produced, for a safety factor, support that at a fair and equitable price of 100 percent, the same as other people get. In soil conservation, I think that is wonderful, and they are doing a wonderful job. I believe that ends all that I have to say. Thank you. Mr. DAGUE. Thank you. Mr. West is the next witness. Before you proceed we have statements from O. R. Reed, of Delaware, Ohio; Carl Gugel of Milford Center, Ohio; William Fling of Johnstown, Ohio; Clarence Kaiser of Hilliards, Ohio; and Sam Chambers. They will be included in the record of these hearings. (The documents referred to above are as follows:) Honorable Members of the House Agriculture Committee: Welcome to Columbus, Ohio. I am O. R. Reed of Delaware, Ohio. I am a dairyman and I have milked cows 33 years and am milking cows today, and expect to continue to do so. I am marketing my milk in the Columbus market through Federal Milk Marketing Order No. 74. I am a director of the Central Ohio Cooperative Milk Producers, Inc., and served in that capacity before we had the protection of the milk marketing order. I know from my own experience that the milk producers have had a much better and sounder market under the provisions of the Federal milk marketing order than they ever had before. In April of 1952 a gadget, called the supply-demand factor, became effective in the Columbus order. This gadget regulates the price of milk automatically, using the influence of the current relationship of demand to supply. Because of this supply-demand factor I have received $192.41 over and above the blend price announced by the Federal order during the period April 1952 through September 1953. I endorse and support the Federal milk marketing order and the supplydemand factor as it operates in the Columbus market. I believe, as a producer of milk, that dairy prices should be supported at level of 90 percent of parity. I appreciate the privilege of appearing before this committee. O. R. REED, Honorable Members of the House Agriculture Committee: Welcome to Columbus, Ohio. I am Carl Gugel of Milford Center, Ohio. I am a dairyman and I have milked cows 37 years, and am milking cows today, and expect to continue to do so. I am marketing my milk in the Columbus market through Federal Milk Marketing Order No. 74. I am a director of the Central Ohio Cooperative Milk Producers, Inc., and served in that capacity before we had the protection of the milk marketing order. I know from my own experience that the milk producers have had a much better and sounder market under the provisions of the Federal milk marketing order than they ever had before. In April of 1952 a gadget, called the supply-demand factor, became effective in the Columbus order. This gadget regulates the price of milk automatically, using the influence of the current relationship of demand to supply. Because of this supply-demand factor I have received $280.91 over and above the blend price announced by the Federal milk order during the period April 1952 through September 1953. The Columbus market as a whole has received $251,419 over and above the blend price announced by the Federal order for the same period. I endorse and support the Federal milk marketing order and the supplydemand factor as it operates in the Columbus market. I believe, as a producer of milk, that dairy prices should be supported at level of 90 percent of parity. I appreciate the privilege of appearing before this committee. CARL GUGEL. Honorable Members of the House Agriculture Committee: Welcome to Columbus, Ohio. I am William Fling, of Johnstown, Ohio. I am a dairyman and I have milked cows 25 years and am milking cows today and expect to continue to do so. I am marketing my milk in the Columbus market through Federal milk Marketing Order No. 74. I am a director of the Central Ohio Cooperative Milk Producers, Inc., and served in the capacity of advisory councilman before we had the protection of the milk-marketing order. I know from my own experience that the milk producers have had a much better and sounder market under the provisions of the Federal milk-marketing order than they ever had before. In April of 1952 a gadget, called the supply-demand factor, became effective in the Columbus order. This gadget regulates the price of milk automatically, using the influence of the current relationship of demand to supply. Because of this supply-demand factor I have received $104.63 over and above the blend price announced by the Federal order during the period April 1952 through September 1953. I endorse and support the Federal milk-marketing order and the supplydemand factor as it operates in the Columbus market. I believe, as a producer of milk, that dairy prices should be supported at level of 90 percent of parity. I appreciate the privilege of appearing before this committee. Respectfully, W. E. FLING. Honorable Members of the House Agriculture Committee: Welcome to Columbus, Ohio. I am Clarence Kaiser of Hilliards, Ohio. I am a dairyman and I have milked cows 30 years and am milking cows today and expect to continue to do so. I am marketing my milk in the Columbus market through Federal Milk Marketing Order No. 74. I am a director of the Central Ohio Co-operative Milk Producers, Inc., and served in that capacity before we had the protection of the milk-marketing order. I know from my own experience that the milk producers have had a much better and sounder market under the provisions of the Federal milkmarketing order than they ever had before. In April of 1952 a gadget, called the supply-demand factor, became effective in the Columbus order. This gadget regulates the price of milk automatically, using the influence of the current relationship of demand to supply. Because of this supply-demand factor I have received $342.62 over and above the blend price announced by the Federal order during the period April 1952 through September 1953. I endorse and support the Federal milk-marketing order and the supplydemand factor as it operates in the Columbus market. I believe, as a producer of milk, that dairy prices should be supported at level of 90 percent of parity. I appreciate the privilege of appearing before this committee. Thanking you, C. M. KAISER. Honorable Members of the House Agriculture Committee: Welcome to Columbus, Ohio. I am Sam Chambers, of Columbus, Ohio. I am a dairyman and I have milked cows 60 years and am milking cows today and expect to continue to do so. I am marketing my milk in the Columbus market through Federal Milk Mar, keting Order No. 74. I am a director of the Central Ohio Cooperative Milk Producers, Inc., and served in that capacity before we had the protection of the milk-marketing order. I know from my own experience that the milk producers have had a much better and sounder market under the provisions of the Federal milk-marketing order than they ever had before. In April of 1952 a gadget, called the supply-demand factor, became effective in the Columbus order. This gadget regulates the price of milk automatically, using the influence of the current relationship of demand to supply. Because of this supply-demand factor I have received $112.37 over and above the blend price announced by the Federal order during the period April 1952 through September 1953. I endorse and support the Federal milk-marketing order and the supply demand factor as it operates in the Columbus market. I believe, as a producer of milk, that dairy prices should be supported at level of 90 percent of parity. I appreciate the privilege of appearing before this committee. STATEMENT OF HARRY WEST, NEW PHILADELPHIA, OHIO Mr. WEST. Mr. Chairman and honorable members of the Agriculture Committee, my name is Harry West. I am from the hills of Tuscarawas County. My 2 sons and I own and operate 450 acres. We have a herd of Holstein dairy cows. In other words we are dairy farmers, too. I happen to be a member of the milk committee, the Cooperative Sales Dairy Committee in the city of New Philadelphia, Ohio. Last spring they started to cut the price of milk. In 5 months they cut $1.56 a hundred off the price of milk to us dairy farmers. They did not lower it any to the city people. When this drought struck the price started to go back up, but we don't get any milk. Lots of the farmers are feeding the winter's feed that they had stored up in order to keep their cows from going entirely dry. I am also chairman of the new chapter of the Farmers Union that was organized in Tuscarawas County lately. I am in favor of 100 percent of parity. Furthermore, I am concerned about the future for agriculture in America. How are we going to keep these young men on the farms at the wages they pay in the factories today? Government men tell us that in the next 22 years we will have to raise food production at least 20 percent. If the young men all leave the farms, where will it be produced? These thoughts I would like to leave with the committee. I thank you. Mr. DAGUE. Thank you, Mr. West. STATEMENT OF JOHN LOVENGOOD, ZOAR, OHIO Mr. LOVENGOOD. Mr. Chairman, gentlemen of the committee, I did not know what to talk about when I was asked to come up and see you fellows. But last Friday I got it. I have 450 acres in one farm and 215 in another. We have 65 head of Holstein cattle, 32 of which are milk cattle. I have a family of five boys. We lost one under a tractor about a year ago. We have one in service today. I have one boy with me. I had this one boy with me up until last Friday. We picked berries, and they came along and offered the boys $1.75 per hour to start, guaranteeing him $2.25 in 6 months. The boy came to me and said "Dad, what will I do?" He and I talked for a while. If I had been in his place I figured it for myself, I would take it. The future on the farm as it is today, he could never make the kind of money he was offered. Yesterday was his first day of work. He came home, he looked fresh as a daisy. He looks like I would on Sunday after I had 2 or 3 rainy days, which we have not had for a long time. There are some farmers who are able to support their boys and get them going. I cannot because I did not have it handed to me. I got along and I am making a living and raising a family and I have a good family, but I cannot hold them on the farm. The Department of Agriculture was asked to do something about it, some way or other, so that we can have a price for our commodities, and our milk which is very bad now, so that we can hold these boys on the farm and have an incentive to do that. If we do not make an incentive for them I cannot do it. I will leave it to you fellows. Maybe you can give me a tip before I leave on how to operate. I have 70 acres of soybeans to harvest, and 80 acres of corn to pick. Now I ask you how can I do this? I have two tractors and no operators. I cannot pay $1.75 to $2 an hour. I thank you. Mr. DAGUE. We are very sympathetic with your problem, Mr. Lovengood. As to most of the members of this committee, their fathers could not keep them on the farm either. The next witness is Mr. Schlup, of Newcomerstown. He apparently is not here. Next will be Mr. Snyder, from Wilmington, Ohio. STATEMENT OF ROBERT SNYDER, WILMINGTON, OHIO Mr. SNYDER. Mr. Chairman and members of the committee, I am Robert Snyder, from Wilmington, Clinton County, the southwestern part of Ohio. I operate a 500-acre farm in that territory. I raise hogs and have a few beef cattle. I am in general farming mostly. I rather think that the best program for us would be high supports of some kind and keeping the farmers in business. I have a little bone to pick which does not go with the formulated farmer program. It is on the allotments. I run a 4-year rotation, 2 years grass, 1 year corn, and 1 year wheat. I cut this down 4 years ago after the war was over. During the war I ran corn a lot of the years, 2 years of corn, and I decided that I was running my land too hard and I had my soil tested at the Ohio State University and they recommended 2 years of grass. That is one reason I cut down. I do not know how it could be worked out but for the farmers that are trying to conserve soil and do a job job of farming, I am not saying that the other fellows are not doing a good job of farming, but we are trying to conserve the soil. There are several farmers in our county doing this. I would like to see it set up in a different way. I do not know how it can be done. It is a complicated thing. I would like to see ACP payments carried on. Then I would like to see more research in our farm products, in livestock and grain. Thank you. Mr. DAGUE. Next is Mr. Shirden. (No response.) Mr. DAGUE. The next witness will be Horace Ferguson, of Xenia, Ohio. Is Mr. Ferguson present? (No response.) Mr. DAGUE. Mr. Geary A. Clark, of Grove City? (No response.) STATEMENT OF ROBERT J. SHIRDEN, CLARKESVILLE, OHIO Mr. SHIRDEN. I am Robert Shirden from Clinton County. We do general farm down there. I always went along with your soilconservation district and soil-conservation payments through PMA for soil-building practices, using lime, fertilizer, and controlling soil erosion, such work as that. I am also in favor of our present program. There has been a lot of work and money spent in organizing the present program that we have today. I don't think that we can improve much on it. While we are thinking, I think we should hold the whole program together, go along with it and improve it from year to year. I will not take any more of your time. Thank you. Mr. DAGUE. Thank you, Mr. Shirden. STATEMENT OF GEARY A. CLARK, GROVE CITY, OHIO Mr. CLARK. Mr. Chairman, gentlemen of the committee, it is a privilege to be here. However, I think a little differently about this farm program than has been expressed here this evening. I remember World War I. I was in it. I am one of the few who was in World War II and the Korean War, also, who will speak before this committee. I think of how the young men of this country responded to the country in 1917 and how the farmers of this country responded to the demand for more food. They worked hard, they worked overtime. The word "overtime" was not thought of but the hours were put in until the war was over. |