Proclamation 2905—Supplemental Quota on Imports of Long-Staple Cotton

Whereas pursuant to section 22 of the Agricultural Adjustment Act of 1933 as amended by section 31 of the act of August 24, 1935, 49 Stat. 750, 773, as amended by section 5 of the act of February 29, 1936, 49 Stat. 1148, 1152, and as reenacted by section 1 of the act of June 3, 1937, 50 Stat. 246 (7 U.S.C. 624), the President issued a proclamation on September 5, 1939 (No. 2351, 54 Stat. 2640), limiting the quantities of certain cotton and cotton waste which might be entered, or withdrawn from warehouse, for consumption, which proclamation was suspended in part or modified by the President's proclamations of December 19, 1940 (No. 2450, 54 Stat. 2769), March 31, 1942 (No. 2544, 56 Stat. 1944), June 29, 1942 (No. 2560, 56 Stat. 1963), February 1, 1947 (No. 2715, 61 Stat. 1049), June 9, 1947 (No. 2734, 61 Stat. 1071), July 20, 1948 (No. 2800, 13 F.R. 4176), and September 3, 1949 (no. 2856, 14 F.R. 5517); and

Whereas the said proclamation of September 5, 1939, as suspended in part and modified, provides that the total quantity of cotton having a staple of 1 1/8 inches or more but less than 1 11/16 inches in length which may be entered, or withdrawn from warehouse, for consumption in any year commencing February 1 shall not exceed 45,656,420 pounds; and

Whereas the limitation on the entry of cotton having a staple of 1 1/8 inches or more in length was imposed by the said proclamation of September 5, 1939 after a finding by the President, on the basis of an investigation and report of the United States Tariff Commission made under the provisions of the said section 22 of the Agricultural Adjustment Act of 1933, as amended, that such cotton was being imported into the United States under such conditions and in sufficient quantities as to tend to render ineffective or materially interfere with the program undertaken with respect to cotton under the Soil Conservation and Domestic Allotment Act, as amended; and

Whereas the imposition of annual quotas on cotton having a staple of 1 1/8 inches or more in length was recommended by the United States Tariff Commission in its report (Report No. 137, 2d Series) in connection with which it was stated, in finding No. 5, that the quotas recommended "will prevent imports from interfering with the cotton program and at the same time will permit American industry to secure needed supplies of specialized types of cotton"; and

Whereas the total quantity of cotton having a staple of 1 1/8 inches or more but less than 1 11/16 inches in length which may be entered for consumption or withdrawn from warehouse for consumption under the said proclamation of September 5, 1939, as suspended in part and modified, during the quota year ending at the close of January 31, 1951, has already been entered, or withdrawn from warehouse, for consumption; and

Whereas pursuant to the said section 22 of the Agricultural Adjustment Act of 1933, as further amended by the acts of January 25, 1940, 54 Stat. 17, and July 3, 1948, 62 Stat. 1247, 1248, and by Public Law 579, 81st congress, approved June 28, 1950, the United States Tariff Commission has made a supplemental investigation to determine whether changed circumstances require the modification of the said proclamation of September 5, 1939, to permit an additional quantity of harsh or rough cotton having a staple of 1 1/8 inches or more but less than 1 3/8 inches in length to be entered, or withdrawn from warehouse, for consumption during the remainder of the quota year ending at the close of January 31, 1951, in order to meet the special requirements of domestic manufacturers for this particular type of cotton; and

Whereas in the course of the said supplemental investigation, after due notice, a public hearing was held on July 18, 1950, at which parties interested were given opportunity to be present, to produce evidence, and to be heard, and, in addition to the hearing, the Commission made such investigation as it deemed necessary for a full disclosure and presentation of the facts; and

Whereas the Commission has made findings of fact and has transmitted to me a report of such findings and its recommendations based thereon, together with a transcript of the evidence submitted at the hearing, and has also transmitted a copy of such report to the Secretary of Agriculture; and

Whereas the Commission has recommended that an additional quantity of 1,500,000 pounds of harsh or rough cotton (except cotton of perished staple, grabbots, and cotton pickings), white in color, and having a staple of 1 3/16 inches or more but less than 1 3/8 inches in length be permitted entry during the quota year ending at the close of January 31, 1951, in order to enable domestic users to obtain their essential requirements for such cotton:

Now, Therefore, I, Harry S. Truman, President of the United States of America, do hereby find and declare, on the basis of the said supplemental investigation and report of the United States Tariff Commission, that changed circumstances require the modification of the said proclamation of September 5, 1939, as suspended in part and modified, so as to permit the entry for consumption, or withdrawal from warehouse for consumption, during the quota year ending at the close of January 31, 1951, of 1,500,000 pounds of harsh or rough cotton (except cotton of perished staple, grabbots, and cotton pickings), white in color, and having a staple of 1 3/16 inches or more but less than 1 3/8 inches in length, in addition to the quantity of cotton having a staple of 1 1/8 inches or more but less than 1 11/16 inches in length the entry of which has already been made during the said quota year under the said proclamation of September 5, 1939, as suspended in part and modified, which additional quantity I find should be permitted entry to carry out the purposes of section 22 of the Agricultural Adjustment Act of 1933, as amended. Accordingly, pursuant to the said section 22 of the Agricultural Adjustment Act of 1933, as amended, I hereby modify the said proclamation of September 5, 1939, so as to permit during the quota year ending at the close of January 31, 1951, the entry for consumption, or withdrawal from warehouse for consumption of an additional quantity of 1,500,000 pounds of harsh or rough cotton (except cotton of perished staple, grabbots, and cotton pickings), white in color, and having a staple of 1 3/16 inches or more but less than 1 3/8 inches in length, which additional quantity I hereby find and declare may be entered for consumption, or withdrawn from warehouse for consumption, during such quota year without rendering or tending to render ineffective or materially interfering with the domestic program undertaken with respect to cotton, or reducing substantially the amount of any product processed in the United States from cotton produced in the United States.

This proclamation shall become effective on the fifth day after the date thereof.

In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal of the United States of America to be affixed.

Done at the City of Washington this 4th day of October in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred and fifty, and of the Independence of the United States of America the one hundred and seventy-fifth.

HARRY S. TRUMAN

By the President:

JAMES E. WEBB,

Acting Secretary of State.