2

AGRICULTURAL RELIEF

the Sioux City Farmers Union Livestock Commission House, the
Kansas City Farmers Union Livestock Commission House, the
Omaha Farmers Union Livestock Commission House, the American
Council of Agriculture, the Minnesota Council of Agriculture, the
Montana Farmers Union, the National Corn Growers Association,
the Burley Tobacco Association, the Dark Tobacco Association, the
National Farmers Union, and the American Cotton Growers
Exchange. :
In order to get these people represented in the different organizations,
 a lot of those organizations were merged, and while we do not
ask this committee for the time it would necessarily take to hear from
representatives of each organization, we want you to give us enough
time to have the different organizations, represented by the men
designated to speak for them, and who are qualified to speak on this
subject, and can do so very quickly, to put our position before you,
so it will take but a little of anyone’s time for it to be presented to
you, and in that way you will be not unnecessarily delayed.
We have come to the conclusion that these are the policies that we
need for the stabilization of agriculture. I am not going into the
merits of this measure, but I am going to ask now that you let our
legislative director, who is Mr. Chester H. Gray, come before you
and explain the position of the American Farm Bureau on this
measure, if that is satisfactory.
Mr. Swank. We will have an opportunity to ask you questions at
any time, will we not?
Mr. TaHoMpsoN. At any time; yes, sir.
The Cuamman. Very well, Mr. Gray, we will hear from you.

STATEMENT OF CHESTER H. GRAY, WASHINGTON REPRESENTA -
TIVE OF THE AMERICAN FARM BUREAU FEDERATION

Mr. Gray. May I interrupt to ask Mr. Settle, please, in the
program which has been revised this morning or which is to be
carried out, what particular phase of this bill 1s it expected that I
shall explain?
Mr. SerTLE. I think that you should point out the few changes
the committee ought to make in the bill.
Mr. Gray. I asked that question, Mr. Chairman and members of
the committee, for the reason that there is a large association of
organizations cooperating together in their support of House bill
7940, and I do not wish to transgress on the ground that other men,
who will come before you later, will want to take up in regard to certain
 portions of the bill and present their ideas to the committee.
This bill, No. 7940, is the result of what I might call an evolutionary
 growth, using that word in a legislative and not a biologic
sense. Since farm relief started here in the Halls of Congress, the
bills, carrying the general idea of farm relief, have differed greatly;
even those which the American Farm Bureau Federation and the
groups with which we are associated, and have supported, have
differed. They have evloved from the point which they were written
around four years ago to the point where your bill, Mr. Chairman,
now stands. And I would say that H. R. 7940 represents the best
and latest thought which has yet been promulgated by the Congress
for an effectual and permanent solution of the surplus question.