Investigation of concentration of economic power: a study made under the auspices of the Bureau of Labor Statistics for the Temporary National Economic Committee, Seventy-sixth Congress, third session, pursuant to Public Resolution No. 113 (Seventy-fifth

64 Pages·1940·3.077 MB·English

by  United States. Congress. House. Temporary National Economic Committee

SENATE COMMITTEE PjRINT
^^3dSessfon^^}
INVESTIGATION OF CONCENTRATION
OF ECONOMIC POWER
TEMPOEAEY NATIONAL ECONOMIC
COMMITTEE
A STUDY SUBMITTED BY A COMMITTEE APPOINTED
BY THE SECRETARYOFAGRICULTURE, TO THE TEMPO-
RARYNATIONALECONOMIC COMMITTEE,SEVENTY-SIXTH
CONGRESS, THIRD SESSION, PURSUANT TO PUBLIC RESO-
LUTIONNO.113(SE\T:NTY-FIFTH CONGRESS),AUTHORIZING
AND DIRECTING A SELECT COMMITTEE TO MAKE A
FULLAND COMPLETE STUDYANDINVESTIGATIONWITH
RESPECTTOTHECONCENTRATIONOFECONOMICPOWER
IN, AND FINANCIAL CONTROL OVER, PRODUCTION
AND DISTRIBUTION OF GOODS AND SERVICES
MONOGRAPH
No. 23
AGRICULTURE AND THE NATIONAL ECONOivIY
Printedfortheuseofthe
TemporaryNationalEconomicCommittee
UNITED STATES
GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE
WASHINGTON : 1940
TEMPORARY NATIONAL ECONOMIC COMMITTEE
(CreatedpursuanttoPublicRes.113,75tbCong.)
JOSEPHC.O'MAHONEY,SenatorfromWyoming,Chairman
HATTONW.SUMNERS,RepresentativefromTexas,ViceChairman
WILLIAMH.KINO,SenatorfromUtah
WALLACEH.WHITE,Jr.,SenatorfromMaine
CLYDEWILLIAMS,RepresentativefromMissouri
B.CARROLLEEECE,RepresentativefromTennessee
THURMANW.ARNOLD,AssistantAttorne;'General
•WENDELLBERGE,SpecialAssistanttotheAttorneyGeneral
RepresentingtheDepartmentofJustice
JEROMEN.FRANK,Chairman
•SUMNERT.PIKE,Commissioner
RepresentingtheSecuritiesandExchangeCommission
GARLANDS.FERGUSON,Commissioner
*EWINL.DAVIS,Chairman
RepresentingtheFederalTradeCommission
ISADORLUBIN,CommissionerofLaborStatistics
»A.FORDHINRICHS,ChiefEconomist,Bur-^auofLaborStatintics
RepresentingtheDepartmentofLabor
JOSEPHJ.O'CONNELL,Jr.,SpecialAssistanttotheGeneralCounsel
•CHARLESL.KADES,-SpecialAssistanttotheGeneralCounsel
RepresentingtheDepartmentoftheTreasury
,RepresentingtheDepartmentofCommerce
LEONHENDERSON,EconomicCoordinator
DEWEYANDERSON,ExecutiveSecretary
THEODOREJ.KREPS,EconomicAdviser
MONOGEAPHNo.23
AGRICULTURE AND THE NATIONAL ECONOMY
ALBERTL.MEYERS
REPRINTED
BY
WILLIAM S HEIN & CO., INC.
BUFFALO. N. Y.
1968
^
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
Thismonographwaswrittenby
ALBERT MEYERS
L.
SeniorEconomist, UnitedStatesDepartment ojAgriculture
TheTemporary National Economic Committeeisgreatly indebted
to this author for his contribution to the literature of the subject
underreview.
Thestatusofthematerialsinthisv.olumeispreciselythesameasthatof
othercare-fullypreparedtestimony hengivenbyindividualwitnesses;itis
information submittedfor Committee deliberation. No matter what the
official capacity ofthe witness or author may be, tht publication ofhis
testimony,report, ormonographbythe Committeeinnowaysignifiesnor
impliesassentto,.orapprovalof,anyofthefacts,opinionsorrecommenda-
tions, nor acceptance thereofin whole or in part by the members ofthe
Temporary National Economic Committee, individually or collectively.
Sole and undivided responsibilityfor every statement in such testimony
reports, ormonographsrests entirely-upontherespectiveauthors.
(Signed) Joseph C. O'Mahoney,
Chairman, TemporaryNationalEconomic Committee.

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
Letteroftransmittal vii
CHAPTER I
TheAgriculturalSituation 3
CHAPTER II
ConcentrationofControlinAgriculturalProduction 9
Factorstendingtoincreaseconcentrationofproduction 13
Factorstendingtoretardorreduceconcentration 13
Controlofproductionbymeansotherthanownership 14
Controlofproductionby Governmentagencies 14
CHAPTER III
ConcentrationofControlin MarketingAgriculturalProducts 17
Concentrationofcontrolatlocalshippingpoints 17
Creditcontrolandmarketfreedom 19
Restrictionsontradeinterminalmarkets 19
Barrierstointernaltradeinfarmproduce 21
Concentrationofcontrolinfoodprocessing 22
Concentration ofcontrolinretailoutlets 25
CHAPTER IV
ConcentrationofControlinSuppliesPurchasedbytheFarmer 29
Concentrationofcontrolinretailingtothefarmer , 30
CHAPTER V
MethodsofReducingtheFarm MarketSpread . 33
Marketingagreements 35
Methodsofreducingpricesfarmerspay 36
CHAPTER VI
TheFarmerandthe NationalEconomy 37
Bibliography • 43
Index '.. 45
V
SCHEDULE OF TABLES
Page.
1. Average per capita consumption of principal agricultural products,
1920-37 3
"2. HarvestedacreageofcropsfortheUnitedStates, 1924r-39 4
3. Thechangingrelativeimportanceofdomesticandforeigndemandfor
farmproducts 6
4. Percent distribution of number of f^rms,bysi,zeoffarms,in various
censusyears and changes in distribution 9
5. Percent distribution of all land in farms, bysizeoffarms,in various
censusyearsand changes in distribution.- 10
6. Farms,500to999adresand1,000acresandover,aspercentofregional
totalfarmacreage 10
7. Estimated numberofgrowers and approximateannualfarm value of
cropsforwhichmarketing-agreementprogramswereineffectduring
thefiscalyear 1939 12
8. Commercial-trucking rates for haulingspecified fruits and vegetables
from railroads or docks to principal wholesale markets within the
city L 20
9. Percentagesof various types offarm machinery sold-by largest com-
paniesin 1936 ... 30
10. Indexesofindustrialproduction, agriculturalproduction, and ratio of
pricesfarmersreceivetopricesfarmerspay 39
VI