AGRICULTURAL RELIEF

Al

whether you will only{take the equalization fee, and if you canfnot
get that you will take nothing. Now I would like that as the official
expression of your body, and according to what you say, this group
of men have authority for the American Farm Bureau Federationfto
suggest amendments to the bill.

Mr. Gray. In other words, you want not only a positive but you
desire a negative statement as well. FY

Mr. Fort. Whether it is that or nothing—if that is the attitude
of the American Farm Bureau Federation. I think we are entitled

to that.

Mr. Gray. Can we get the same kind of expression from the mem-
bership of the committee here, the Committee on Agriculture,
positive as well as negative?

Mr. Fort. You can from me, and you have from other members.

Mr. Gray. I have no hesitancy in saying that I can transmitkto
this committee, either in person or preferably by letters signed by
those gentlemen whom I have named, our positive convictions on
this proposition. I do not know whether we are going to commit
ourselves to a dog in the manger attitude or not. I am not trying
to shield this committee from its responsibility. If it wants to take
a negative attitude, as I said this morning, that is its responsibility.

Mr. AsweLL. How could you shield the committee?

Mr. Fort. We appreciate that, but following Mr. Kincheloe’s
question, the attitude we are finding here is that there are three
groups who have to be satisfied before any bill on this subject can
become law, and the third is representative of the farm organizations
who are not satisfied with the bill as introduced by Chairman Haugen,
who come to us—it being the responsibility of this committee and
the Members of Congress to shape legislation—with the suggestion
that that bill, without certain amendments, should not be reported,
unless they get all the amendments Chairman McNary, in the
Senate, put in his bill, and are telling us that a certain type of legisla-
tion containing specific paragraphs and clauses is what they want.
Now I think we are also entitled to know whether their attitude is
that or nothing, and I think if that is their attitude, we have got to
make up our independent judgments as to whether we can give them
that, whether we can give them nothing, or whether we can work out
something independent of their suggestion, in view of their attitude
that it is that or nothing.

Mr. Gray. If the members of this committee or if the committee
as a group—referring to the Agricultural Committee here—are seek-
ing an alibi or defense of negative action on farm relief from the farm
groups, I suspect you will wait some time to get that sort of an alibi.
I am perfectly willing to and I shall give this committee, at your sug-
gestion, a positive statement from those men whom I have named, as
to our positive position. If a negative position is taken that is your
responsibility, and you will get no alibi from the farm groups.

Mr. Fort. In other words, Mr. Gray, the attitude that you do
express is one of willingness to cooperate with us only in the drafting
of a bill that involves or incorporates the equalization fee?

Mr. Gray. I answered that further and fully in answer to Congress-
man Ketcham’s question a while ago. You will get our cooperation

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