or control and may, at his discretion, deposit as collateral for such loans the warehouse receipts for such cotton.

(b) The Secretary of the Tresaury is authorized to advance, in his discretion, out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise apropriated, the sum of $100,000,000 to the Secretary of Agriculture, for paying off any debt or debts which may have been or may be incurred by the Secretary of Agriculture and discharging any lien or liens which may have arisen or may arise pursuant to sections 603-607 of this title, for protecting title to any cotton which may have been or may be acquired by the Secretary of Agriculture under authority of sections 603-607 of this title, and for paying any expenses (including, but not limited to, warehouse charges, insurance, salaries, interest, costs, and commissions) incident to carrying, handling, insuring, and marketing of said cotton and for the purposes described in subsection (e) of this section. This sum shall be available until the cotton acquired by the Secretary of Agriculture under authority of this chapter, including cotton futures, shall have been finally marketed by any agency which may have been or may be established by the Secretary of Agriculture for the handling, carrying, insuring, or marketing of any cotton acquired by the Secretary of Agriculture.

(c) The funds authorized by subsection (b) of this section shall be made available to the Secretary of Agriculture from time to time upon his request and with the approval of the Secretary of the Treasury. Each such request shall be accompanied by a statement showing by weight and average grade and staple the quantity of cotton held by the Secretary of Agriculture and the approximate aggregate market value thereof.

(d) It is the purpose of subsections (b) and (c) to provide an alternative method to that provided by subsection (a), for enabling the Secretary of Agriculture to finance the acquisition, carrying, handling, insuring, and marketing of cotton acquired by him under authority of section 603 of this title. The Secretary of Agriculture may at his discretion make use of either or both of the methods provided in this section for obtaining funds for the purposes hereinabove enumerated.

(e) The Secretary of Agriculture is authorized to use in his discretion any funds obtained by him pursuant to the provisions of subsection (a) or (b) of this section or of section 605 of this title for making advances to any agency which may have been or may be established by the Secretary of Agriculture for the handling, carrying, insuring, or marketing of any cotton acquired by the Secretary of Agriculture, to enable any such agency to perform, exercise, and discharge any of the duties, privileges, and functions which such agency may be authorized to perform, exercise, or discharge.

(f) The proceeds derived from the sale of cotton shall be held for the Secretary of Agriculture by the Treasurer of the United States in a special deposit account and shall be used by the Secretary of Agriculture to discharge the obligations incurred under authority of sections 603-607 of this title. Whenever any cotton shall be marketed the net proceeds (after discharge of other obligations incurred with respect thereto) derived from the sale

thereof shall be used, to the extent required, to reimburse the Treasury for such portion of the funds hereby provided for as shall have been used, which shall be covered into the Treasury as a miscellaneous receipt. If when all of the cotton acquired by the Secretary of Agriculture shall have been marketed and all of the obligations incurred with respect to such cotton shall have been discharged, and the Treasury reimbursed for any and all sums which may have been advanced pursuant to subsection (b), there shall remain any balance in the hands of the Secretary of Agriculture, such balance shall be covered into the Treasury as miscellaneous receipts.

The word "obligation" when used in this section shall include (without being limited to) administrative expenses, warehouse charges, insurance, salaries, interest, costs, commissions, and other expenses incident to handling, carrying, insuring, and marketing of said cotton. (May 12, 1933, ch. 25, title I, § 4, 48 Stat. 33; June 19, 1934, ch. 648, title II, § 1, 48 Stat. 1058; Aug. 24, 1935, ch. 641, §§ 35, 36, 49 Stat. 775.)

§ 605. Loans from Reconstruction Finance Corporation; warehouse receipts as collateral.-The Reconstruction Finance Corpotion is hereby authorized and directed to advance money and to make loans to the Secretary of Agriculture for the purpose of providing funds with which to enable the Secretary of Agriculture to perform the duties and functions which he is directed or authorized to perform under the provisions of sections 603-607 of this title, provided such advance of money or such loans shall not be for amounts in excess of the market value of the cotton, or the interest of the Secretary of Agriculture in the cotton, against which the advance or loan is to be made at the time such advance or loan may be applied for by the Secretary of Agriculture, plus costs, expenses, and commissions incurred incidental to handling, carrying, and marketing of such cotton. The Secretary of Agriculture shall not be required to pledge or deposit warehouse receipts or other evidences of title to cotton as security for any advance of money or loans made pursuant hereto, but it shall be sufficient if the Secretary shall give to the Reconstruction Finance Corporation a written statement showing the quantity of cotton by weight and the average grade and staple of the cotton against which the advance or loan is to be made. The amount of notes, bonds, debentures, and other obligations which the Reconstruction Finance Corporation is authorized and empowered to issue and to have outstanding at any one time under existing law is hereby increased by an amount sufficient to carry out the provisions of this section. (May 12, 1933, ch. 25, title I, § 5, 48 Stat. 33; June 19, 1934, ch. 648, title II, § 1, 48 Stat. 1059.)

CROSS REFERENCE

Cancellation of notes of Reconstruction Finance Corporation given for loans under this section, see section 611a of Title 15, Commerce and Trade. § 606. Repealed. Aug. 24, 1935, ch. 641, § 34, 49 Stat. 775. Section was from act May 12, 1933, ch. 25, title I, § 6, 48 Stat. 33.

§ 607. Sale by Secretary; additional options; validation of as

signments; publication of information. The Secretary shall sell cotton held or acquired by him pursuant to authority of this chapter at his discretion subject only to the conditions and limitations of this chapter: Provided, That the Secretary shall have authority to enter into option contracts with producers of cotton to sell to or for the producers such cotton held and/or acquired by him in such amounts and at such prices and upon such terms and conditions as he, the Secretary, may deem advisable, and such option contracts may be transferred or assigned in such manner as the Secretary of Agriculture may prescribe.

Notwithstanding any provisions contained in option contracts heretofore issued and/or any provision of law, assignments made prior to January 11, 1934, of option contracts exercised prior to January 18, 1934, shall be deemed valid upon determination by the Secretary that such assignment was an assignment in good faith of the full interest in such contract and for full value and is free from evidence of fraud or speculation by the assignee.

Notwithstanding any provision of existing law, the Secretary of Agriculture may, in the administration of this chapter, make public such information as he deems necessary in order to effectuate the purposes of such chapter. (May 12, 1933, ch. 25, title I, § 7, 48 Stat. 34; June 16, 1933, ch. 90, title II, § 221, 48 Stat. 210; Aug. 24, 1935, ch. 641, § 33, 49 Stat. 775.)

COMMODITY BENEFITS

§ 608. General powers of Secretary-(1) Investigations; proclamation of findings. Whenever the Secretary of Agriculture has reason to believe that:

(a) The current average farm price for any basic agricultural commodity is less than the fair exchange value thereof, or the average farm price of such commodity is likely to be less than the fair exchange value thereof for the period in which the production of such commodity during the current or next succeeding marketing year is normally marketed, and

(b) The conditions of and factors relating to the production, marketing, and consumption of such commodity are such that the exercise of any one or more of the powers conferred upon the Secretary under subsections (2) and (3) of this section would tend to effectuate the declared policy of this chapter,

he shall cause an immediate investigation to be made to determine such facts. If, upon the basis of such investigation, the Secretary finds the existence of such facts, he shall proclaim such determination and shall exercise such one or more of the powers conferred upon him under subsections (2) and (3) of this section as he finds upon the basis of an investigation, administratively practicable and best calculated to effectuate the declared policy of this chapter.

(2) Agreements for adjustment of acreage or production and for rental or benefit payments.-Subject to the provisions of subsection (1) of this section, the Secretary of Agriculture shall provide, through agreements with producers or by other voluntary methods,

(a) For such adjustment in the acreage or in the production for market, or both, of any basic agricultural commodity, as he finds, upon the basis of the investigation made pursuant to subsection (1) of this section, will tend to effectuate the declared policy of this chapter, and to make such adjustment program practicable to operate and administer, and

(b) For rental or benefit payments in connection with such agreements or methods in such amounts as he finds, upon the basis of such investigation, to be fair and reasonable and best calculated to effectuate the declared policy of this title and to make such program practicable to operate and administer, to be paid out of any moneys available for such payments or, subject to the consent of the producer, to be made in quantities of one or more basic agricultural commodities acquired by the Secretary pursuant to this chapter.

(3) Payments by Secretary.-Subject to the provisions of subsection (1) of this section, the Secretary of Agriculture shall make payments, out of any moneys available for such payments, in such amounts as he finds, upon the basis of the investigation made pursuant to subsection (1) of this section, to be fair and reasonable and best calculated to effectuate the declared policy of this chapter:

(a) To remove from the normal channels of trade and commerce quantities of any basic agricultural commodity or product thereof;

(b) To expand domestic or foreign markets for any basic agricultural commodity or product thereof;

(c) In connection with the production of that part of any basic agricultural commodity which is required for domestic consumption.

(4) Additional investigation; suspension of exercise of powers. Whenever, during a period during which any of the powers conferred in subsection (2) or (3) is being exercised, the Secretary of Agriculture has reason to believe that, with respect to any basic agricultural commodity

(a) The current average farm price for such commodity is not less than the fair exchange value thereof, and the average farm price for such commodity is not likely to be less than the fair exchange value thereof for the period in which the production of such commodity during the current or next succeeding marketing year is normally marketed, or

(b) The conditions of and factors relating to the production, marketing, and consumption of such commodity are such that none of the powers conferred in subsections (2) and (3), and no combination of such powers, would, if exercised, tend to effectuate the declared policy of this chapter, he shall cause an immediate investigation to be made to determine such facts. If, upon the basis of such investigation, the Secretary finds the existence of such facts, he shall proclaim such determination, and shall not exercise any of such powers with respect to such commodity after the end of the marketing year current at the time when such proclamation is made and prior to a new proclamation under subsection (1) of this section, except insofar as the exercise

of such power is necessary to carry out obligations of the Secretary assumed, prior to the date of such proclamation made pursuant to this subsection, in connection with the exercise of any of the powers conferred upon him under subsections (2) or (3) of this section.

(5) Hearings; notice.-In the course of any investigation required to be made under subsection (1) or subsection (4) of this section, the Secretary of Agriculture shall hold one or more hearings, and give due notice and opportunity for interested parties to be heard.

(6) Commodity in which payment made.-No payment under this chapter made in an agricultural commodity acquired by the Secretary in pursuance of this chapter shall be made in a commodity other than that in respect of which the payment is being made. For the purposes of this subsection, hogs and field corn may be considered as one commodity.

(7) Additional payments to producers of sugar beets or sugarcane. In the case of sugar beets or sugarcane, in the event that it shall be established to the satisfaction of the Secretary of Agriculture that returns to growers or producers, under the contracts for the 1933-1934 crop of sugar beets or sugarcane, entered into by and between the processors and producers and/or growers thereof, were reduced by reason of the payment of the processing tax, and/or the corresponding floor stocks tax, on sugar beets or sugarcane, in addition to the foregoing rental or benefit payments, the Secretary of Agriculture shall make such payments, representing in whole or in part such tax, as the Secretary deems fair and reasonable, to producers who agree, or have agreed, to participate in the program for reduction in the acreage or reduction in the production for market, or both, of sugar beets or sugarcane.

(8) Pledge by rice producer for production credit of right to rental or benefit payments.-In the case of rice, the Secretary of Agriculture, in exercising the power conferred upon him by subsection (2) of this section to provide for rental or benefit payments, is directed to provide in any agreement entered into by him with any rice producer pursuant to such subsection, upon such terms and conditions as the Secretary determines will best effectuate the declared policy of this chapter, that the producer may pledge for production credit in whole or in part his right to any rental or benefit payments under the terms of such agreement and that such producer may designate therein a payee to receive such rental or benefit payments.

(9) Advances of payments on stored nonperishable commodity. -Under regulations of the Secretary of Agriculture requiring adequate facilities for the storage of any nonperishable agricultural commodity on the farm, inspection and measurement of any such commodity so stored, and the locking and sealing thereof, and such other regulations as may be prescribed by the Secretary of Agriculture for the protection of such commodity and for the marketing thereof, a reasonable percentage of any benefit payment may be advanced on any such commodity so stored. any such case, such deduction may be made from the amount of

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