1252 GENERAL FARM PROGRAM 



Mr. Pace. That is right, provided it is not perishable and its cost 

 is not excessive. 



Mr. Murray. We were talking about milk at the time and I guess 

 eggs are not any more perishable than dairy products are. 



Mr. Pace. I am making my statement on the basis of the statement 

 of the Solicitor of the Department and the Secretary of Agriculture, 

 himself, who happens to be the final authority. 



Mr. Murray. I am just going on what the Solicitor said. If their 

 Solicitor does not know what the law is, I certainly do not know. 



Mr. Andresen. Will the gentleman yield? Does the gentleman 

 think that the Secretary can support perishables under the Commodity 

 Credit Corporation or under the act of 1938? 



Mr. Pace. The act of 1938? 



Mr. Andresen. Yes, the domestic allotment plan and under the 

 Commodity Credit Act where he has been supporting the price of 

 potatoes and making producer payments. 



Mr. Pace. He cannot use Commodity Credit Corporation money 

 to do it. 



Mr. Andresen. You look it up and you will see that Ihat is what 

 he has been doing with potatoes. 



Mr. Pace. I know, but we have a later act and I will read it for the 

 third day into the record. I will ask the gentlemen to listen very 

 carefully, including Mr. Slocum: 



The Commodity Credit Corporation shall not carry on anj' operation to support 

 the price of any nonbasic agricultural commodity other than Irish potatoes which 

 is so perishable in nature as not to be reasonably storable without excessive loss 

 or excessive cost. 



Mr. Chairman. That would include eggs because they are reason- 

 ably storable and have been as long as you and I can remember. 



Mr. Andresen. For a trial run, Mr. Chairman, he can go under the 

 existing law and try this trial run without getting any legislation 

 for it, for the balance of 1949. 



Mr. Pace. Not with Commodity Credit Corporation funds. 



Mr. Andresen. You are reading from the Aiken bill there, are you 

 not? 



Mr. Pace. That is right, that is what we are talking about. 



Mr. Andresen. Is that in operation now? 



Mr. Pace. That is what we are discussing right now. The gentle- 

 man's testimony was referred to the Aiken law and what would happen 

 under the Aiken bill to eggs next year. 



Mr. Murray. I am glad to have the gentleman from Georgia ex- 

 plain it to us because evidently the members of the committee do 

 not know what is in the Aiken bill. 



Mr. Pace. Let me repeat for Mr. Slocum's information, because he 

 does represent quite a few growers, that the Secretary of Agriculture 

 testified before this committee Monda}^ morning that if the Aiken law 

 goes into effect on the first day of January the only commodities he 

 can support would be cotton, corn, wheat, rice, tobacco, peanuts, 

 wool, and Irish potatoes. There were eight of them and he named 

 them. I am gratified to hear that you and those for whom you speak 

 feel it would be unfortunate to permit that act to go into effect. 



Mr. Slocum. That is correct, sir. 



Mr. Pace, Are there any further questions? 



