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possible and, given the propor market support, it v.'ill be done. Any novo 

 to establish ceiling prices vj-hich will weaken this support will have a 

 definite destructive effect on the production of apples. 



Following a meeting of the National Apple Planning Committee and 

 a meeting of the apple grov/ers of the Northeast, at which price ceilings 

 v;ere discussed, it was concluded that ceiling prices on apples v;ould be 

 impractical and have a tendency to discourage the greatest production of 

 apples. 



Apples are highly perishable, subject to t he vagaries of weather, 

 deterioration and many other factors beyond the control of growers. Arbi- 

 trary controls introduced into such situations do not provide for suffi- 

 ciently flexible adjustments for these rapidly changing conditions. 



However, if our Government is committed to ceiling prices on all 

 commodities, to control inflation and protect the consumer from run-away 

 prices, the apple grov/ers stand ready to cooperate v;ith it. 



To make the plan simple and easily understood by the consumer and 

 easily enforced, v/e suggest that should there be such a price ceiling, it 

 be a price ceiling to the consumer v/ith no other control along the line. 

 This price should be sot high enough to encourage the largest production 

 of the best grade of the most desirable variety grown in the most remote 

 areas of production. 



We feel that should such a ceiling be established with an average 

 crop of apples well distributed in all producing areas, as was predicted by 

 the National Apple Planning Committee, it would provide a chance for the 

 law of supply and demand to work as nearly normally as possible. 



IN CONCLUSION: 1. Vie do not believe arbitrary price controls 

 are for the best interests of the producers or the consumers 

 in that they discourage production and hamper distribution. 



2. If a ceiling is to be applied, it should 

 be applied only on the retail price, 



3. The Apple Industry is highly competitive, 

 both vrithin itself and with othJer fruits. If a price ceiling 



is applied, we suggest it be applied at a level that will inter- 

 fere as little as possible xrith the normal laxt of supply and 

 demand. 



FARI/I LABOR PROBLEII BEING SOLVED 



Vfith emergency farm labor assistants appointed for all counties 

 and with state and federal agencies coordinating their efforts, Massachu- 

 setts is rapidly developing a program which should effectively handle the 

 farm labor problem. 



The program developed by tho Massachusetts Farm Labor Committee 

 is right in line with the federal farm labor plan which went into offect 



