ABSTRACT
In 1943, the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) requested to be audited by the General Accounting Office (GAO) when the Bureau of the Budget prevented it from employing a commercial auditing firm. As the main operating branch of the Agriculture Department in the administration of price-support programs, the CCC entered into loans and purchase agreements with farmer-producers of price-supported commodities. The continuing dispute generated by the results of the GAO's first audit report of CCC had been debated on the floor of Congress within the three-month period immediately preceding Robert L. Rasor's arrival at the audit site. According to the CCC, it was unreasonable to require more formalized and documented purchase standards in the dynamic and fast-moving grain business. They conceded that one of the responsibilities of the Department of Agriculture was to stabilize grain prices. Overseas wheat supplies grew, export demand fell, and US farmers continued to deliver grain to the CCC in settlement of their purchase agreements.
