GENERAL FARM PROGRAM 1193 



my part, I think hogs and eveiy other agricnltural product are entitled 

 to a support price. I want to be crystal clear on that point. 



Mr. Andresen. I am glad the chairman has stated that. As we 

 have been sitting here for 5 months now, 1 have been ready every day 

 to wi'ite a law that would give us that protection for the farmers of 

 the country. I am hoping the majority will get busy and permit us 

 to get out a bill that will do the very thing the chairman has suggested. 

 Your organization is a practical operating organization, is it not? 



Mr. PicKELL. We feed hogs, cattle, and sheep, yes, sir. We are 

 farmers. 



Mr. Andresen. When the Secretary made his original proposal he 

 said that the payments would be made to the feed(>rs of hogs and cattla 

 but not to the original producers. Do you recall that statement? 



Mr. PicKELL. No, I was not here. Yesterday he said it would be 

 to the producers. I could not distinguish whether it was going to be 

 producers or feeders or who would get it. I do not think the thing is 

 practical at all. 



Mr. Andresen. I think vou have made an excellent statement here 

 from the practical angle of it rather than from the theoretical angle 

 of it. 



Mr. Pick ELL. That is what we are up against. 



Mr. Hill. Mr. Chairman, I want to add one word here, since poli- 

 tics has been brought into this committee for the first time since I 

 have been a member of this committee. I wish you would tell me, on 

 page 10 what you mean b}^ this. You have almost sold me that I am 

 for this Brannan plan because it says here that if this plan goes into 

 efl'ect, as a political measure it would be suicide. 



Mr. Granger. I think you would if you thought it would do the 

 job. 



Mr. Hill. I am not so sure tiiat the gentleman is not correct be- 

 cause you could not get into a worse mess than you have us in at the 

 present time. 



Mr. Granger. May I ask the gentleman a question? 



I think when I asked you a question once before about what we were 

 to do about this program, your answer to me was that the Secretary 

 had gotten himself out on a limb and now we would let him get oft' from 

 it. is that not right. 



Mr. PiCKELL. No. 



Mr. Granger. Was that not you? 



Mr. PicKELL. No, sir. 



Mr. Granger. If you do not see any practical way of supporting 

 the price of hogs, how would it be to introduce a bill striking the pro- 

 vision of the support price for hogs for this year out of the bill? 

 Would you agree to that? 



Mr. PiCKELL. The Corn Belt Livestock Feeders most emphatically 

 endorse that. 



Mr. Granger. They would like it stricken out? 



Mr. PicKELL. Yes, sir. We have never asked for support and we 

 do not want it now. 



Mr. Granger. That would be one way of settling this hog busi- 

 ness anyhow, would it not? 



Mr. PicKELL. That is right. 



Mr. Pace. And it would be your recommendation that the authori- 

 zation of the Secretary to support the price of ho{?s th\a vpm- h" re- 

 pealed? 



