TABLE 1.-Principal concessions made on Argentine agricultural imports into the United States, effective Nov. 15, 1941-Continued TABLE 1.—Principal concessions made on Argentine agricultural imports into the United States, effective Nov. 15, 1941-Continued Natural and uncompounded, but advanced in value or condition by shredding, grinding, chipping, crushing, or any other process of treatment whatever beyond that essential to proper packing and the prevention of decay or deterioration pending manufacture, not containing alcohol. Reduced in the Brazilian trade agreement, effective Jan. 1, 1936. This excise became effective Aug. 21, 1936. • Data not available, written notice is given to the Argentine Government. Schedule III item on which United States can withdraw concession any time after the termination of hostilities between the United Kingdom and Germany, provided 6 months' Less than 500 pounds. not more than 3 ounces each. 11 Includes Romano, Pecorino, Reggiano, Parmesan, Provoloni, Sbrinz, and Goya in their original loaves. 12 Includes Romano, Pecorino, Reggiano, Parmesan, and Provoloni. Separate import statistics on Sbrinz and Goya not reported by Bureau of Foreign Commerce and Navigation. 15 Covers prunes, prunelles, and plums, green, ripe, or in brine, as import statistics are reported by the Bureau of Foreign and Domestic Commerce. 16 Covers pears, green, ripe, or in brine, as import statistics are reported by Bureau of Foreign and Domestic Commerce. in the trade agreement with Cuba, effective Sept. 3, 1934. 17 Reduced in trade agreement with United Kingdom, effective Jan. 1, 1939. Duty on products of Cuba (except orange marmalade) reduced from 28 to 14 percent ad valorem seed trade is ended. 18 The duty will revert to 50 cents, 30 days after proclamation by the President (following consultation with the Argentine Government) that the abnormal situation in the flax. 20 Reduced to 34 cent per pound in Turkish agreement, effective May 5, 1939. 19 Reduced to 4 cents in first trade agreement with Canada, effective Jan. 1, 1936, and bound at 4 cents in the second Canadian agreement, effective Jan. 1, 1939. 21 Asparagus imports not separately reported. Data are for "fresh vegetables, n. e. s.," of which imports from Argentina are assumed to be asparagus. are known to consist almost entirely of corned-beef hash. 23 Sections 1101 (a) and (b) include Donskoi, Smyrna, Cordova, Valparaiso, Ecuadoran, Syrian, Aleppo, Georgian, Turkestan, Arabian, Bagdad, Persian, Sistan, East Indian, articles. This provision is bound in the trade agreement. 30 Product of Cuba dutiable at 20 percent preferential reduction as provided in commercial treaty of 1904. 31 Natural and uncompounded and in a crude state, not advanced in value or condition by shredding, grinding, chipping, crushing, or any other process or treatment whatever beyond that essential to proper packing and the prevention of decay or deterioration pending manufacture, not containing alcohol. 86405-43-49 The CHAIRMAN. The next witness is Mr. Carl H. Wilken, Raw Materials National Council, Sioux City, Iowa. Is Mr. Wilken here? Please identify yourself by giving your name and address for the benefit of the record, Mr. Wilken. STATEMENT OF CARL H. WILKEN, ECONOMIC ANALYST, RAW MATERIALS NATIONAL COUNCIL, SIOUX CITY, IOWA Mr. WILKEN. My name is Carl H. Wilken, economic analyst of the Raw Materials National Council at Sioux City, Iowa. The CHAIRMAN. How much time do you think you need without interruption? Mr. WILKEN. About 7 or 8 minutes. The CHAIRMAN. You may proceed. Mr. WILKEN. At previous meetings with this committee I have pointed out that the Raw Materials National Council is an independent research organization supported by citizens in the Sioux City area. Today my purpose in appearing before your committee is to point out the tremendous importance of trade agreements to the people of the United States and the future of the world as a whole. Trade agreements and the conditions under which they operate strike at the very heart of our form of government and fundamental economy. Our forefathers fought a war to establish their right to govern themselves and protect themselves against exploitation. They drafted the Constitution as a framework of Government and economy to protect our civil, religious, and economic freedom. The history of the world proves that the loss of economic freedom is the road to the loss of civil and religious freedoms. Even in our Nation unsound economic practices in the past have led to such centralization of Government that many fear the loss of the freedom that our people have enjoyed. Our forefathers provided the needed protection when they drafted the Constitution, but politics, selfishness, and social reform have prevented the protection from being rightly used. Both the Democratic and Republican Parties can be charged with improperly exercising the economic powers given to the people in the Constitution. It might be well to analyze our fundamental economy as it was put into operation under our form of government: The people of any nation, to enjoy economic freedom, must have a proper measure of value for the goods and services they produce. It is impossible to maintain freedom where human labor is exploited through low wages for their services. Our forefathers recognized this fact and gave Congress the right "to regulate the value of our dollar," which is our medium of exchange and our measure of values. There has been much confusion about parity prices for farm products, but a study of the Nation as a business reveals that parity prices mean a 100-cent dollar or a measure of value that places the farmer on an equal economic status with industry, labor, and other groups. The parity equation applies to all goods and services. The very essence of our Government is equality, and equality must extend all the way. Equality of price in measuring the dollar value |