(1) The number of potato growers voting from this area would be infinitesimal compared to the number of potato growers voting. (2) There are certain seasons of the year when we find it impossible to meet the requirements of the No. 2 potatoes on account of internal qualities. These potatoes we know are not worthless, and at times we have been able to salvage a considerable amount of money by being able to ship this grade. If it were possible to look into the center of a potato, we would certainly pick out these defects, but this we are not able to do. (3) We are against the word "commerce" in section 1g. It requires that shipments of potatoes be labeled intrastate and interstate. If any label must be required, we certainly feel that it should only govern interstate. (4) Restrictions are predicted on the present or future U. S. Grade Standard for potatoes. Future alterations in the grade standards can conceivably drastically alter the percentage of potato eliminations or the percentage of potatoes making various grades. (5) While the Secretary of Agriculture has the right to exempt certain areas from 100-percent inspection, it could be possible to later increase the cost of inspection to the required shippers in an area in order to take care of all inspection of potatoes grown by and sold by small growers locally. (6) We feel that the Department of Agriculture would be required to employ such a force of personnel to enforce these requirements that this alone would be a great burden to the taxpayers of the country. (7) Laws are now on the statute books to change the grading requirements of any given area. An area can enter into a market agreement when two-thirds of the growers of that area approve the agreement by vote. We feel this one thing gives any area an opportunity to adopt and enforce agreements without trying to regulate any other area. (8) Any overall marketing agreement covering the United States as a whole, would be favorable to some sections of the country and unfavorable to others due to the varietal types of potatoes and weather conditions. (9) No provisions are made for terminating legislation without an act of Congress. We feel that the late potato producing States that store potatoes might benefit considerably from this type of legislation. These growers have months to dispose of their crop while the growers in this area only have a few days when the potatoes are ready to dig. If there is any way possible to comply with the wishes of the late potato growers without affecting the early potato growers, we would be in full accord. Yours very truly, FRANK F. EARLE, President, Baldwin County Farm Bureau. BOSTON MARKET GARDENERS ASSOCIATION, INC., Waltham, Mass., April 10, 1957. Congressman GEORGE M. GRANT, Chairman, Domestic Marketing Committee, House of Representatives, Washington, D. C. DEAR CONGRESSMAN GRANT: We would like to have you record our organization-the Boston Market Gardeners Association-as opposed to the passage of the National Potato Grade Labeling Act. We would like you to record us at the hearing to be held April 15 and 16. We feel that the compulsory inspection of all potatoes would not only be a hardship on our small growers, but the cost would be so great as to force them out of business. We see no advantage whatsoever in this law for our potato growers. Very truly yours, JOHN ASOIAN, President. CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Washington, D. C., April 10, 1957. Hon. GEORGE M. GRANT, New House Office Building, Washington, D. C. DEAR COLLEAGUE: I understand that you are to hold hearings on the National Potato Grading Act on April 15 and 16. The West Virginia Potato Growers' Association is opposed to this bill. It is believed that the bill is discriminatory to the small producer and farmer in West Virginia. It will prohibit the sale of unclassified potatoes and place rigid grade requirements, which must be certified by an authorized USDA representative, whose inspection fee must be borne by the producer. The majority of the potatoes in West Virginia are raised by farmers who plant from 100 to 300 pounds of seed a year. This bill would prevent the sale of potatoes to their neighbors, local stores, and other outlets without adhering to rigid grading regulations, and unclassified potatoes could not be marketed. The bill would benefit largely the commercial producer (50,000 or more bushels) in areas outside West Virginia. It would increase the price of U. S. No. 1's and No. 2's, as they would be the only potatoes for table stock. Therefore, this bill would tend to further lower the income of the small West Virginia farmer as potatoes are produced largely as a supplemental cash crop on a family-unit basis. In view of the stand of the potato growers in my State, consequently, I will oppose this measure. It is my hope that you will carefully consider the small farmers in your hearings on this bill. Sincerely yours, Hon. GEORGE M. GRANT, House of Representatives, Washington, D. C. Harley O. Staggers. FRIDAY CANNING CORP., New Richmond, Wis., April 11, 1957. DEAR SIR: We understand that legislation to authorize mandatory inspection, grading, and labeling of white potatoes and to prohibit the marketing of potatoes that do not meet the standards of U. S. No. 2 is being introduced and will be the subject of hearings by the Domestic Marketing Subcommittee of the House Committee on Agriculture on April 15 and 16. We have read over the text of the proposed legislation H. R. 6409 and object to section 3, section 5, and section 7-C. We feel that there is no need to give the Secretary of Agriculture any discretionary authority over the supply of potatoes for canning, but that potatoes for canning should be completely exempt from the legislation. The canning industry provides potato growers a market for potatoes that are not desirable because of size for the fresh market. U. S. No. 2 or larger potatoes do not lend themselves well for canning as the consumer is interested in a larger count of potatoes per can, which can only be arrived at by the use of No. 3 or No. 4 potatoes. Regardless of the size of potato that is canned, they must be top quality and freshly dug. We shall appreciate your cooperation in opposing the proposed legislation as we want potatoes for canning completely exempt from the proposed law. Yours very truly, Representative GEORGE M. GRANT, Washington, D. C. O. V. OTTESON, Vice President. PATIO FOODS, INC., DEAR REPRESENTATIVE: When H. R. 6409, which concerns the grading and labeling and inspection of potatoes, comes up I would appreciate your considering the following: 1. That potatoes for canning be excluded from the legislation for the following reasons: (a) Canners use freshly dug potatoes and are largely unable to use large potatoes which are sold on the fresh market. Therefore, it provides a market for the otherwise unsaleable potatoes of the growers. (b) The Secretary of Agriculture is given discretionary powers to lead to a great deal of uncertainty each season. The canner will never know at what time or when the Secretary might use such discretionary powers and the effect that it will have upon the price of the potatoes. Actually there is a double uncertainty since we must face the results of grower referendums as well as the decision of the Secretary of Agriculture as to whether or not the No. 3 and No. 4 potatoes may be permitted for canning. (c) Any artificial influences on the price of the small potatoes could destroy the only market that could use them. Canners are already burdened with numerous regulations as well as marketing uncertainties. Therefore, we would appreciate any help that you can give and the consideration of this bill which we feel should exclude the potatoes for canning under its orders. Yours truly, LOUIS STUMBERG, President. ORE-IDA POTATO PRODUCTS, INC., Re National Potato Grade Labeling Act. Member of Congress, House of Representatives, Washington, D. C. DEAR CONGRESSMAN GRANT: It has come to our attention that there are a number of House bills pending before the Domestic Marketing Subcommittee of the House Committee on Agriculture. We have before us H. R. 6409. While we are in agreement that legislation is desirable to standardize grading and assist the potato growers, we feel that this bill as drawn and others of similar import would be harmful to the potato growers. There has been developed in recent years a new method of processing potatoes. This process has been advantageous to the growers in that it has created new markets and outlets for the potatoes. One of the greatest needs of all agriculture is to develop new methods of processing agricultural products; develop new outlets and new uses for agricultural products. The field of agricultural chemistry is most important to all farmers. Each time that a farm product can be used in a new method it would increase consumption to the benefit of the farmer. One of the best developments along this line is the freezing of potatoes. Heretofore, the farmers in this area have all been dependent upon fresh potato market with its violent fluctuations. Ore-Ida Potato Products, which is composed largely of farmers, has developed a method of freezing potato products. We produce 6 or 7 varieties of frozen potato products and are continuously working on new developments. This is made possible only by a large consumption of field-run potatoes. It is economically impossible to use U. S. No. 1 and U. S. No. 2 potatoes only in our process. We must depend upon a large supply of ungraded potatoes. This method of potato processing forms a firm foundation and a basic support for poato growers in our area. When our farmers know that they can contract at least a portion of their crop to the processing plant, this assures them of a return for their cost of seed, fertilizer, and harvesting. They are necessarily contracted on a field run basis. They are then free to sell the balance of the crop on the fresh potato market, and, of course, those potatoes are sold on grade. To discourage, impede, hinder, or annihilate this firm foundation to the farmers would be defeating the very purpose of proposed legislation. It is our suggestion that potatoes used for processing be completely eliminated from any legislation similar to H. R. 6409. This will allow the expansion and further development of new users for potatoes. We will be glad to furnish the committee with any additional information that might be helpful. Very truly yours, HON. GEORGE GRANT, F. NEPHI GRIGG, President. THE STATE OF ALABAMA, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AND INDUSTRIES, DEAR CONGRESSMAN GRANT: I received this morning a copy of a letter written to you by Mr. L. Irwin, chairman of the Baldwin County Potato Advisory Committee, Foley, Ala. Let me take this opportunity to urge you to use your influence in amending the National Potato Grade Labeling Act so that our low quality grade potatoes can go on the market. I am taking the privilege of asking the other Congressmen and Senators to work with you in reference to the act. Let me take this opportunity to congratulate you on the fine work you are doing on the Agricultural Committee in the House of Representatives. If there 91777-57--7 is further information that I can give you relative to our potato crop, please feel free to call on me. With kindest personal regards, I am Sincerely yours, A. W. TODD, Commissioner. WISCONSIN CANNERS ASSOCIATION, Hon. GEORGE M. Grant, Member of Congress, House Office Building, Washington, D. C. DEAR CONGRESSMAN GRANT: Eight Wisconsin canning companies, members of this association, are engaged in canning white potatoes or use white potatoes in canning other products. All of them are opposed to the inclusion of potatoes for processing in the proposed National Potato Grade Labeling Act, to be heard before your subcommittee next week. Grade labeling of raw potatoes to be used for processing will serve no useful purpose. Processors, as distinguished from individual consumers, are well able to do their own grading and to obtain the quality they want without Government assistance. For a Government agency to tell a processor what grade or size of raw potato he should or should not use in producing his product is unwarranted interference in private enterprise and will result only in less efficient production of products processed from white potatoes. This will do harm to the producer and consumer as well as the processor. We strongly urge that your subcommittee recommend exclusion of potatoes for processing from the proposed legislation. Very truly yours, Hon. GEORGE M. GRANT, M. P. VERHULST, CHARLESTON, S. C., April 3, 1957. Democrat Chairman Domestic Committee, Washington, D. C.: Reference House bill 5137, farmers we represent in Charleston County request we advise that they are definitely opposed to passage of that bill. CHARLESTON PRODUCE DISTRIBUTORS. COLUMBUS, OHIO, April 4, 1957. GEORGE M. GRANT, Democratic Alabama Chairman of Domestic Marketing Committee, House of Representatives, Washington, D. C.: Ohio Potato Growers Cooperative Association, composed of 300 Ohio growers with over 10,000 acres of potatoes urge you to oppose the National Potato Grade Labeling Bill. Thirty percent Ohio crop used for chip manufacture. Chip companies located in this area are more interested in chip color and yield of chip per hundred pounds of raw stock than in U. S. grade standards as now written. A given lot of potatoes that could never be graded to official U. S. grade standards might be highly acceptable for chip manufacture. Our present demand for chipping potatoes exceeds our supply. Seventy percent Ohio crop used for table stock locally. Ohio is a deficit producing State and has a ready market for all grades and sizes produced here. Have no starch factories for diverting lower grades such as in Maine and Idaho. In any case since we are close to market Ohio growers realize more profit from lower grades sold for table use than would be realized by sales to starch plants. We feel we should remain free to sell all grades and sizes of potatoes if they are properly labeled and if we have ready buyers. Why deprive us of selling this kind of merchandise and why deprive the consumer from purchasing this class of merchandise. Let us realize that national legislation may benefit some particular areas but work to the disadvantage of others. Ohio has one of the finest if not the finest grower controlled statewide potato marketing organizations in this country. We are now complying voluntarily with many phases of the proposed act. Such voluntary compliance through strong grower organizations is much better than any compulsory national program. V. E. KEIRNS, Manager, Ohio Potato Growers Association. Hon. DON MAGNUSON, TACOMA, WASH., April 9, 1957. House Office Building, Washington, D. C.: Urge your vote against establishment of National Potato Grading Act. This now handled at State level with participation of potato growers quite satisfactorily. Hon. GEORGE M. GRANT, L. EVERT LANDON, President, Nalleys, Inc. ATLANTA, GA., April 11, 1957. House Office Building, Washington, D. C.: We find bills S. 1392, Smith, and S. 1315, McCarthy, known as National Potato Grade Labeling Act, unrealistic, discriminatory, and unsound, particularly to potato processors. Urge you use your influence to defeat this bill. Hon. GEORGE M. GRANT, H. W. LAY, President, H. W. Lay & Co. INDIANAPOLIS, IND., April 12, 1957. House of Representatives, Washington, D. C.: We oppose bill H. R. 6409 scheduled for hearing April 15-16 with respect to potatoes for canning and fear that the proposed regulation would most detrimentally affect growers' market for potatoes not desirable account of size for fresh market, but fully suitable for processing and canning, which could affect our source in Alabama and other Southern States. Urge your consideration given this situation. Mr. GRANT of Alabama, H. F. KRIMENDAHL, SCOTTSBLUFF, NEBR., April 13, 1957. Chairman, House Agriculture Committee, Washington, D. C.: Nebraska-Wyoming potato shippers at a special meeting April 9, 1957, went on record as being opposed to the potato grade labeling bill. Our Representative, Mr. Chris Petersen, will appear before your committee to protest this bill. C. V. SWARD, Secretary, Nebraska-Wyoming Potato Shippers Association. (Whereupon, at 12:05 p. m., the subcommittee adjourned to recon vene at 10 a. m., Tuesday, April 16, 1957.) |