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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

APPROPRIATIONS FOR 1965

U.S. CONGRESS. HOUSE

HEARINGS

BEFORE A

SUBCOMMITTEE OF THE

COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

EIGHTY-EIGHTH CONGRESS

SECOND SESSION

SUBCOMMITTEE ON DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS

JAMIE L. WHITTEN, Mississippi, Chairman

WILLIAM H. NATCHER, Kentucky

JOSEPH P. ADDABBO, New York

WALT HORAN, Washington
ROBERT H. MICHEL, Illinois

Ross P. POPE, Staff Assistant to the Subcommittee

PART 1

BUDGET FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE GENERAL AGRICULTURAL OUTLOOK

SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE

30-080

Printed for the use of the Committee on Appropriations

U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE

WASHINGTON: 1964

COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS

CLARENCE CANNON, Missouri, Chairman

GEORGE H. MAHON, Texas
HARRY R. SHEPPARD, California
ALBERT THOMAS, Texas
MICHAEL J. KIRWAN, Ohio
JAMIE L. WHITTEN, Mississippi
GEORGE W. ANDREWS, Alabama
JOHN J. ROONEY, New York
J. VAUGHAN GARY, Virginia
JOHN E. FOGARTY, Rhode Island
ROBERT L. F. SIKES, Florida
OTTO E. PASSMAN, Louisiana
JOE L. EVINS, Tennessee

EDWARD P. BOLAND, Massachusetts
WILLIAM H. NATCHER, Kentucky
DANIEL J. FLOOD, Pennsylvania
WINFIELD K. DENTON, Indiana
TOM STEED, Oklahoma

JOSEPH M. MONTOYA, New Mexico
GEORGE E. SHIPLEY, Illinois
JOHN M. SLACK, JR., West Virginia
JOHN LESINSKI, Michigan
JOHN J. FLYNT, Georgia

NEAL SMITH, Iowa

ROBERT N. GIAIMO, Connecticut

JULIA BUTLER HANSEN, Washington EDWARD R. FINNEGAN, Illinois CHARLES S. JOELSON, New Jersey JOSEPH P. ADDABBO, New York JOHN J. MCFALL, California

BEN F. JENSEN, Iowa
WALT HORAN, Washington

GERALD R. FORD, JR., Michigan

HAROLD C. OSTERTAG, New York

FRANK T. BOW, Ohio

CHARLES RAPER JONAS, North Carolina
MELVIN R. LAIRD, Wisconsin

ELFORD A. CEDERBERG, Michigan
GLENARD P. LIPSCOMB, California
JOHN J. RHODES, Arizona
JOHN R. PILLION, New York
WILLIAM E. MINSHALL, Ohlo
ROBERT H. MICHEL, Illinois

SILVIO O. CONTE, Massachusetts
WILLIAM H. MILLIKEN, JR., Pennsylvania
EARL WILSON, Indiana

ODIN LANGEN, Minnesota

WILLIAM HENRY HARRISON, Wyoming BEN REIFEL, South Dakota

LOUIS C. WYMAN, New Hampshire

II

KENNETH SPRANKLE, Clerk and Staff Director

521

2165

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE APPROPRIATIONS

FOR 1965

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 1964.

SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE

WITNESSES

HON. ORVILLE L. FREEMAN, SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE JOSEPH M. ROBERTSON, ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT SECRETARY CHARLES L. GRANT, DIRECTOR OF FINANCE AND BUDGET OFFICER, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

INTRODUCTORY REMARKS

Mr. WHITTEN. Gentlemen, the committee will come to order for the purpose of considering the Agriculture appropriations for the 1965 fiscal year.

Mr. Secretary, we are pleased to have you and your associates here today to present the needs as you see them for the coming fiscal year. I introduced two resolutions today trying to offset the Supreme Court decision in the Georgia case, having to do with congressional districts. In my opinion that decision goes beyond the authority of the Court. However, if the congressional districts were to be divided according to the Supreme Court formula, it would result in 27 seats from rural and farm areas being transferred to the city areas. This will, of course, have the effect of reducing those with rural or agricultural districts by what amounts to 54 votes.

I mention that because it gets harder and harder with reference to problems of American agriculture, to get the attention of the Members, of the press, and of the American people who are so dependent on it. Therefore, the record we make in these hearings to a great degree determines what success we may have in trying to sell the consumers on their needs for a fine Department of Agriculture. In this day and time, with disease and pestilence, with minimum wage laws, the right of labor to organize and to bargain, and right of industries to mark up above their costs their margin of profit, certainly. there is no way for us to have a sound agriculture without the Department of Agriculture. I would like to point out for the record that the consumer in this country is most dependent upon the Department of Agriculture for the supply of food and fiber at a very low cost. The land in many countries is worn out today because consumers demand food and fiber below the cost of production, not permitting protection of the soil.

Mr. Secretary, you may proceed.

(1)

GENERAL STATEMENT OF THE SECRETARY

Secretary FREEMAN. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman, and also for your very thoughtful and wise remarks.

I would only add to them by way of a supplement that not only this record but the skill with which the appropriations as determined initially by this subcommittee have been carried to the full committee, to the House and to the Senate, has been largely responsible for overcoming the very real difficulties which the chairman accurately describes. I have said again and again, when I was asked what was the most difficult part of the assignment of being Secretary of Agriculture, that the need to overcome the relative indifference and lack of knowledge of the great majority of the American people as to the importance of agriculture to them, is the greatest problem and the greatest frustra

tion.

Literally there aren't very many places in the United States where today I can even have a press conference and get meaningful questions asked on this subject. It is a constant struggle to try and inform people about it and there is an unfortunate tendency to accept what seemingly comes easy, which is the abundance of food and fiber, which pours from our farms and is the underpinning of our economic strength. These have come so easily to most people that they fail to realize their importance or significance.

Mr. WHITTEN. The tragedy there, Mr. Secretary, is that it is not a case of the press or the television or radio stations failing to recognize your ability, your capacity, or your position. What bothers me about it is they feel what their readers are not interested in hearing or reading about agriculture.

You might be interested in this. I have to have a little fun now and then and there is an element of truth in this.

I spoke to the Agronomist Society in the Southern States back shortly before Congress convened. They were most gracious in their introduction and I told them that I appreciated it, but perhaps the greatest service I had done for agriculture was when I got Mr. Cannon to put me on the Public Works Subcommittee, so the other members realized they couldn't kick agriculture around without having to face me on the other committee.

You might proceed.

Secretary FREEMAN. That is a very practical way to put it.

Mr. Chairman, I have a statement. I don't want to burden this committee unduly. but I think it is a useful one.

Mr. WHITTEN. We probably would save time if you would follow it, Mr. Secretary.

RURAL AREAS DEVELOPMENT

Secretary FREEMAN. A year ago, when I appeared before this distinguished committee, I described a major effort then underway in the Department to begin directing Federal resources through locally developed and locally administered programs in rural America for the purpose of creating new jobs and new economic opportunity.

At that time, I described this effort-which we call rural areas development-in terms of plans and programs largely made possible by the Food and Agriculture Act of 1962, that we hoped to begin during

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