An Act to amend certain provisions of the Agricultural Adjustment Act of 1938, as amended
PL 83-290 (H.R.6665), enacted 01/30/1954

PUBLIC LAW 290-JAN. 30, 1954 
Public Law 290 
[68 S T A T . 
CHAPTER 2 
January 30, 1954 
^^ 
A C T 
[H. R. 6665] 
To amend certain provisions of the Agricultural Adjustment Act of 1938, as 
amended. 
63 Stat. 670. 
7 u s e 1344. 
Cotton 
acreage 
allotments, 1954. 
Increases; 
a p -
portionments. 
Limitations. 
Be it enacted hy the Senate and House of Representatives 
of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled, That section 344 of 
the Agricultural Adjustment Act of 1938, as amended, is hereby 
amended by adding at the end thereof the following: 
" (m) Notwithstanding any other provision of law—. 
"(1) The national acreage allotment established under subsection 
(a) of this section for the 1954 crop of cotton shall be increased to 
twenty-one million acres and apportioned to the States in the same 
manner in which the national acreage allotment heretofore established 
for 1954 was apportioned to the States. 
In addition to such increased 
national acreage allotment, and in order to provide equitable adjust-
ments in 1954 farm acreage allotments, (A) three hundred and fifteen 
thousand additional acres shall be prorated as follows: one-half to the 
States of Arizona, California, and New Mexico, and one-half to the 
other States (excluding those which received a minimum allotment 
under subsection (k) of this section), the proration of each half being 
made to the States participating therein on the basis of their respective 
shares of the increased national acreage allotment, and (B) such addi-
tional acreage shall be added as may be required to provide each State 
a total allotment under subsection (b) of this section and the provisions 
of this paragraph of not less than 66 per centum of the acreage planted 
to cotton in the State in 1952. The additional acreage made available 
to States under clause (B) of the preceding sentence shall not be taken 
into account in establishing future State acreage allotments. 
The 
additional acreage made available to States under the provisions of 
this paragraph (1) shall be apportioned to counties on the basis of 
their respective shares of the State acreage allotment heretofore 
apportioned pursuant to subsection (e) of this section, and the addi-
tional acreage shall be apportioned to farms pursuant to the provisions 
of subsection (f) of this section: Provided, That, if the county com-
mittee determines that such action will result in a more equitable 
distribution of the additional county allotment among farms in the 
county, the additional acreage shall be apportioned by the county 
committee to farms so as to provide each farm with an allotment equal 
to the larger of 65 per centum of the average acreage planted to cotton 
on the farm in 1951, 1952, and 1953 (as determined by the county 
committee in establishing allotments under subsection (f) of this sec-
tion) or 40 per centum of the highest acreage planted to cotton on the 
farm in any one of such three years as so determined: Provided, That 
the State committee in each State shall limit such increase based on the 
system of farming, soil, crop-rotation practices, and other physical 
factors affecting production in such State, to an acreage not in excess 
of 50 per centum of the cropland on the farm, as determined under 
regulations heretofore prescribed by the Secretary. 
If the additional 
acreage is insufficient to meet the total of the farm increases so com-
puted, such farm increases shall be reduced pro rata to the additional 
acreage available to the county; if the additional acreage available to 
the county is in excess of the total of the farm increases so computed 
the acreage remaining after making such increases shall be allotted to 
farms pursuant to the provisions of subsection (f) (3). 
Notwith-
standing the foregoing provisions of this paragraph, if the State 
committee determines that such action will result in a more equitable 
distribution of the additional acreage made available to the State under 
this paragraph (1) it shall apportion such additional allotment directly 
68 S T A T . ] 
PUBUC LAW 290-JANi 30, 1954 
to farms so as to provide each farm with an allotment equal to the 
larger of 65 per centum of the average acreage planted to cotton on the 
farm in 1951, 1952, and 1953 (as determined by the county committee 
in establishing allotments under subsection (f) of this section) or 40 
per centum of the highest acreage planted to cotton on the farm in any 
one of such three yesiVSRS so determined'.Provided, 
That the State 
committee in each State shall limit such increase based on the system 
of farming, soil, crop-rotation practices, and other physical factors 
affecting production in such State, to an acreage not in excess of 50 
per centum of the cropland on the farm, as determined under regula-
tions heretofore prescribed by the Secretary: Provided, That if the 
State total of the farm increases so computed exceeds the additional 
acreage made available to the State under this paragraph, such farm 
increases shall be reduced pro rata to the additional acreage available 
to the State. Any acreage unallotted to farms because of the limita-
tions contained in the preceding sentence shall be apportioned by the 
State committee to counties on the basis of past acreages planted to 
cotton and shall be used by county committees for adjustments in farm 
allotments on the basis of one or more of the following: The past 
acreage of cotton on the farm, the percentage of cropland heretofore 
determined under subsection (f) (2) of this section, and the factors 
enumerated in subsection (f) (3) of this section. 
Before apportioning 
such unallotted acreage to counties as provided in the foregoing sen-
tence, the State committee may, if it determines that such action is 
required to provide equitable allotments within the State, apportion 
such unallotted acreage directly to farms to the extent required to 
j)rovide each farm with the minimum allotment described in subsection 
(f) (1) of this section. 
Any part of the county allotment heretofore 
established for the 1954 crop which was not apportioned to farms 
because of the limitation contained in the proviso in subsection (f) (2) 
of this section shall be available to the State committee and used as 
provided above for apportionment of unallotted acreage to farms. 
The provisions of this subsection, except paragraph (2), shall not apply 
to extra long staple cotton covered by section 347 of this Act. 
" (2) Any part of any 1954 or 1955 farm cotton acreage allotment on 
which cotton will not be planted and which is voluntarily surrendered 
to the county committee shall be deducted from the allotment to such 
farm and may be reapportioned by the county committee to other farms 
in the same county receiving allotments in amounts determined by the 
county committee to be fair and reasonable on the basis of past acreage 
of cotton, land, labor, equipment available for the production of cotton, 
crop rotation practices, and soil and other physical facilities affecting 
the production of cotton. If all of the allotted acreage voluntarily 
surrendered is not needed in the county, the county committee may 
surrender the excess acreage to the State committee to be used for the 
same purposes as the State acreage reserve under subsection (e) of this 
section. 
Any allotment transferred under this provision shall be 
regarded for the purposes of subsection (f) of this section as having 
been planted on the farm from which transferred rather than on the 
farm to which transferred, except that this shall not operate to make 
the farm from which the allotment was transferred eligible for an 
allotment as having cotton planted thereon during the three-year base 
period: Provided, That notwithstanding any other provisions of law, 
any part of any 1954 or 1955 farm acreage allotment may be perma-
nently released in writing to the county committee by the owner and 
operator of the farm, and reapportioned as provided herein. Acreage 
surrendered, reapportioned under this paragraph, and planted shall 
be credited to the State and county in determining future acreage 
Unallotted farm 
acreage. 
66 Stat. 759. 
7 u s e 1347. 
R eapportlonment 
of s u r r e n d e r e d 
acreage. 
PUBLIC LAW 290-JAN* 30, 1954 
[68 ST A T . 
Extra long staple 
cotton. 
7 u s e 1347. 
Reserve acreage. 
7 u s e 1344(h). 
Reallocation 
flood lands. 
of 
7 u s e 1344. 
Amendments 
ef-
fective in 1955. 
7 u s e 1334. 
Wheat. 
Requirements for 
increases. 
allotments. The provisions of this paragraph sliall apply also to extra 
long staple cotton covered by section 347 of this Act. 
"(3) Notwithstanding any other provision of this section or other 
provision of law, the acreage allotted to any State for 1954 under the 
provisions of subsection (b) of this section and the provisions of para-
graph (1) of this subsection which is less than one hundred thousand 
acres but more than thirty thousand acres shall be increased by an 
acreage equal to 15 per centum of the acreage allotted to it prior to 
the enactment of this subsection. Such acreage shall be used by the 
State committee as a reserve to make equitable adjustments in 1954 
farm acreage allotments on the basis of land, labor, equipment avail-
able for the production of cotton, crop-rotation practices, past acreages 
of cotton, soil, and other physical factors affecting the production of 
cotton." 
SEC. 2. Section 344 (h) of the Agricultural Adjustment Act of 1938 
is amended by adding at the end thereof the following: "In any county 
in which a major flood-control reservoir constructed by the United 
States Government shall have been located wholly or in part, acreage 
allotments for the production of cotton on the lands within such reser-
voir, which lands, because of permanent or perennial flooding occa-
sioned by the construction of such reservoir, shall be unfit for further 
cotton production, may be reallocated, within the discretion of the 
county committee, to other lands within the county as will in the 
opinion of said committee best serve the public interest." 
SEC. 3. Section 344 of the Agricultural Adjustment Act of 1938, 
as amended, is further amended, effective beginning with the 1955 
crop, as follows: 
(a) By striking the period at the end of subsection (e) and inserting 
in lieu thereof a comma and adding "or to correct inequities in farm 
allotments and to prevent hardship." 
(b) By striking out in subsection (f) (3) the colon before the word 
''''Provided^'' and inserting in lieu thereof a comma and adding "or in 
making adjustments in farm acreage allotments to correct inequities 
and to prevent hardship:". 
(c) By adding a new paragraph "6" at the end of subsection (f) 
to read as follows: 
"(6) Notwithstanding the provisions of paragraphs (1) and (2) 
of this subsection, if the county committee recommends such action 
and the Secretary determines that such action will result in a more 
equitable distribution of the county allotment among farms in the 
county, the county acreage allotment, less the acreage reserved under 
paragraph (3) of this subsection, shall be apportioned to farms on 
which cotton has been planted in any one of the three years immediately 
preceding the year for which such allotment is determined, on the 
basis of the acreage planted to cotton on the farm during such three 
year period. 
If the county acreage allotment is apportioned among 
the farms of the county in accordance with the provisions of this 
paragraph, the acreage reserved under paragraph (3) of this subsection 
may be used to make adjustments so as to establish allotments which 
are fair and reasonable to farms receiving allotments under this 
paragraph in relation to the factors set forth in paragraph (3)." 
SEC. 4. Section 334 of the Agricultural Adjustment Act of 1938, 
as amended, is amended bj^ adding at the end thereof the following: 
"(e) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Act, if after 
investigation the Secretary determines with respect to any class or 
sub-class of wheat that a substantial difference exists in the usage or 
marketing outlets therefor and that the supply of such wheat for the 
1953-54 and 1954-55 marketing years with respect to the 1954 crop, 
and for the 1954—55 and 1955-56 marketing years with respect to the 
68 
S T A T . ] 
PUBLIC LAW 292-FEB. 9, 1954 
1955 crop, will be substantially short of indicated market demands 
and carryover requirements for such wheat for such marketing years, 
the Secretary shall increase the marketing quotas and acreage allot-
ments for such crop of wheat for farms which produced such wheat 
in one or more of the preceding three years to the extent necessary 
to make available a supply of such wheat adequate to meet such 
demands and carryover requirements. 
The increases in farm market-
ing quotas and acreage allotments shall be made on the basis of the 
acreage seeded to such class or sub-class of wheat during the period of 
years considered in establishing farm marketing quotas and acreage 
allotments for wheat. 
The additional acreage required by this sub-
section shall be in addition to the national acreage allotment, and 
shall not be used to increase the acreage allotment applicable to other 
wheat produced on farms for which such additional acreage has been 
allotted, nor shall such acreage be considered in establishing future 
State, county, and farm acreage allotments." 
SEC. 5. (a) Section 5 of the ]oint resolution entitled "Joint resolution 
relating to cotton and peanut acreage allotments and marketing quotas 
under the Agricultural Adjustment Act of 1938, as amended, and to 
price support for potatoes" (7 U. S. C. 1450), is amended by inserting 
at the end thereof the following: "Operations with respect to Irish 
potatoes authorized by section 32 of the Act entitled 'An Act to amend 
the Agricultural Adjustment Act, and for other purposes' (7 U. S. C. 
612c), shall not be deemed to be prohibited by this section or, unless 
marketing quotas are in effect, to be required by section 201 of the 
Agricultural Act of 1949 (7 U. S. C. 1446).]' 
(b) The parenthetical phrase contained in the sentence preceding the 
last sentence of section 32 of the Act entitled "An Act to amend the 
Agricultural Adjustment Act, and for other purposes" (7 U. S. C. 
612c), is amended to read as follows: "(other than those receiving 
price support under title JI of the Agricultural Act of 1949)". 
Approved January 30, 1954. 
Irish potatoes. 
Price support. 
64 Stat. 42. 
49 Stat. 774. 
63 Stat. 1052. 
Limitation. 
63 Stat. 1057. 
7 u s e 1446. 
Public Law 291 
CHAPTER 3 
A N A C T 
January 30, 1954 
To continue the effectiveness of the Missing Persons Act, as extended, until 
[H. R. 72093 
July 1, 1955. 
Be it enacted hy the Senate and House of Representatives 
of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled^ That section 15, 
Missing Persons Act (56 Stat. 147, 1093), as amended by subsection 
1 (f). Act of April 4, 1953 (Public Law 16, Eighty-third Congress), 
is amended by deleting the Avord "February 1, 1954", and inserting in 
lieu thereof "July 1, 1955". 
Approved January 30, 1954. 
67 Stat. 21. 
50 u s e app. 1015. 
Public Law 292 
CHAPTER 4 
A N A C T 
February 9, 1954 
To extend the time for filing claims for the return of pi-operty under the Trading 
[S. 373] 
With the Enemy Act. 
Be it enacted hy the Senate and House of Representatives 
of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled, That section 33 of the 
Trading With the Enemy Act of October 6, 1917, as amended (50 
U. S. C. App. Supp. § 33), is amended by striking out the last portion 
62 Stat. 1218.