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AGRICULTURAL RELIEF
fund, this stabilizing, if you put the same fee per pound on both groups,
aren't you making one group contribute to the greater profit of
another?

Mr. Stone. Well, the effect would be to enhance the value of all
of it.

Mr. Fort. Yes.

Mr. Stone. And if you did that, that would be one of the things
that would be an inducement to men not to dispose of it at the low

rice.
P Mr. Fort. But you say they still will.

Mr. Stone. But as a practical operation experience with us in-
dicates thet the unit basis is most practical.

Mr. Fort. On some kind of a unit.

Mr. Stone. Because of the difficulty of getting at it.

Mr. Fort. You can make a percentage of the value.

Mr. Stone. It is going to be sufficiently difficult to apply in any
event, and I would rather try it on a unit basis to begin with, to see
if that would work or not.

Mr. Fort. Then, you are right where you were a moment ago.
You are going to have some farmers getting a lower price than others,
and all paying identically the same toward the enhancement.

Mr. StoNE. Because, in the long run, the average is going to
receive the same average benefit. If you can enhance the value
LO per cent on a bale of cotton, if that bale of cotton would sell for
8 cents, and you have advanced it, you have advanced all cotton
10 per cent, you would get the same benefit on that cotton as you
would on the cotton at 20 cents.

Mr. Fort. But, the man who was getting 7 would be getting 8
now, and the man who is getting 18 now, would have been getting 17.

Mr. Stone. He is simply contributing to the fund which acts
for the benefit of the whole commodity. ‘I do not believe it is a
practical proposition to apply it that way.

Mr. Fort. But the distressed seller, the man who has to sell to
get, his money would not——

Mr. Stone. He would not have to sell in this instance.

“Mr. Fort. You mean with the insurance. I am talking equaliza-
tion fee only. The distressed seller would sell and would still have
to take the low market, assuming the accuracy, as I do, of Mr.
Bledsoe’s figures. The man who had to sell at harvest time would
still have to take the low market, wouldn’t he?

Mr. Stone. Of course, if he had to sell.

Mr. Fort. But he would pay exactly the same sum.
¢ 2 Stone. He would have to pay the same thing, as I see it.
Ldon’t see any way in the world to get out of it. I don’t think there
Is any such thing in the world as a fair allocation of a tax burden
whats it comes to practical operation. I don’t believe there is any
Stay of : oaonts that absolutely work ou as a fair proposition.
you come to apoly it. 1ustices and some inequalities when
AE FurMeEr. You mean the man on the outside would have to
or. Stone. He wouldn’t have to sell. That is the inducement