APPROPRIATION BILL FOR 1941 HEARINGS BEFORE THE SUBCOMMITTEE OF THE COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. SEVENTY-SIXTH CONGRESS THIRD SESSION ON THE AGRICULTURAL DEPARTMENT Printed for the use of the Committee on Appropriations UNITED STATES WASHINGTON: 1940 APPROPRIATION BILL FOR 1941 HEARINGS BEFORE THE SUBCOMMITTEE OF THE COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS longues HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES S21 7165 COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS EDWARD T. TAYLOR, Colorado, Chairman CLARENCE CANNON, Missouri J. BUELL SNYDER, Pennsylvania ROSS A. COLLINS, Mississippi JOHN TABER, New York RICHARD B. WIGGLESWORTH, Massachusetts J. WILLIAM DITTER, Pennsylvania 6168 DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE APPROPRIATION BILL, 1941 HEARINGS CONDUCTED BY THE SUBCOMMITTEE, MESSRS. CLARENCE CANNON (CHAIRMAN), MALCOLM C. TARVER, CHARLES H. LEAVY, DAVID D. TERRY, ROSS A. COLLINS, WILLIAM P. LAMBERTSON, EVERETT M. DIRKSEN AND CHARLES A. PLUMLEY, OF THE COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, IN CHARGE OF THE AGRICULTURE DEPARTMENT APPROPRIATION BILL FOR THE FISCAL YEAR 1941, ON THE DAYS FOLLOWING, NAMELY: FRIDAY, DECEMBER 8, 1939. STATEMENT OF HON. HENRY A. WALLACE, SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE GENERAL STATEMENT Mr. CANNON, Mr. Secretary, we will be glad to hear any statement you care to make to the committee at this time. T committee is interested in a program which would give the farms of America a standard of living more nearly in line with the rest of the country and perhaps you especially could give us something on that subject. INCOME OF FARMERS IN RELATION TO WAGES OF EMPLOYED WORKERS Secretary WALLACE. I would be most happy to present anything which may not have been presented by Mr. Tolley the other day. Here is an exhibit which you might like to have in the record which has a bearing on the feeling that many people had during September that the farmers were profiteering at the expense of the rest of the population. This table indicates that the purchasing power of factory pay rolls, on an index basis for food at retail, was 26 percent greater than it was in 1929, in August of this year. It was 22 percent greater than in 1929, in September of this year. It was 27 percent greater than in 1929, in October of this year. In other words, the employed workers today have a greater ability to buy food than at the time of presumably greater prosperity, in 1929. Mr. CANNON. Is that due to higher wages or increased employment? Secretary WALLACE. Well, I would say that it is due particularly to the low prices of farm products, and also to the fact that the unit wages are rather high in comparison to 1929, or putting it another way, the workers' wages compared with 1929 have held up better than farm prices. 1 |