Mr. BILBO. With the permission of the Senate I shall read the amendment I want to offer, beginning on line 22:
Provided, however, That the number of acres allotted for any family cultivating less than seven and a half acres of tilled land during either of the five preceding seasons shall be the larger number of acres that was cultivated in either of such season, such production shall be his allotment.
That is the substance of it.
Mr. ELLENDER. Mr. President, I understand that the Senator from Mississippi has accepted the suggestion I made a minute ago; that is, that on line 23, between the words "acres" and "during", the words "of tilled land" to be added.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. No such amendment has yet been proposed.
Mr. ELLENDER. I offer that amendment.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The question is on the amendment to the committee amendment offered by the Senator from Louisiana, which the clerk will state for the information of the Senate.
The Chief Clerk. On page 35, line 23, after the word "acres", it is proposed to insert "of tilled land."
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The question is on agreeing to the amendment to the committee amendment.
The amendment to the amendment was agreed to.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The next amendment of the Senator from Mississippi will be stated.
The Chief Clerk. On page 35, line 23, it is proposed to strike out "two" and insert "five."
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The question is on agreeing to the amendment to the committee amendment.
The amendment to the amendment was agreed to.
Mr. BARKLEY. Mr. President, I suggest that the word "either", in line 23, should be changed to "any." That has been suggested, but no one has offered it as an amendment. I offer it as an amendment.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, the amendment offered by the Senator from Kentucky to the committee amendment will be agreed to.
Mr. OVERTON. Mr. President, I think the committee amendment should be further perfected. With that purpose in view I suggest to the Senator from Mississippi that he offer this amendment. If he does not do so, I shall. On page 35, line 25, strike out the words "either of" and insert "any."
Mr. BILBO. I shall offer it, because that is just perfecting the committee amendment.
Mr. McKELLAR. The language will not then be right, because the word in the bill is "season."
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Does any Senator offer the suggested amendment?
Mr. OVERTON. I offer it.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The question is on the amendment offered by the Senator from Louisiana [Mr. Overton] to the amendment of the committee.
The amendment to the amendment was agreed to.
Mr. McKELLAR. The word "season" should be "seasons." I offer an amendment in line 25 to strike out the word "season" and insert the word "seasons."
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The question is on agreeing to the amendment offered by the Senator from Tennessee to the committee amendment.
The amendment to the amendment was agreed to.
Mr. McNARY. Mr. President, let the clerk read the committee amendment as it has been amended so far.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will read the committee amendment on page 35, subsection (1), as it has been amended.
The Chief Clerk read as follows:
(1) By allocating 7½ acres to each such farm for each family engaged thereon as owner, share tenant, tenant renter, or sharecropper in the production of cotton on such farm: Provided, however, That the number of acres allotted for any family cultivating less than 7½ acres of tilled land during any of the five preceding seasons shall be the larger of the number of acres that was cultivated in any such seasons, such production to be determined in accordance with regulations issued by the Secretary.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, the paragraph as amended will be agreed to.
The clerk will state the next committee amendment.
The next amendment of the Committee on Agriculture and Forestry was, on page 36, line 19, to insert the following:
(e) If the quantity of cotton produced on the fixed number of acres exceeds the quantity specified, as hereinabove provided, the quantity so produced shall prevail as the national marketing quota and all of it may be marketed in interstate and foreign commerce.
Mr. OVERTON. I offer an amendment which lies on the desk and ask that it be read.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The amendment of the Senator from Louisiana will be stated for the information of the Senate.
The Chief Clerk. On page 36, line 6, after the words "in such year", it is proposed to insert a colon and the following:
Provided, however, That the lands devoted to crops for market other than cotton shall be excluded in determining tilled lands under this subsection (2).
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, the vote whereby paragraph (2) on page 36 was adopted will be reconsidered, and the question is on the amendment offered by the Senator from Louisiana to the amendment of the committee.
Mr. GEORGE. May I inquire if the amendment proposed by the Senator from Louisiana has been printed?
Mr. OVERTON. The amendment has been printed and is on the desk of the clerk.
Mr. MILLER. Mr. President, will the Senator yield?
Mr. OVERTON. I yield.
Mr. MILLER. I understood that the amendment offered by the Senator from Louisiana is to paragraph (2) on page 36, which is intimately connected with subsection (1) on page 35, which was passed over.
Mr. OVERTON. The statement made by the Senator from Arkansas is correct; and if it is desired by the Senator from Arkansas or any other Senator that the amendment which I propose shall be passed over until the amendment in line 5 on page 35 has been considered, it will be agreeable to me.
Mr. MILLER. I think it should be passed over, Mr. President.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection to passing over paragraph (2) on page 36? The Chair hears none; and, without objection, that paragraph will be passed over.
Without objection, the other paragraph-paragraph (1) on page 35, as amended and read—will be agreed to.
The question is on agreeing to the committee amendment, paragraph (e) on page 36.
The committee amendment was agreed to.
The next amendment was, on page 36, after line 23, to insert a new paragraph, as follows:
(f) Not in excess of 3 percent of the national marketing quota apportioned to any State may be allotted and apportioned to farms and areas currently producing cotton for the first time during the last 10 years. Such apportionments shall be made under regulations to be adopted by the Secretary.
The amendment was agreed to.
The next amendment was, on page 37, after line 4, to insert:
Sec. 32. (a) Whenever, after due notice and opportunity for public hearing to interested parties, the Secretary determines that the national marketing quota then in effect does not make available a normal supply of cotton, the Secretary shall increase such national marketing quota so as to make available during the marketing year a normal supply.
The amendment was agreed to.
The next amendment was, on page 37, after line 10, to insert:
(b) If, by reason of drought, war, or other national emergency, or increase in exports, the Secretary has reason to believe that the national marketing quota should be increased or suspended, then the Secretary shall proclaim that fact and, after due notice and opportunity for public hearing to interested parties, shall to the extent necessary to meet such emergency increase the farm marketing quotas within any production area, or suspend marketing quotas. No farm marketing quota for any farm shall be reduced after an increase pursuant to this subsection.
