Mr. WHITTEN. I pointed out the other day that several of us, Mr. Horan and I, were on the subcommittee several years ago when, in order to keep section 32 funds available for its purposes, we proposed in the committee report that preference be given to supporting perishable commodities. Subsequently this was written into the act. Has the Department ever made a determination as to what the meaning of that language was, or what percentage it takes to meet the requirements of the language?

Mr. SMITH. Yes. The Department has made the determination that at least 51 percent must be devoted to perishables.

Mr. WHITTEN. Now, turning to clause No. 2, I quote:

Encourage the domestic consumption of such commodities or products by diverting them, by the payment of benefits or indemnities or by other means from the normal channels of trade and commerce, or by increasing their utilization through benefits, indemnities, donations, or by other means among persons in low-income groups as determined by the Secretary of Agriculture.

Now, in the recent discussions in connection with cotton, and the textile mills' insistence that some relief be given to them from the present support price level, it was my belief, and I believe so now, that clause No. 2 is broad enough to cover that, in the event there is a proper determination made. That is something that we can discuss with the Solicitor. But I will ask you if you have also a compilation of the use of this section by commodities, through the years, as to what has been used?

Mr. SMITH. We have a compilation.

Mr. LENNARTSON. It appears on the table I just handed you, but we have it in other detail here.

(The material referred to is as follows:)

Removal of surplus agricultural commodities (sec. 32)—Continued
[Obligations by programs and commodities, fiscal years 1936-62]

Total.

11,760, 500

1,248

361, 608

1,087, 152 19, 616, 389 3,807, 920 60, 729, 527

7,668

30,975, 950 14, 202, 731

599 39, 166, 086

4, 547, 169 117, 688, 299 25, 780, 478

1,902, 929, 160 137,737, 371 312, 465, 574 28, 241, 495 282, 190, 472 2,663, 564, 072

1 Excludes $34,500,000 for potatoes and truck crops in 1943 for which a commodity breakdown is not available.

Mr. WHITTEN. The one you gave me, does that include actions taken under all sections?

Mr. LENNARTSON. The first column, purchases, is clause 2 and diversion.

Mr. WHITTEN. Yes. I would suggest you make a proper descriptive term at the top of the table so it will clearly stand out and indicate the reference to the clause under which the action was taken.