Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 52.djvu/72

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52 STAT.] 75TH CONG., 3 D SESS.-CH. 30 -FEB. 16, 1938 [CHAPTER 30] AN ACT To provide for the conservation of national soil resources and to provide an adequate and balanced flow of agricultural commodities in interstate and foreign commerce and for other purposes. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That this Act may be cited as the "Agricultural Adjustment Act of 1938". DECLARATION OF POLICY SEC. 2. It is hereby declared to be the policy of Congress to continue the Soil Conservation and Domestic Allotment Act, as amended, for the purpose of conserving national resources, prevent- ing the wasteful use of soil fertility, and of preserving, maintaining, and rebuilding the farm and ranch land resources in the national public interest; to accomplish these purposes through the encourage- ment of soil-building and soil-conserving crops and practices; to assist in the marketing of agricultural commodities for domestic consumption and for export; and to regulate interstate and foreign commerce in cotton, wheat, corn, tobacco, and rice to the extent neces- sary to provide an orderly, adequate, and balanced flow of such com- modities in interstate and foreign commerce through storage of reserve supplies, loans, marketing quotas, assisting farmers to obtain, insofar as practicable, parity prices for such commodities and parity of income, and assisting consumers to obtain an adequate and steady supply of such commodities at fair prices. TITLE I-AMENDMENTS TO SOIL CONSERVATION AND DOMESTIC ALLOTMENT ACT POWERS UNDER SOIL-CONSERVATION PROGRAM SEC. 101. Section 8 (b) and (c) of the Soil Conservation and Domestic Allotment Act, as amended, are amended to read as follows: "(b) Subject to the limitations provided in subsection (a) of this section, the Secretary shall have power to carry out the purposes specified in clauses (1), (2), (3), (4), and (5) of section 7 (a) by making payments or grants o other aid to agricultural producers, including tenants and sharecroppers, in amounts determined by the Secretary to be fair and reasonable in connection with the effectuation of such purposes during the year with respect to which such payments or grants are made, and measured by (1) their treatment or use of their land, or a part thereof, for soil restoration, soil conservation, or the prevention of erosion- (2) changes in the use of their land; (3) their equitable share, as determined by the Secretary, of the normal national production of any commodity or commodities required for domestic consumption; or (4) their equitable share, as determined by the Secretary, of the national production of any commodity or commodities required for domestic consumption and exports adjusted to reflect the extent to which their utilization of cropland on the farm conforms to farming practices which the Secretary determines will best effectuate the purposes specified in section 7 (a); or (5) any combination of the above. In arid or semiarid sections, (1) and (2) above shall be construed to cover water conservation and the beneficial use of water on individual farms, including measures to prevent run-off, the building of check dams and ponds, and providing facili- ties for applying water to the land. In determining the amount of any payment or grant measured by (1) or (2) the Secretary shall take into consideration the productivity of the land affected by the farming practices adopted during the year with respect to which such February 16, 1938 [H. R. 8505] [Public, No. 430] Agricultural Adjust- ment Act of 1938. Declaration of policy. Title I-Amend- ments to Soil Conser- vation and Domestic Allotment Act. Powers of Secretary under soil-conserva - tion program. 49 Stat. 1150; 50 Stat. 329. 16 U. 8. C., Supp. III, 590h. Post, p. 744 . Aid to agricultural producers, etc. Conditions govern- ing amounts. Arid or semiarid sec- tions, facilities for ap- plying water. Productivity of land to be considered. 31