Speech #770055911

It seems to me. therefore. that it is highly importantnow I am coming to the final question I wanted to ask the Senatorthat we do nothing now that would say to* the Central and South American countrieswe may confine it. if we wish to do so. to Peru. Santo Domingo. and Haiti-"We will change the scheme under which we start out if at .some time after we have begun working under that scheme we find it highly advantageous to us to do so." Why should we do that. especially when the Sugar Act will expire in December. whenthe proponents of the bill cannot possibly get any benefit for their producers except an indirect benefit. as the distinguished Senator from Colorado . contends. from the proposed change in the Sugar Act that they now wish to make? Why not at least leave us in good grace with the producers in the Western Hemispherethe producers who would seek to get into our market. and. without some quota system. would utterly demoralize it. because they would be compelled to get in? Why not leave the matter as it is until this particular law expires in December of the current year. and then undertake to make a reallocation and redistribution along the lines the Senators have discussed? I am persuaded that there is a great deal of force in the fundamental thought that Senators have of trying to build up the production of sugar here and to give our producers some opportunity to expand their production. I think we shall have an opportunity to do that in December. Even if we do not do anything else. we shall have to extend the present law. I know the Senator has very well said that the quota system is not involved here. but I very frankly submit to the Senator that it is involved to this extent: The JonesCostigan Act was reenacted in 1937. when there was a revision of the Sugar Act. due. in part. as I recollect. to the decision of the Supreme Court in the processingtax cases. At any rate. there was an act in 1937 into which the particular provision which is now sought to be repealed was inserted. We fixed the quotas for the countries that had been participating in our market.