B82

AGRICULTURAL RELIEF
n making successful, as much as it can be made successful, whatever
farm relief bill passes Congress.

Mr. Fort. No; I said in drafting. You did not get my question.

Mr. Gray. Maybe I did not understand your question.

Mr. Fort. I asked you whether we would have your cooperation
in drafting legislation if that legislation does not include an equaliza-
tion fee.

Mr. Gray. No; I have no authority to help draft a bill which is
not in accord with our policy.

Mr. Fort. Then if that be true, if the committee is not in favor of a
bill with an equalization fee in it, you do not intend to assist the
committee in drafting any other bill?

Mr. Gray. No.

Mr. Fonmer., Mr. Chairman, may I add right there, following Mr.
Fort’s question up a little, if it is a matter that this committee pro-
poses to take the dictates of the President instead of functioning for
the people of the United States, it is useless to continue further the
hearings. We might as well adjourn and ask the President what we
should do, and submit it to the Congress.

Mr. Kercaam. Don’t you think it is just as fair for these gentle-
men to state what they want before the committee as it is for the
members of the committee who have said, “I am not going to vote
for any bill that has an equalization fee in it’?

Mr. FuLMER. In the meantime this committee has taken up a lot
of time trying to pursuade this witness not to go up against the
President. As a matter of fact, these folks were invited here and
have been given this time to speak on this bill, and then when we go
into executive session it is the responsibility of each Member to vote
for or against a bill carrying the equalization, or one leaving it out.
So far as I am concerned, I am willing to take the responsibility and
represent the American people, instead of taking the dictation of one
man as to what shall be the legislation that we should pass in the
interest of agriculture.

Mr. Jones. I think Mr. Gray has made the position of the Farm
Bureau very clear.

Mr. AsweLL. Has any member of this com 1ittee asked that you
defend him about his duties?

Mr. Gray. Several members, Congressman Aswell, have asked
questions which, if they were answered in the way those questions
were desired to be answered, would have put the farm groups in the
position of defending the members of this committee in this regard;

that this committee must face its responsibility. If it reports out a
farm relief bill which the farm groups do not desire, it can not expect
those of us who represent the farm groups to come here and say that
such a report will be agreed to by us. I am not going to call out
names of the committee members who have asked those questions,
but the record will show who have asked the questions seeking to
zet a negative as well as a positive answer; that is, to make the
farmers responsible for both kinds of farm relief bills. I do not
think they are going to get a negative answer, because that kind of
an answer would put the farm groups in the position of defending
the members of this committee, if there be such, who desire to report
out a bill heartless. with no meat in it.