IMPORTS OF TRACTORS BY OTHER COUNTRIES FROM THE UNITED STATES, 1947 AND 1948 The total figures for imports, tractors, to these 16 countries, according to the table we have been furnished is around 67,450, but how many of them come from the United States no one would be able to tell from those figures. In 1947 they got 42,000 from us. What do you estimate they would get out of this country in exports this year? Mr. BECK. We have made an estimate of 57,960 from the United States and Canada. The CHAIRMAN. From the United States and Canada. Mr. BECK. Yes; we were not able to estimate exactly how many Canada will be able to supply. The CHAIRMAN. Do you have a record of the 1947 exports of tractors, and where they go; perhaps not by types but over-all? Mr. SUFRIN. The major exports are to Canada. The CHAIRMAN. To what? Mr. SUFRIN. The major exports are to Canada; that is, the larger quantity of exports are to Canada, historically. The CHAIRMAN. How many are going there? Mr. SUFRIN. About 30,000 in 1947. The CHAIRMAN. That is the over-all figure? Mr. SUFRIN. No; I am sorry; I am looking at the wheel tractors. The CHAIRMAN. We will have the corrected figures covering the wheel, crawler, and garden type tractors in tabular form. The CHAIRMAN. Can you give me now the Canadian exports? Mr. SUFRIN. You want them all the way through? The CHAIRMAN. You gave the wheel tractors at 30,000. The CHAIRMAN. For 1947. Mr. SUFRIN. 31,000. The CHAIRMAN. Now give us the crawler and garden. Mr. SUFRIN. The next figure I have is garden, 6,200. The CHAIRMAN. And how many for crawlers? Mr. SUFRIN. 2,000. The CHAIRMAN. Are a lot of them going to South America? Mr. SUFRIN. Latin America; the crawlers, 3,400 total to Latin America. That is for 1947. The CHAIRMAN. Yes. Mr. SUFRIN. On wheel tractors, Latin America, 13,000. Garden tractors, Latin America, 3,800. The CHAIRMAN. Are there many exports beyond that? Not a very big item? Mr. SUFRIN. Yes; on wheel tractors, there are. The CHAIRMAN. Where to? Mr. SUFRIN. All of Europe. The CHAIRMAN. Outside of the 16 countries? Mr. SUFRIN. No; that includes the 16 countries; this is all of Europe, 22,900. The CHAIRMAN. For what? Mr. SUFRIN. For wheel tractors. Garden tractors to Europe, all of Europe, it was 3,000. Crawler tractors, all of Europe, 2,400. OTHER AGRICULTURAL MACHINERY The CHAIRMAN. Can you give me the statistics as to the exports. of other agricultural machinery than factors? Do you have that in such shape you can give it to us? Mr. SUFRIN. I do not have the total figures. I have the figures for the various types of other machinery. For instance, I have the figures for plows, harrows, cultivators, and so on. It is a rather long list, but I have no over-all figures. Mr. MAHON. Of course, a tractor on a farm is practically useless unless you have the necessary attachments. There is no use to have a tractor if you do not have the plow, the planter, the cultivator and things of that kind. Do your figures for tractors include the necessary attachments, or are those figures included under other agricultural machinery? Mr. SUFRIN. That information is included under other agricultural machinery. The figures that I gave as to the number of tractors are just for tractors. The other implements are considered separately for statistical purposes, because of the nature of the machinery. Mr. BECK. We have had that same problem arise in connection with other implements concerning exports of tractors, which they will get from the United States. They are separately identified. PRODUCTION AND SHIPMENTS OF TRACTORS BY TYPES, 1947 AND 1946 The CHAIRMAN. The sheets which you have just handed me, containing the table about farm machinery and dollar values, I think should be put in the record. I do not know about the rest of it. Mr. SUFRIN. I might explain, Mr. Chairman, that the Bureau of Census publishes detailed information on production of farm machinery, item by item, each year. The CHAIRMAN. Yes. Mr. SUFRIN. But this year the Bureau is making a census of manufactures and consequently there has been some delay in getting out the detailed figures. This statement is a preliminary report, which was issued March 15. Mr. STEFAN. Was that a spot check? Mr. SUFRIN. No; those are actual figures. Mr. STEFAN. Taken from the manufacturers' census? Mr. SUFRIN. No; there are two separate reports. The manufacturers report the production of farm machinery separately, and then there is a census of manufactures covering all items, including farm tractors. Mr. STEFAN. This is a separate report? Mr. SUFRIN. A separate compilation. (The statement referred to follows:) Production and shipments of tractors, by type, 1947 and 1946 1 Data for 1946 represent "Sales." These data do not differ significantly from shipments. 2 Revised. TRACTOR PRODUCTION IN GERMANY The CHAIRMAN. Is there any tractor production in Germany? There used to be. Mr. SUFRIN. I think I can answer that question, Mr. Chairman. I spoke to a man who is connected with the Office of Military Government in Germany, who is here on vacation-he happens to be a friend of mine and I asked him that question. He is connected with the Food and Agricultural set-up, and he told me there was no production going on at this time. Mr. MAHON. Is there any production of agricultural machinery other than tractors? Mr. SUFRIN. He said there was very little; mostly spotty, hand implements. I do not know whether that is a proper statement to be included in the record, because it was not an official statement, but this gentleman seemed to know about it and that is the information I gained from him. The CHAIRMAN. You mean he said there was no production of tractors in Germany. Mr. SUFRIN. Yes. The CHAIRMAN. The document that has been submitted to us indicates that there was some production. Mr. STEFAN. We have a representative of the military government here, Colonel Blumenfeld, who can perhaps answer that question. Colonel BLUMENFELD. Mr. Chairman, I have sent a cable to Mr. Wilkinson and asked him to give me a complete break-down. I do have a statement indicating that they exported during the month of February about $100,000 worth of agricultural machinery and implements other than tractors, so I am quite sure they are manufacturing agricultural implements over there right now. I am asking in my cable for information concerning all tractor production, information on all imports, of tractors on hand and machinery on hand. I hope to have that by this afternoon, and I am planning, when the Army appears, to give you a complete picture of that. The CHAIRMAN. You think you can give us a complete picture of it? Colonel BLUMENFELD. Yes. The CHAIRMAN. There is a set-up here indicating 126,000 metric tons, domestic production, in 1947, and 2,100 tractors; and an estimate of 10,100 tractors produced and 1,891 metric tons of production of agricultural machinery-that is the estimate for 1948-which would be very close to the British production, of agricultural machinery, but is a fraction of the tractor production. Mr. NITZE. Those figures were taken from the CEEC report. Many of them are inaccurate. BASIS OF ESTIMATE FOR MACHINERY REQUIREMENTS UNDER PROGRAM Mr. WIGGLESWORTH. Does anybody know how the amount of machinery for the 16 nations was determined? Mr. BECK. I do not understand the question, by the amount of machinery. Mr. WIGGLESWORTH. You have down here $136,000,000 for agricultural machinery, as I understand it, going to the 16 countries. Mr. BECK. Yes. Mr. WIGGLESWORTH. HOW were those figures determined? Mr. BECK. That was determined, I would say, from the top rather than by any simple arithmetic of adding so many pieces of this kind and so many dollars, because we did not have that detailed data to go on. We started out by examining what each of the committee members indicated were available, from Commerce, Agriculture, FAO or any other source, which we could get. We started out, for example, with the total acreage of the country, the arable land; we would examine what their present population was; we would examine the total number of power units on the farm pre-war and at present; we would examine the acreage of the country which was untilled and out of production because of lack of machinery or other reasons; we examine the manpower of the country and the deficiency. We would go into such questions as the total draft animal population, the amount of the land in the country that was being used, if they used draft animals, but could be used in the production of food for the people, and the amount, if tractors were used instead of draft animals. 75408-48-pt. 1-35 Then of course, we went into the amount of the population of tractors and farm machinery and its state of repair, or principally disrepair. EXTENT TO WHICH PROGRAM CONTEMPLATES SUBSTITUTION OF AGRICULTURAL MACHINERY FOR ANIMALS Mr. WIGGLESWORTH. To what extent does this $136,000,000 estimate contemplate substituting agricultural machinery for work previously done by animals? Mr. BECK. It is our judgment of how rapid the transition can be made. Mr. WIGGLESWORTH. To what extent does it contemplate the substitution of machinery in respect to work which has heretofore been done by animals? Mr. BECK. Precisely the extent to which the animal population has been decreased during the war, but in addition to that fact, the needs of the country Mr. WIGGLESWORTH (interposing). To what extent and I do not mean to be impatient-but I want to know the amount of the substitution. Heretofore a large part of the work, as I understand it, has been done by horses or other animals. Mr. BECK. Yes. Mr. WIGGLESWORTH. And we are planning to forget about horses and animals and in their places substitute agricultural machinery, and I want to know to what extent this program which is before us now contemplates that change-over. Mr. BRODELL. If they get 50,000 new tractors that would take the place of about 200,000 work animals, that would be from 2 to 3 percent of the work animals they have now. Mr. WIGGLESWORTH. What is the situation if they do not get them? Mr. BRODELL. I do not know. Mr. WIGGLESWORTH. When was this figure determined? Mr. BRODELL. That is, the program calls for around 50,000 more tractors for them. Mr. WIGGLESWORTH. Fifty thousand more tractors for them? Mr. BRODELL. Than they now have on their farms; for 1 year. Mr. WIGGLESWORTH. What would happen if horses were made available to them? Mr. BRODELL. That is just a means of increasing the food shortage; the tractors would take the place of so many horses. PRACTICABILITY OF CONVERSION FROM ANIMALS TO MACHINERY FROM STANDPOINT OF OIL AND GASOLINE SUPPLY Mr. WIGGLESWORTH. Has this Department satisfied itself that this change-over, from animals to mechanization, is both practicable and economical in terms of oil supply and gasoline supply? Mr. BECK. I understand, for example, on the question of distribution Mr. WIGGLESWORTH. Can you not answer that question "Yes" or "No," Mr. Beck? Mr. BECK. It has been thoroughly considered, yes. Mr. WIGGLESWORTH. Did the Department of Commerce look into that? Can you answer that "Yes" or "No"? Mr. BECK. The answer is "Yes." |