Statement by the President on the Work of the National Agricultural Advisory Commission.

I AM DEEPLY OBLIGATED to the members of the National Agricultural Advisory Commission for the important work they have done and are doing in behalf of America's farming community.

As a body of representative farmers, agriculturists, representatives of farming organizations and of agricultural educational institutions, they are engaged in helping the Administration to develop a federal farm program that will best meet differing and sometimes diverse interests of the entire farming population and of consumers as well.

They are properly proceeding on the assumption that only a well-thought out program, designed to meet the basic requirements of all elements of our population, can bring about that stability and general prosperity in American agriculture that we are all striving to achieve.

The preliminary discussion I have had today with the Commission convinces me that it will outline with the help of many other agricultural groups, developments in the present programs that will help farmers secure their fair share of the national income and work for the good of all.

I was heartened to find the view prevailing that market price adjustments in agriculture, which have been substantial over the past two years, now seem pretty well behind us. I sensed, too, a conviction among the members of the Commission that the outlook for business activity throughout the economy in the year ahead--a factor so essential to good markets for farm products-is generally reassuring.

Our discussions of the immediately pressing problems of the drought and the cattle price situation as well as other subjects produced valuable suggestions, which are now receiving intensive consideration by Secretary of Agriculture Benson. I was gratified to have the Commission's view that existing programs in these two critical areas are becoming increasingly effective.