In recent measures that we have enacted, and in the programs which have been in operation, and are now in operation, and which are for that purpose, we have tried to make cotton competitive. Synthetics are making inroads, and cotton, as a commodity, is in danger unless we can do something to stop this. The producers of these synthetic fibers are spending huge sums of money in research and in promotion. The bill which I have introduced has for its purpose some aid for cotton which we have not yet provided.

I want to say at the outset this will not be called a Cooley tax bill. Everytime we pass a bill out, it has been called a Cooley tax bill. [Laughter.]

This is a bill to authorize the farmers to express themselves freely in terms of a referendum, as to whether or not they want to make a contribution to this endeavor. It will be a voluntary contribution and I have a feeling that the farmers will accept it and will make the contribution necessary to finance the program.

One other effect will be that it will relieve the farmer of the criticism of being some sort of a parasite on Government funds. Actually, it is a program to permit the farmers to do something for themselves. (H.R. 12322, introduced by Mr. Cooley, and departmental report follow :)

[H.R. 12322, 89th Cong., 2d sess.]

A BILL To enable cottongrowers to establish, finance, and carry out a coordinated program of research and promotion to improve the competitive position of, and to expand markets for, cotton

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That this Act shall be known as the Cotton Research and Promotion Act.

LEGISLATIVE FINDINGS AND DECLARATION OF POLICY

SEC. 2. Cotton is the basic natural fiber of the Nation. It is produced by many individual cottongrowers throughout the various cotton-producing States of the Nation. Cotton moves in large part in the channels of interstate and foreign commerce and such cotton which does not move in such channels directly burdens or affects interstate commerce in cotton and cotton products. All cotton produced in the United States is in the current of interstate or foreign commerce or directly burdens, obstructs, or affects interstate or foreign commerce in cotton and cotton products. The efficient production of cotton and the maintenance and expansion of existing markets and the development of new or improved markets and uses is vital to the welfare of cottongrowers and those concerned with marketing, using, and processing cotton as well as the general economy of the Nation. In the years since World War II, United States cotton and the products thereof have been confronted with intensive competition, both at home and abroad, for foreign-grown cotton and from other fiibers, primarily manmade fibers. The great inroads on the market and uses for United States cotton which have been made by manmade fibers have been largely the result of extensive research and promotion which have not been effectively matched by cotton research and promotion. The production and marketing of cotton by numerous individuals farmers have prevented the development and carrying out of adequate and coordinated programs of research and promotion necessary to the maintenance and improvement of the competitive position of, and markets for, cotton. Without an effective and coordinated method for assuring cooperative and collective action in providing for, and financing such programs, individual cotton farmers are unable adequately to provide or obtain the research and promotion necessary to maintain and improve markets for cotton.

It has long been found to be in the public interest to have, or endeavor to have, a reasonable balance between the supply of and demand for cotton grown in this country. To serve this public interest the Congress has provided for the com

prehensive exercise of regulatory authority in regulating the handling of such cotton supplemented by price-support programs with the objective of adjusting supply to demand in the interest of benefiting producers and all others concerned with the production and handling of cotton as well as the general economy of the country. In order for the objective of such programs to be effectuated to the fullest degree, it is necessary that the existing regulation of marketing be supplemented by providing as part of the overall governmental program for effectuating this objective, means of increasing the demand for cotton with the view of eventually reducing or eliminating the need for limiting marketings and supporting the price of cotton.

It is therefore declared to be the policy of the Congress and the purpose of this Act that it is essential in the public interest through the exercise of the powers provided herein, to authorize and enable the establishment of an orderly procedure for the development, financing through adequate assessments on all cotton harvested in the United States, and carrying out an effective and continuous coordinated program of research and promotion designed to strengthen cotton's competitive position and to maintain and expand domestic and foreign markets and uses for United States cotton.

COTTON RESEARCH AND PROMOTION ORDERS

SEC. 3. To effectuate the declared policy of this Act, the Secretary shall. subject to the provisions of this Act, issue and from time to time amend, orders applicable to persons engaged in the harvesting, marketing, ginning, or other handling of cotton, hereinafter referred to as handlers. Such orders shall be applicable to all production or marketing areas, or both, in the United States.

NOTICE AND HEARING

SEC. 4. Whenever the Secretary has reason to believe that the issuance of an order will tend to effectuate the declared policy of this Act, he shall give due notice and opportunity for a hearing upon a proposed order. Such hearing may be requested and a proposal for an order submitted by any cotton producer organization certified pursuant to section 14 of this Act or by any other interested person or persons, including the Secretary. The consideration and formulation of the terms of any such proposed order for submittal to the Secretary or the carrying out or compliance with any provision of this Act or any order or regulation issued pursuant thereto shall not be held as to be in violation of any of the antitrust laws of the United States and shall be deemed to be lawful.

FINDING AND ISSUANCE OF AN ORDER

SEC. 5. After notice and opportunity for hearing as provided in section 4, the Secretary shall issue an order if he finds, and sets forth in such order, upon the evidence introduced at such hearing, that the issuance of such order and all the terms and conditions thereof will tend to effectuate the declared policy of this Act.

PERMISSIVE TERMS IN ORDERS

SEC. 6. Orders issued pursuant to this Act shall contain one or more of the following terms and conditions, and except as provided in section 7, no others. (a) Providing for the establishment, issuance, effectuation, and administration of appropriate plans or projects for the advertising and sales promotion of cotton and its products and for the disbursement of necessary funds for such purposes: Provided, however, That any such plan or project shall be directed toward increasing the general demand for cotton or its products but no reference to a private brand or trade name shall be made if the Secretary determines that such reference will result in undue discrimination against the cotton products of other persons: And provided further, That no such advertising or sales promotion programs shall make use of false or unwarranted claims in behalf of cotton or its products or false or unwarranted statements with respect to the quality, value, or use of any competing product.

(b) Providing for establishing and carrying on research and development projects and studies with respect to the production, ginning, processing, distribution, or utilization of cotton and its products, to the end that the marketing and utilization of cotton may be encouraged, expanded, improved, or made more efficient, and for the disbursement of necessary funds for such purposes.

(c) Providing that handlers or any class of handlers maintain and make available for inspection such books and records as may be required by the order and for the filing of reports by such handlers at the times, in the manner, and having the content prescribed by the order, to the end that information and data shall be made available to the Cotton Board and to the Secretary which is appropriate or necessary to the effectuation, administration, or enforcement of the Act or of any order or regulation issued pursuant to this Act: Provided, however, That all information so obtained shall be kept confidential by all officers and employees of the Department of Agriculture and of the Cotton Board, and only such information so furnished or acquired as the Secretary deems relevant shall be disclosed by them, and then only in a suit or administrative hearing brought at the direction, or upon the request, of the Secretary of Agriculture, or to which he or any officer of the United States is a party, and involving the order with reference to which the information so to be disclosed was furnished or acquired. Nothing in this section shall be deemed to prohibit (1) the issuance of general statements based upon the reports of a number of handlers subject to an order, which statements do not identify the information furnished by any person, or (2) the publication by direction of the Secretary, of the name of any person violating any order, together with a statement of the particular provisions of the order violated by such person. Any such officer or employee violating the provisions of this section shall upon conviction be subject to a fine of not more than $1,000 or to imprisonment for not more than one year, or to both, and shall be removed from office.

(d) Terms and conditions incidental to and not inconsistent with the terms and conditions specified in this Act and necessary to effectuate the other provisions of such order.

REQUIRED TERMS IN ORDERS

SEC. 7. Orders issued pursuant to this Act shall contain the following terms and conditions:

(a) Providing for the establishment and selection by the Secretary, of a Cotton Board, and defining its powers and duties, which shall include only the powers:

(1) To administer such order in accordance with its terms and provisions; (2) To make rules and regulations to effectuate the terms and provisions of such order;

(3) To receive, investigate, and report to the Secretary complaints of violations of such order; and

(4) To recommend to the Secretary amendments to such order.

(b) Providing that the Cotton Board shall be composed of representatives of cotton producers selected by the Secretary from nominations submitted by eligible producer organizations within a State, as certified pursuant to section 14 of this Act, or, if the Secretary determines that a substantial number of producers are not members of or their interests are not represented by any such eligible producer organizations, from nominations made by producers in the manner authorized by the Secretary, so that the representation of cotton producers on the Board for each cotton-producing State shall reflect, to the extent practicable, the proportion which that State's marketings of cotton bears to the total marketings of cotton in the United States: Provided, however, That each cotton-producing State shall be entitled to at least one representative on the Cotton Board.

(c) Providing that the Cotton Board shall, subject to the provisions of subsection (g) of this section, develop and submit to the Secretary for his approval any advertising or sales promotion or research and development plans or projects, and that any such plan or project must be approved by the Secretary before becoming effective.

(d) Providing that the Cotton Board shall, subject to the provisions of subsection (g) of this section, submit to the Secretary for his approval, budgets on a fiscal period basis of its anticipated expenses and disbursements in the administration of the order, including probable costs of advertising and promotion and research and development projects.

(e) Providing that each handler of cotton, as prescribed by the order, shall collect from the producer or other person for whom the cotton, including cotton owned by the handler, is being handled, and shall pay to the Cotton Board, an assessment prescribed by the order, on the basis of bales of cotton handled, for

such expenses and expenditures, including provision for a reasonable reserve, as the Secretary finds are reasonable and likely to be incurred by the Cotton Board under the order, during any period specified by him. The initial rate of assessment prescribed by the order shall be $1 per bale of cotton handled, and such rate may not be changed except by amendment of the order, recommended by the Cotton Board, approved by the Secretary, and adopted by cotton producers in a referendum pursuant to section 8. The Secretary may maintain a suit against any person subject to the order for the collection of such assessment, and the several district courts of the United States are hereby vested with jurisdiction to entertain such suits regardless of the amount in controversy: Provided, That the remedies provided in this section shall be in addition to, and not exclusive of, the remedies provided for elsewhere in this Act or now or hereafter existing at law or in equity.

(f) Providing that the Cotton Board shall maintain such books and records and prepare and submit such reports from time to time, to the Secretary as he may prescribe, and for appropriate accounting by the Cotton Board with respect to the receipt and disbursement of all funds entrusted to it.

(g) Providing that the Cotton Board, with the approval of the Secretary, shall enter into contracts or agreements for the development and carrying out of the activities authorized under the order pursuant to section 6 (a) and (b), and for the payment of the costs thereof with funds collected pursuant to the order, with an organization or association whose governing body consists of cotton producers selected by the cotton producer organizations certified by the Secretary under section 14, in such manner that the producers of each cotton-producing State will, to the extent practicable, have representation on the governing body of such organization in the proportion that the cotton marketed by the producers of each State bears to the total cotton marketed by the producers of all States, subject to adjustment to reflect lack of participation in the program by reason of refunds under section 11. Any such contract or agreement shall provide that such contracting organization or association shall develop and submit annually to the Cotton Board, for the purpose of review and making recommendations to the Secretary, a program of research, advertising, and sales promotion projects, together with a budget, or budgets, which shall show the estimated cost to be incurred for such projects, and that any such projects shall become effective upon approval by the Secretary. Any such contract or agreement shall also provide that the contracting organization shall keep accurate records of all its transac tions and make an annul report to the Cotton Board of activities carried out and an accounting for funds received and expended, and such other reports as the Secretary may require.

(h) Providing that no funds collected by the Cotton Board under the order shall in any manner be used for the purpose of influencing governmental policy or action, except as provided by subsection (a) (4) of this section.

REQUIREMENT OF REFERENDUM AND COTTON PRODUCER APPROVAL

SEC. 8. The Secretary shall conduct a referendum among cotton producers for the purpose of ascertaining whether the issuance of an order is approved or favored by producers. No order issued pursuant to this Act shall be effective unless the Secretary determines that the issuance of such order is approved or favored by not less than two-thirds of the cotton producers voting in such referendum who, during a representative period determined by the Secretary, have been engaged in the production of cotton, or by cotton producers voting in the referendum who, during such representative period, have produced at least two-thirds of the volume of the cotton produced.

SUSPENSION AND TERMINATION OF ORDERS

SEC. 9. (a) The Secretary shall, whenever he finds that any order issued under this Act, or any provision thereof, obstructs or does not tend to effectuate the declared policy of this Act, terminate or suspend the operation of such order or such provision thereof.

(b) The Secretary may conduct a referendum at any time, and shall hold a referendum on request of 10 per centum or more of the number of cotton producers voting in the referendum approving the order, to determine whether cotton producers favor the termination or suspension of the order, and he shall

suspend or terminate such order at the end of the marketing year, as defined in the order, whenever he determines that suspension or termination of the order is approved or favored by a majority of the producers of cotton voting in such referendum who, during a representative period determined by the Secretary, have been engaged in the production of cotton, and who produced more than 50 per centum of the volume of the cotton produced by the cotton producers voting in the referendum.

(c) The termination or suspension of any order, or any provision thereof, shall not be considered an order within the meaning of this Act.

PROVISIONS APPLICABLE TO AMENDMENTS

SEC. 10. The provisions of this Act applicable to orders shall be applicable to amendments to orders.

PRODUCER REFUNDS

SEC. 11. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Act, any cotton producer against whose cotton any assessment is made and collected from him under the authority of this Act and who is not in favor of supporting the research and promotion program as provided for herein shall have the right to demand and receive from the Cotton Board a refund of such assessment: Provided, That such demand shall be made personally by such producer in accordance with regulations and on a form prescribed by the Board and approved by the Secretary within thirty days from the date on which such assessment was collected, stating the name and address of the handler making the collections, the date of the collection, and the quantity of cotton involved, supported by statements in writing from the handlers in the manner and form prescribed by the Board and approved by the Secretary that the sum for which refund is sought was collected from such producer. A record of each demand for a refund shall be made and such record shall be a matter of public record. No producer requesting a refund shall be eligible to vote in any subsequent referendum until all amounts refunded to him have been repaid to the Cotton Board unless the Cotton Board in accordance with regulations issued under the order waives such repayment.

PETITION AND REVIEW

SEC. 12. (a) Any person subject to any order may file a written petition with the Secretary, stating that any such order or any obligation imposed in connection therewith is not in accordance with law and praying for a modification thereof or to be exempted therefrom. He shall thereupon be given an opportunity for a hearing upon such petition, in accordance with regulations made by the Secretary. After such hearing, the Secretary shall make a ruling upon the prayer of such petition which shall be final, if in accordance with law.

(b) The district courts of the United States in any district in which such person is an inhabitant, or has his principal place of business, are hereby vested with jurisdiction to review such ruling, provided a complaint for that purpose is filed within twenty days from the date of the entry of such ruling. Service of process in such proceedings may be had upon the Secretary by delivering to him a copy of the complaint. If the court determines that such ruling is not in accordance with law, it shall remand such proceedings to the Secretary with directions either (1) to make such ruling as the court shall determine to be in accordance with law, or (2) to take such further proceedings as, in its opinion, the law requires. The pendency of proceedings instituted pursuant to subsection (a) of this section shall not impede, hinder, or delay the United States or the Secretary from obtaining relief pursuant to section 13 (a) of this Act.

ENFORCEMENT

SEC. 13. (a) The several district courts of the United States are vested with jurisdiction specifically to enforce, and to prevent and restrain any person from violating any order or regulation made or issued pursuant to this Act.

(b) Any person who willfully violates any provision of any order issued by the Secretary under this Act, or who willfully fails or refuses to pay or remit any assessment or fee duly required of him thereunder, shall be liable to a penalty of not more than $1,000 for each such offense which shall accrue to the United States and may be recovered in a civil suit brought by the United States.