CCC Drought Feed Claim, Soil Bank to Include Grazing, Livestock (cattle Purchase)

Mr. SIMPSON. Isn't the House getting deluged with letters on this budget, and what will this do to the budget, if anything?

The CHAIRMAN. I don't know what it will do to the budget, but I do know this-some of your party members in the executive branch have come through with recommendation to reduce the budget.

Mr. SIMPSON. There have been a lot of recommendations from my party that I haven't followed.

The CHAIRMAN. Here is the thing about it. What else on earth can anybody propose to shorten the distance between the producers and consumer? If there is any better plan than this I should like to know about it.

Mr. SIMPSON. I have been to these produce markets, I have been to the market in Los Angeles and I have been to the markets here, and I think there is need for something to be done but I still think we are in a very difficult position to get this bill through.

The CHAIRMAN. Mr. Andresen approved the legislation all the way through, but he moved to recommit the bill because of the scarcity of building materials. There was no real fight about it.

Mr. SIMPSON. But it just seems to me the temper of this House from the Republicans and Democrats and the city Members, is just not to vote anything that helps the farmer. This adds $100 million to the budget. I have no objection to the bill, I am just looking at the position of the Congress on increasing the budget.

The CHAIRMAN. Well, it could only add 25 million. All we authorize is 25 million. I think if you could justify anything, you could justify this, because it is clearly in the interest of the consumer and in the interest of the farmer. We were told it wouldn't even be necessary for the Department of Agriculture to add employees to the payroll. Mr. SIMPSON. Somebody has to put up 25 million if it is accepted. Mr. GRANT. Mr. Chairman, let me say this one word in line with what Mr. Smith has stated. I was chairman of the subcommittee investigating this Washington Street market up in New York 7 years ago, and I think the greatest thing that contributes to the high cost is the situation he was describing. The testimony shows that we found out there that the porters had to carry a lot of this produce on their backs for blocks and blocks because of the trucks blocking the streets and they were highly unionized and they were getting, I believe, at that time about $200 a week. Around $200 a week and trucks were not able to get in there. Trucks would back up as near the place as possible and then the porters would carry it for blocks piggy-back, and they don't want that broken up.

(Without objection by the chairman the following communications were submitted to the committee:)

Hon. HAROLD D. COOLEY,

Chairman, Committee on Agriculture,

NATIONAL POTATO COUNCIL, Washington, D. C., March 20, 1957.

House of Representatives, Washington, D. C.

DEAR CONGRESSMAN COOLEY: The National Potato Council, which represents potato growers throughout the United States, wishes to endorse H. R. 4504, the bill to encourage the improvement and development of marketing facilities for handling perishable agricultural commodities.

The council feels that the provisions of this bill are necessary to effect economies in marketing of agricultural products. The spread between the farm price and the retail price is becoming wider. A good part of the increase in the spread is a result of inefficient agricultural marketing facilities in our large terminal

markets. Therefore, constructive efforts should be made to construct efficient facilities for the rapid and economical handling of gricultural products in our large terminal markets.

Very truly yours,

A. E. MERCKER, Executive Director.

NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REFRIGERATED WAREHOUSES, INC.,

Hon. HAROLD D. COOLEY,

Chairman, Committee on Agriculture,

Washington, D. C., March 21, 1957.

House Office Building, Washington, D. C.

DEAR CONGRESSMAN COOLEY: In view of hearings now being held on H. R. 4504, the Marketing Facilities Improvement Act, we would like to submit a brief statement in opposition to certain provisions of the bill to be included in the record. As section 4 defines "market facility" it would appear to authorize Government-guaranteed financing of public cold-storage warehouses of not more than 10,000 cubic feet capacity without limitation as to the number of such facilities. We doubt that it was your intention to extend Government-guaranteed financing to the public cold-storage industry. Furthermore, there is no shortage of cold-storage facilities nor any shortage in private financing for new facilities as the need may arise.

We therefore believe that the bill should be modified accordingly. A simple amendment would meet out objections and at the same time be consistent with the objectives of the bill. It would also permit cold storage facilities to be included in the market facilities.

The amendment we respectfully suggest would be as follows:

Page 4, line 15: "storage warehouses, and refrigeration facilities in individual stores of more than ten thousand cubic feet". [Italics have been added.] Thank you for giving this matter your attention. Cordially,

GILBERT J. STECKER, President.

ALBANY, N. Y., March 26, 1957.

Hon. HAROLD D. COOLEY,

Congressman From North Carolina,

House of Representatives, Washington, D. C.:

National Association of Produce Market Managers, in convention at Rochester, N. Y., has gone on record supporting your bill No. 4504 which encourages the improvement and development of marketing facilities for the handling of perishable agricultural commodities. The association feels that your bill will help in the improvement and betterment of our marketing system through financial assistance which would be made available for the construction of new markets and the improvement of those already in existence. We urge the passage of this measure in the present session of Congress.

JULES S. CHERNIAK, Secretary-Treasurer. The CHAIRMAN. The committee will now go into executive session. (Thereupon, at 11:45 a. m., the committee went into executive ses