103
is what brought about the equalization fee plan. Through the
squalization fee plan we hoped to force them all into it.

Mr. GrRENNAN. If you have been denied that, and you cannot get
that, substitute your orderly marketing for it, then you settle the
thing among yourselves. Don’t tell me there is any farmer going to
refuse or turn down $1,000 a year profit on 3,000 bushels of corn. 1
know better than that.

Mr. KincHELOE. But the thing is to convince the farmer of that
fact. There has been some campaign in my country to get farmers
into cooperatives and we never have got but about 65 per cent,
consequently the 35 per cent on the outside gradually set the market,
and those fellows on the inside have had the bag to hold, and they
have gotten tired doing it.

Mr. GRENNAN. Just put this proposition to them, and if you can-
not get a better percentage than that, then don’t undertake to set
it up.

Mr. Jones. If your plan is feasible and you can convince the
farmer, why do you need legislation? Why can vou not just get
them all in, and they can sell at any price they want to.

Mr. GrRex~NAN. In the first place, there is no individual or group of
individuals can go out and put this plan before the people. We have
zot to doit en masse. That is the way it has got to be done. Suppose
in your district you wanted to put this plan before your people—I
don’t say you personally, but it has your indorsement, and there are
men working under you personally who put this before your people,
don’t you think they will take hold of it?

Mr. CrLark. But the attorney general of the State comes in and
says, ‘“‘ You are trying to increase the price to the consumer; you are
a combination in restraint of trade.” No farmer is going to go into
it, because he sees State prison staring him in the face.

Mr. PurNELL. We have exempted the cooperatives from that.

Mr. Fort. I think you told me about the existence of a group of
farmers to whom you have expressed this plan.

Mr. GRENNAN. Yes, sir.

Mr. PurNELL. Suppose you state what group or groups of farm
organizations you are speaking for for the benefit of our record.

Mr. GRENNAN. To start out with I wrote this plan in a paper at
the request of our editor, and we got such an awful response to it
that there were 150 men—they do not all represent farmers. I
would say there were 120 farmers, anyhow, and the rest were bankers,
doctors, and lawyers, and men in different walks of life and business
men that chipped in $5 apiece and they made up a fund of $750, and
they just told me to come right down here and put it before you
people. y

Mr. Fort. To present the matter?

Mr. GRENNAN. Yes sir, just to present the matter, to see whether
you wanted to take action, or to see whether it would conform with
your ideas.

Mr. PurNeLL. Where are they from, Mr. Grennan?

Mr. GReNNAN. Sterling, Ill., Rock Falls, and right around there.

Mr. Fort. And was there any effort made to change that
afterwards?

Mr. GRENNAN. Change what?

Mr. Fort. Your coming.

AGRICULTURAL RELIEF