600 AGRICULTURAL RELIEF 
the wheat growers’ organization would stabilize the price and that 
would be the fixed price. 
Every dollar of profit in this operation would go to the farmers, 
except the small amount necessary for organization expenses and 
operation. It would add hundreds of millions of dollars annually 
to the value of the wheat crop. 
The dollars-and-cents argument would tount for more than all the 
talk and enforcement regulations that could be passed. Financial 
inducement; backed up by educational persuasion, would accomplish 
more than any forcible control measure ever could. 
Once the farmers realized that their organization was working 
solely for them and in their interest; that it was obtaining for them 
better and more uniform prices, practically every farmer would take 
advantage of this, his own agency. With all required to submit their 
interstate shipments to the farmers’ board, the few who would remain 
outside would hardly be worth considering. 
This has got to be made an interstate proposition—80 per cent of 
the agricultural products, as shown by the investigation before the 
Interstate Commerce Commission, passes from one State to another. 
Now, I hold that if a farmer or organization of any kind wants to sell 
at home or give their stuff away, they can do it; that is their business. 
But they ought not to be permitted to ship that stuff into any other 
State and break down the prices of the farmers throughout the 
country. Therefore, the interstate feature of it is very important, 
in fact, it is essential. 
Overproduction, as we all realize, is the greatest menace to 
stabilization. It is the surplus that sends down prices. That was 
the cause of the trouble with wheat in recent vears, as it has been on 
surplus. 
Membership in a wheat-marketing association should, in my 
opinion, be based on “acreage planted.” By estimating in advance 
the acreage required to produce enough wheat for normal require- 
ments, the board of control could then allot fairly to the different 
wheat-growing States the acreage to be planted. They could not 
control that, understand, but farmers are beginning to realize that 
they have got to get together, that they have got to work under some 
combination. By allotting acreage fairly through boards of control, 
impressing upon the farmers the necessity of keeping within this 
limit if they expect to get a fair price for their wheat, production as 
well as marketing would be systematized. 
The first essential in any business, of course, is the production; the 
next is the marketing. Now one under control and the other un- 
controlled makes a proposition that is impossible to carry out. You 
have got to control both, but not a necessity production, because the 
marketing under a control of this character would control production. 
As to membership fees, just a little information based on acreage. 
Take wheat as an example. An average of 58,000,000 acres a year 
are planted. 
Mr. KincHELOE. What do you mean, in the world or in this 
country? 
Mr. Apkins. Acres, you mean? 
Mr. Yoakum. Did I not say acres? Oh, yes; acres 
Mr. KiNncHELOE. In this country 58,000,000 acres?