TERMINAL MARKETING FACILITIES HEARINGS U.S. Congress, House, BEFORE THE COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE EIGHTY-FIRST CONGRESS 9 6 Sal Statement of- Page Alt, Fred, Merchants Refrigerating Co., New York, N. Y.. 202 156 Banov, Abel, editor, Food Trade News, Philadelphia, Pa Bateman, J. W., representing the commission of agriculture, Louisiana Cake, E. W., Norfolk, Va.. 133 Colon-Torres, Ramon, commissioner of agriculture and commerce, 170 Cribb, Troy H., manager, South Carolina Peach Growers Association, 151 Crow, W. C., Director of Marketing Facilities Branch, United States 8 Di Vito, Dominic A., manager, New Haven Market Exchange, Inc., 137, 138 Johnson, Jerry P., 400 D Street SW., Washington, D. C., representing the National Association of Refrigerated Warehouses, Washington, Johnston, Rolla, Parkersburg, W. Va.. Kalish, William, I. Kalish & Sons, Philadelphia, Pa. Kuehn, Philip G., vice president, Wisconsin Cold Storage Co., Mil- Leonard, John C., jobber and property owner, Philadelphia, Pa... Lewis, M. Oldham, secretary, Wholesale Perishable Market Improve- Loos, Karl D., California Fruit Growers Exchange, Los Angeles, Calif Martin, Robert H., secretary, Greenville County Marketing Com- Maxton, Dr. J. L., extension agricultural economist, Blacksburg, Va. Meek, J. H., director, division of markets, Virginia Department of Meyers, C. E., member of the legislative committee, National Asso- McLaughlin, J. B., commissioner of agriculture, Charleston, W. Va.. Nold, Truman, executive secretary, National Apple Institute. Pretzer, Walter F., president, Vegetable Growers Association of Amer- A Rochford, Paul T., Indianapolis Produce Terminal, Inc., Indianapolis, Rothstein, Israel, Philadelphia, Pa Slamp, K. R., representing National Association of Marketing Officials- Souby, J. M., general solicitor, Association of American Railroads. Williams, Samuel H., manager, transportation department, chamber of 57 31 155 DEVELOPMENT AND IMPROVEMENT OF TERMINAL MARKETING FACILITIES TUESDAY, JUNE 6, 1950 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Washington, D. C. The committee met at 10 a. m., Hon. Harold D. Cooley (chairman) presiding. The CHAIRMAN. The committee will be in order. We have for consideration this morning H. R. 8320, introduced May 2, 1950, a bill to encourage the improvement and development of marketing facilities for handling perishable agricultural commodities. The bill was introduced by the chairman after this committee had conducted hearings in different parts of the country and had visited many of the central terminal markets through which perishable agricultural commodities are marketed. (H. R. 8320 follows:) [H. R. 8320, 81st Cong., 2d sess.] A BILL To encourage the improvement and development of marketing facilities for handling perishable agricultural commodities 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 "Marketing Facilities Improvement Act." DECLARATION OF POLICY SEC. 2. It is found and declared that the marketing of perishable agricultural commodities affects the public welfare and is a matter of grave national concern; that vast quantities of fruits, vegetables, and other perishable agricultural commodities shipped from various producing areas located throughout the United States and foreign countries pass through and are handled in public marketing facilities located in large consuming areas which are in most instances inadequate and obsolete; that the handling of perishable agricultural commodities in such facilities is attendant with many uneconomic practices, greatly increasing costs and causing undue losses, excessive waste, spoilage, and deterioration, which result in producers receiving prices far below the reasonable value of their products, in unduly and arbitrarily enhancing costs of operations in such markets, and increasing the price of food to consumers; that the prices of all perishable farm commodities are directly affected by the prices made on these public markets and are adversely affected by the unduly burdensome costs resulting from obsolescent and inadequate facilities; that obsolete and antiquated facilities create such an undue restraint and unjust burden on interstate commerce as to make it imperative that appropriate measures be taken to free such commerce from such burdens and restraints and to protect producers and consumers aginst oppressive costs resulting from the use of such facilities; that modern facilities would make possible the saving of millions of dollars annually by removing the cause of many of the unnecessary costs and burdens; that in spite of the great need for improved facilities, efforts in the past have failed to bring about a satisfactory solution to the problem; that this failure has been due largely to the inability of farmers, dealers, brokers, commission merchants, and others, |