM PROGRAM 



Mr. Pace. That is assuming that the committee would also enact 

 the new parity formula of the Secretary. That is not contemplated 

 in connection with the trial program. 



Mr. Pick ELL. Mr. Pace, the impression out in the country is that 

 it is going to be that $19 and the fellows are saving their gilts to breed 

 and they are saving their young sows and rebreeding thorn. 



Mr. Pace. It seems funny to me that you say that the hog producers. 

 of this country are prepared to go wild on a plan submitted by the 

 Secretary of Agriculture which certainly cannot be said to have had 

 an overly enthusiastic reception by the Congress as against a law 

 which is now In the books, known as the Aiken bill, and which abso- 

 lutely prohibits the Secretary of Agriculture next year from supporting 

 the price of hogs at any figure. It not only does not authorize him 

 him to do it, but it prohibits him from doing it. 



I am not going along with you that any considerable number of 

 intelligent hog growers of this nation are preparing to act under the 

 Secretary's proposal and have overlooked the statute already on the 

 books that goes into effect on the 1st day of January and prohibits, 

 the support price of any hogs. 



You are not going to have a dime of support price next year as the 

 matter stands now. You will not have 5 cents. You will not have 

 1 cent support. If the hog growers are doing all the things you are 

 talking about, keeping back the gilts, keeping back the sows, trying 

 to produce great litters of pigs this fall, then they are making the 

 greatest gamble of anybody I have ever heard of in this country in 

 two respects. 



First, they are gambling on the Secretary's proposal going into effect 

 and they are gambling on the fact that they are going to get a support 

 price with the present law absolutely prohibiting it. With all kind- 

 ness to you, Mr. Pickell, what you are telling me does not add up, 

 not under the rule that two and two makes four. Are there any 

 questions? 



Mr. Andresen. Mr. Chairman, by that statement do you mean 

 this committee does not propose to get out any legislation to give the 

 hog farmers and others support for 1950? 



\Ir. Pace. I certainly hope this committee will. The gentleman, 

 however, knows as well as I do that there is a statute on the books now 

 known as the Aiken bill. 



Mr. Pickell. I do not think the farmers appreciate that, Mr. 

 Pace. 



Mr. Pace. Which absolutely prohibits any support price on hogs 

 in 1950. 



Mr. Pickell. I do not think the farmers of the country appreciate 

 that at all. 



Mr. Pace. It has been testified before this committee with a great 

 deal of publicity. 



Mr. PoAGE. That is exactly what this organization ought to be 

 doing, letting these people know what the law is. 



Mr. Pickell. We certainly hope that you gentlemen will come out 

 with something. 



Mr. Pace. Let me say in response to the question offered by the 

 gentleman from Minnesota, that I do not agree with that law. I do 

 not know of anything that would be more disastrous to this Nation 

 than for that law to go into effect on the 1st day of January. For 



