HEARINGS BEFORE THE COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE SIXTY-EIGHTH CONGRESS FIRST SESSION ON H. R. 5563 BY MR. HAUGEN A BILL DECLARING AN EMERGENCY IN RESPECT TO CERTAIN AGRICULTURAL COMMODITIES AND TO PROMOTE EQUALITY BETWEEN AGRICULTURAL COMMODITIES AND OTHER COMMODITIES MCNARY-HAUGEN BILL COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Washington, D. C., Monday, January 21, 1924. The committee met at 10 o'clock a. m., pursuant to the adjournment of Saturday, January 19, 1924, Hon. Gilbert N. Haugen (chairman) presiding. Present: Representatives Haugen (chairman), Purnell, Voigt, Tincher, Williams, Sinclair, Thompson, Clague, Clarke, Ketcham, Kincheloe, Jones, Swank, Rubey, Johnson, and Doyle. The CHAIRMAN. We are to take up this morning H. R. 5563. STATEMENT OF GILBERT N. HAUGEN (Chairman.). Mr. HAUGEN. I shall make a brief statement as to what the bill proposes to do if that is the desire of the committee. To begin with, it creates a commission to be known as the United States agricultural export commission, to consist of the Secretary of Agriculture, the Secretary of Commerce, the Secretary of the Treasury, the Chairman of the United States Tariff Commission, and three directors appointed by the President by and with the consent of the Senate. It is to terminate in not to exceed 10 years. The employees are to be appointed subject to civil-service regulations. The President is to appoint the administrative commissioner, at a salary of $10,000 a year, and the commission shall appoint a secretary at a salary of $6,000. The bill appropriates $50,000 for expenses. The President, upon recommendation by the commission, is authorized to terminate the emergency declared. Section 22 provides that if the commission finds that there is a surplus for the export of wheat, flour, corn, raw cotton, wool, cattle, sheep and swine, or any products of cattle, sheep or swine, and that the domestic price thereof, determined by the world and the ratio prices in respect to the commodity be in excess of the domestic price thereof, the commission shall notify the President and, upon such notification, the President is authorized to declare that a special emergency exists as to such agricultural commodity. The definition of basic agriculture means any commodity produced in the United States in respect to which a special emergency has been declared, and the commission will then publish a price to be known as the ratio price, to be determined as follows: First, the ratio price of such basic agricultural commodity for any month shall bear the same relation to the current all-commodities price as the pre-war prices bear to the pre-war all-commodity price. Mr. CLARKE. Have you a series of tables on that, Mr. Chairman ! The CHAIRMAN. Yes, I have the table prepared by the Bureau of Labor Statistics which I shall insert. 1 |