farmers producing such commodity are subject in their operations to uncontrollable natural causes, are widely scattered throughout the Nation, and are not so situated as to be able to organize effectively, as can labor and industry, for joint economic action; and in many cases such farmers carry on their farming operations on borrowed money or leased lands. For these reasons, among others, the farmers are unable without Federal intervention to control effectively the orderly marketing of such commodity with the result that abnormally excessive supplies thereof are produced and dumped indiscriminately on the Nation-wide and foreign markets.
(b) The disorderly marketing of excessive supplies affects, burdens, and obstructs interstate or foreign commerce by (1) materially affecting the volume of such commodity marketed therein, (2) disrupting the orderly marketing of such commodity therein, (3) reducing the prices for such commodity with consequent injury and destruction of such commerce in such commodity, (4) depleting the soil resources of the United States, and (5) causing a disparity between the prices for such commodity in such commerce and industrial products therein, with a consequent diminution of the volume of interstate or foreign commerce in industrial products.
(c) Whenever an excessive supply of cotton exists, the marketing of such commodity by the producers thereof directly and substantially affects interstate or foreign commerce in such commodity and its products, and the operation of the provisions of this title becomes necessary and appropriate in order to promote, foster, and maintain an orderly flow of supply in such commerce.
(d) It is hereby declared to be the policy and the purpose of the United States to encourage the annual production of an ample supply of cotton of suitable grade and staple to supply all domestic and foreign consumption of such cotton and in addition thereto to maintain at all times a large enough surplus to meet all offers from all sources to buy American cotton at fair and reasonable prices, and never in excess of the world-market price for cotton of similar quality.
Mr. McADOO obtained the floor.
Mr. BARKLEY. Mr. President, I desire to propound a parliamentary inquiry.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator will state it.
Mr. BARKLEY. The inquiry is whether all of the language in italics from the top of page 31 down to and including the language on page 58, which is all new language and is not an amendment to any language in the text of the bill, is to be considered as one amendment, or otherwise.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The present occupant of the chair is of the opinion that the orderly procedure would be for the Senate to consider these amendments section by section; but, of course, that is a matter for the determination of the Senate.
Mr. BARKLEY. I appreciate that; but, as a matter of fact, from the parliamentary standpoint, the situation probably would be that the whole provision is one amendment to the bill. To consider it in that way would not interfere with the right of any Senator to offer an amendment to any part of it; but it struck me that if the new matter is to be considered in that way it ought all to be read, and then, later, amendments could be offered to any part of it.
Mr. HAYDEN. Mr. President, it seems to me the better parliamentary procedure would be to follow the suggestion made by the Chair to read the new language paragraph by paragraph as though it were an original measure, and then, when one paragraph is disposed of, to proceed to the next paragraph. That is the only logical way in which amendments could be offered to the text.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Does the Senator propose that in the form of a unanimous-consent agreement?
Mr. HAYDEN. I ask unanimous consent that the title be read paragraph by paragraph.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection?
Mr. McNARY. Mr. President, I am in accord with that request, but the parliamentary practice which has always obtained here is that in considering an amendment of this nature we take up the subdivisions as though they were sections complete in themselves and consider them apart from the text which is covered by the unanimous-consent agreement. I think that is the practice to which the Senate has adhered.
Mr. BARKLEY. I have no objection to that procedure. I should like to inquire of the Senator from Arizona and of other Senators, too, whether there would be any objection to reading this new language by titles. There are some three or four titles of the new language, and if we could consider it by titles it might facilitate consideration, although amendments would be in order to any section of the title under consideration.
Mr. HAYDEN. I think that would be all right.
Mr. McADOO. Mr. President——
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from California may be assured that the time occupied by this discussion will not be taken out of his time.
Mr. BARKLEY. Mr. President, will the Senator from Arizona permit me to propose an amendment to his unanimous-consent request? I ask unanimous consent that the language from page 31 to page 58, inclusive, be read by titles and considered by titles, amendments being in order to any section of each title.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection?
Mr. HAYDEN. That would mean, as I understand, that in effect each paragraph would be a separate amendment.
Mr. BARKLEY. Each one of these titles deals with a different crop—one with cotton, one with tobacco, one with rice—and amendments will be in order to any section of any of the paragraphs on the several subjects.
Mr. HAYDEN. We are now dealing with title III, marketing quotas for cotton.
Mr. BARKLEY. Yes.
Mr. HAYDEN. It would then be in order, as the paragraph is read, to offer amendments to the paragraph?
Mr. BARKLEY. My request was that the title be read, and that amendments be in order to any paragraph of it.
Mr. HAYDEN. What disturbs me at the moment is this: There are certain paragraphs in the title that will have to be considered in connection with provisions that are at the end of the bill which define the terms used in the title. If it would be possible to pass over paragraphs so that the two matters might be brought together at the same time, we would not be foreclosed from offering amendments.
Mr. BARKLEY. There will be no difficulty about that. What I am trying to do is to facilitate the reading of the new language without prejudicing any Senator as to offering amendments to any part of the title.
Mr. HAYDEN. I think the Chair made the wisest suggestion of all—that we read the new language as though it were a new bill, paragraph by paragraph, and that amendments be in order to any paragraph.
Mr. BARKLEY. I withdraw my request to amend the request for unanimous consent.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection to the request of the Senator from Arizona [Mr. Hayden] that the titles appearing in italics, beginning on page 31, be read and acted upon paragraph by paragraph? The Chair hears no objection, and it is so ordered.
The Senator from California [Mr. McAdoo] is recognized.
Mr. McADOO. Mr. President, I have offered an amendment which proposes, on page 32, line 23, to strike out all after the word "prices" down to and including the word "quality" in line 25. The portion proposed to be stricken out reads as follows:
And never in excess of the world market price for cotton of similar quality.
Subsection (d) provides—I shall have to read it all in order to make the matter clear——
Mr. McNARY. Mr. President, a parliamentary inquiry.
Mr. BILBO. Mr. President, a point of order.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Mississippi will state his point of order.
Mr. BILBO. It is not exactly a point of order, but a parliamentary question. My understanding was that the committee amendments had first to be adopted, before any amendments were to be offered.
Mr. McADOO. This is an amendment to a committee amendment.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Chair will state that it has just been agreed that, beginning with title III, the following pages shall be taken up and read and acted upon, paragraph by paragraph.
Mr. BILBO. And they are subject to amendment?
The PRESIDING OFFICER. They will, of course, be subject to amendment.
