4.S. Congress. House. HEARINGS BEFORE THE 4.- APR21 Copy 1966 →COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES EIGHTY-NINTH CONGRESS SECOND SESSION ON H.R. 12322 CARD EVISION KF27 1966f COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE HAROLD D. COOLEY, North Carolina, Chairman W. R. POAGE, Texas, Vice Chairman E. C. GATHINGS, Arkansas JOHN L. MCMILLAN, South Carolina ROLLAND REDLIN, North Dakota II PAUL B. DAGUE, Pennsylvania MRS. CATHERINE MAY, Washington RESIDENT COMMISSIONER SANTIAGO POLANCO-ABREU, Puerto Rico Mrs. CHRISTINE S. GALLAGHER, Clerk RVS 8 Je 66 CONGRESSIONALTM HEARINGS, PRINTS AND REPORTS CONTENTS H.R. 12322, a bill to enable cottongrowers to establish, finance, and carry out a coordinated program of research and promotion to improve the com- petitive position of, and to expand markets for, cotton__ Anderson, Don, member, Cotton Producers Institute Steering Commit- tee for High Plains area of Texas.. Bernard, Miss Nancy, "1966 Maid of Cotton," Lubbock, Tex. Buck, George S., Jr., director of research, National Cotton Council__ Caldwell, Mrs. Harry B., master of the North Carolina State Grange- Cortright, G. C., Jr., chairman of the board, National Cotton Council DeVancy, C. H., president, Texas Farm Bureau Evans, Hervey, Jr., chairman, Cotton Producers Institute Steering Funk, Jack, chairman, Cotton Producers Institute Steering Commit- 124 Girard, Clarence H., Deputy Administrator, Regulatory Programs, ture___ Graham, Harry L., legislative representative, National Grange. 137 113 103 Johnson, Reuben L., director, legislative services, National Farmers Kennedy, J. Russell, executive committee, Cotton Producers Institute_ Mann, Lon, member, Cotton Producers Institute Steering Committee Munn, Lewis, president, Oklahoma Farm Bureau, as read by Walter L. tion_. 121 93 123 Shuman, Charles B., president, American Farm Bureau Federation__ 67, 77 99 Lanier, William L., president, Georgia Farm Bureau Federation, letter McAden H. Wesley, executive vice president, American Cotton Com- Schnittker, Hon. John A., Acting Secretary of Agriculture, letter of Stevens, Boswell, president, Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation, 103 III Additional information submitted to the committee: Excerpts from remarks by Robert E. Brooker, president, Montgom- ery Ward, before the National Cotton Council of America, Jackson- Farm organizations that approved Cotton Producers Institute... "Product Promotion" by Edward Dailey, Purdue University. Promotion of agricultural commodities, a resolution adopted at an- COTTON RESEARCH AND PROMOTION PROGRAM TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 1966 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Washington, D.C. The committee met, pursuant to notice, at 10:10 a.m., in room 1301, Longworth House Office Building, Washington, D.C., Hon. Harold D. Cooley (chairman) presiding. Present: Representatives Cooley, Poage, Gathings, Abernethy, Abbitt, Jones of Missouri, Hagen of California, Purcell, O'Neal, Foley, Stalbaum, de la Garza, Vigorito, Redlin, Bandstra, Greigg, Callan, Dague, Teague of California, Quie, Findley, Dole, Burton of Utah, Walker of Mississippi and Polanco-Abreu. Also present: Martha Hannah, staff; Hyde H. Murray, assistant clerk; John J. Heimburger, counsel; and Francis LeMay, consultant. The CHAIRMAN. The committee will please be in order. I want to make just a brief statement before we call the first witness. I am certain that all of you know that this committee has been intensely interested in the cotton industry for many years, and for many years prior to January 1, 1953, our programs have operated very successfully and very well. We have maintained the farm income and have stabilized farm prices. Actually, that has been true for the last several years. Prior to January 1, 1953, the market prices had averaged 100 percent of parity or more. On January 1, 1952, the cotton program alone showed a net profit to the taxpayers of roughly $8 million. The price support programs on all of the basic commodities, through all of the years, showed a net profit of $17 million. Since that time we have accumulated tremendous surpluses, and we have sustained gigantic losses. The losses in the commodities run to more than $2 billion at the present time, and we are still faced with the problem of dealing with surpluses which we now have on hand. Our farmers have cooperated with the Government in every way possible. We have decreased production. We have a cotton bill now in operation. We had one just preceding that which proved to be very expensive but which we think revitalized the textile industry of America. The textile industry is important not only to the farmers but to all segments of the cotton economy. It is very important to my own State of North Carolina. We have more spindles in North Carolina than in any State in the Union. We have more people employed in our textile mills than in any State in the Union, and it is necessary for us to maintain the cotton industry. 1 |