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PUBLIC LAW 640-MAY 28, 1956 Public Law 540

May 28, 1956 [H.R. 10875]

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[TO S T A T. CHAPTER 327

AN ACT To enact the Agricultural Act of 1936. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That this Act may be cited as the "Agricultural Act of 1956". TITLE I — S O I L BANK ACT SHORT TITLE

Soil Bank Act.

s^c. 101. This title may be cited as the "Soil Bank Act". DECLARATION OF POLICY

52 Stat. 3 1. 7 USC 1281.

SEC. 102. The Congress hereby finds that the production of excessive supplies of agricultural commodities depresses the prices and income of farm families; constitutes improper land use and brings about soil erosion, depletion of soil fertility, and too rapid release of water from lands where it falls, thereby adversely affecting the national welfare, impairing the productive facilities necessary for a continuous and stable supply of agricultural commodities, and endangering an adequate supply of water for agricultural and nonagricultural use; overtaxes the facilities of interstate and foreign transportation; congests terminal markets and handling and processing centers in the flow of commodities from producers to consumers; depresses prices in interstate and foreign commerce; disrupts the orderly marketing of commodities in such commerce; and otherwise affects, burdens, and obstructs interstate and foreign commerce. I t is in the interest of the general welfare that the soil and water resources of the Nation be not wasted and depleted in the production of such burdensome surpluses and that interstate and foreign commerce in agricultural commodities be protected from excessive supplies. I t is hereby declared to be the policy of the Congress and the purposes of this title to protect and increase farm income, to protect the national soil, water, and forest and wildlife resources from vraste and depletion, to protect interstate and foreign commerce from the burdens and obstructions which result from the utilization of farmland for the production of excessive supplies of agricultural commodities, and to provide for the conservation of such resources and an adequate, balanced, and orderly flow of such agricultural commodities in interstate and foreign commerce. To effectuate the policy of Congress and the purposes of this title programs are herein authorized to assist farmers to divert a portion of their cropland from the production of excessive supplies of agricultural commodities, and to carry out a program of soil, water, forest and wildlife conservation. The activities authorized under this title are supplementary to the acreage allotments and marketing quotas authorized under the Agricultural Adjustment Act of 1938, as amended, and together with such acreage allotments and marketing quotas, constitute an over-all program to prevent excessive supplies of agricultural commodities from burdening and obstructing interstate and foreign commerce.

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