DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE APPROPRIATIONS FOR 1964 HEARINGS BEFORE A SUBCOMMITTEE OF THE COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS FIRST SESSION UNIVERSITY SUBCOMMITTEE ON DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AND RELATED JAMIE L. WHITTEN, Mississippi, Charma WILLIAM H. NATCHER, Kentucky JOSEPH P. ADDABBO, New York 95547 WALT Ross P. POPE, Staff Assistant to the Subcommittee Washingt ᏢᎪᎡᎢ 1 BUDGET FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE GENERAL AGRICULTURAL OUTLOOK SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE Printed for the use of the Committee on Appropriations U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE WASHINGTON: 1963 COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS CLARENCE CANNON, Missouri, Chairman JAMIE L. WHITTEN, Mississippi JOSEPH M. MONTOYA, New Mexico GEORGE E. SHIPLEY, Illinois JOHN M. SLACK, JR., West Virginia JOHN LESINSKI, Michigan JOHN J. FLYNT, Georgia NEAL SMITH, Iowa ROBERT N. GIAIMO, Connecticut JULIA BUTLER HANSEN, Washington EDWARD R. FINNEGAN, Illinois CHARLES S. JOELSON, New Jersey JOSEPH P. ADDABBO, New York BEN F. JENSEN, Iowa GERALD R. FORD, JR., Michigan HAROLD C. OSTERTAG, New York FRANK T. BOW, Ohio CHARLES RAPER JONAS, North Carolina MELVIN R. LAIRD, Wisconsin ELFORD A. CEDERBERG, Michigan GLENARD P. LIPSCOMB, California JOHN R. PILLION, New York SILVIO O. CONTE, Massachusetts WILLIAM H. MILLIKEN, JR., Pennsylvania EARL WILSON, Indiana ODIN LANGEN, Minnesota WILLIAM HENRY HARRISON, Wyoming BEN REIFEL, South Dakota LOUIS C. WYMAN, New Hampshire KENNETH SPRANKLE, Clerk and Staff Director (11) DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE APPROPRIATIONS FOR 1964 MONDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 1963. SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE WITNESSES HON. ORVILLE L. FREEMAN, SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE JOHN A. BAKER, ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE JOSEPH M. ROBERTSON, ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT SECRETARY CHARLES L. GRANT, DIRECTOR OF FINANCE AND BUDGET OFFICER, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE INTRODUCTORY REMARKS Mr. WHITTEN. Gentlemen, the committee will come to order. Mr. Secretary, we are glad to have you and your associates with us today in connection with the justifications for the Department of Agriculture 1964 appropriations. I believe this is the 15th year that I have had the privilege of being either the ranking Democrat or the chairman of this subcommittee. Through the years we have had many, many problems. I think now, perhaps, we have some of the most difficult. The declining numbers engaged in agriculture causes many, many groups to pay little attention to them, politically and otherwise. However, as the number engaged in agriculture has declined, the total investment has greatly increased and the total risk has greatly increased. Further, the fine job that the American farmers, the few that are still in the business, have done has been primarily responsible for the ability of this Nation to spend 60 to 65 percent of its total governmental income for defense. This small group of farmers, doing the fine job they have, has enabled us to do that without a decline in our standard of living. Or, expressed another way, the 8 to 10 percent that are on the farm have freed the other 92 percent to defend our Nation and to run our factories and our industrial plants. The other thing that we have difficulty getting over to the American people is that agriculture is still the greatest single market for industry. And, with all due deference to the President and his argument about what reductions in taxes will do for the economy, I would point out here, and will point out to him in the event I have the opportunity, that a decline in farm purchasing power will do 10 times more damage than his tax reduction would provide any advantage. (1) |