AGRICULTURAL RELIEF 
59 
Mr. Gray. Yes. 
Mr. KercaaM. A moment ago you gave a very clear and correct 
answer to the question I suggested, as to the possibility of this bill, 
without the equalization fee, operating at the end of two years, and 
then whether we would be in a stronger or weaker position if certain 
conditions did or did not develop. I want to put this question: 
Supposing the bill passed, was signed, and became operative, and that 
it did prove to be the thing that would do the business, how would 
you feel then at the end of two years? I want to know what your 
attitude of mind is. Are you absolutely committed to the proposi- 
tion that 95 per cent, 96 per cent, or 97 per cent, or some per cent of 
farm relief is in the equalization fee would not be needed if the un- 
expected happened and the bill without the equalization fee passed 
and became a law at this session? 
Mr. Gray. No; we would be better under that condition. 
Mr. Kercaam. Would your organization give every bit of its 
strength and power to the provision of the bill that you have intro- 
duced and approved, if that did become operative? I want to know 
what your attitude would be now. I think you are perectly frank. 
We have been perfectly frank with you, certainly. hile you are 
not authorized to speak excent officially, I would like to hear your 
expression of view. 
Mr. Gray. You are asking the question, of course, of me as the 
representative of the American Farm Bureau Federation, and I could 
not answer that as definitely as you would desire me to answer, nor 
as I might answer if I represented a large cooperative group. How- 
ever, we are in support of cooperative groups in the Farm Bureau and 
have had somewhat to do in setting up cooperative enterprises, so 
I would answer your question in this way: That the cooperation which 
the Federal farm board would get in putting into effect for the two 
or three year period which you set up, for purposes of argument, 
would largely lie upon the activities of the cooperative associations 
and not with the activities of the American Farm Bureau Federation 
or any of these other big national service organizations, because we 
do not handle anything. We have nothing to sell or nothing to buy. 
That answer would have to be given by the representatives of coop- 
erative groups. But my indication of an answer would be that you 
could expect from cooperative groups and from the service organiza- 
tions splendid cooperation in putting into effect the bill, if passed. 
This is an indication as to what my judgment would be of their 
activities. 
Mr. KercaaMm. You would be disappointed, of course, if the 
equalization fee were not in the bill? 
Mr. Gray. Surely. 
Mr. Kercaam. But you would not be disappointed so far as to 
enter active opposition to the working out of this bill. even if it was 
not in the form which you want it in? 
Mr. Gray. I think there would be no active opposition but, as I 
have said—and I make the statement after conferring with a good 
many cooperative leaders—I doubt whether the cooperative leade:s 
would get themselves into contractural relationships with the Federal 
farm board when there was a real surplus question to handle; and 
that is what we want to tackle in any farm-relief legislation. I doubt 
whether thev would fulfill all expectations in that recard.