Statement by the President Upon Approving a Joint Resolution on Wheat Acreage Allotments and Marketing Quotas.

I HAVE today approved the Joint Resolution which extends the date for announcing the 1960 wheat acreage allotments and marketing quotas from May 15 to June 1, 1959. It is my hope that these additional two weeks will be used by the Congress to enact realistic and constructive-not stopgap--wheat legislation.

The wheat program, which the present law has forced us to administer, is a failure. It has failed to prevent recurring surpluses and has resulted in excessive costs to the taxpayer.

If the wheat program is not soundly changed both surpluses and costs will continue to increase.

I pointed out the urgency of the wheat situation in my agricultural message of January 29, 1959 and again in a special message on May 13, 1959.

The Joint Resolution, signed today, affords an additional two weeks for making corrective changes in time for farmers to plan for the 1960 wheat crop.