108 AGRICULTURAL RELIEF Ar. Kenor. You will get two-thirds. How are you ever going to get it if you do not ask for it? How are you going to get the veto defeated unless you keep on asking for 1t? : \Ir. AswELL. In the meantime, what will be happening to those farmers? oo Mr. Krnor. We tried four years ago to get a majority and finally got it. They said you could not get a majority, but we did. Now we are trying for two-thirds, and will get same. \[r. AsweLL. What will happen while we are waiting and they are playing politics? Mr. Keror. You have to fight for what you want. You fought for a majority and you got it. Now you must ficht for two-thirds vote and you will get that. Mr. AsweLL. What would become of the farmer in the meantime? Mr. Kenor. What would become of the farmer if you pass any other kind of a bill? Any other kind of a bill will not relieve him a bit. I think he will be just as bad off as he is. Mr. Apxins. I understand you were a former Member of Congress? Mr. Kenor. Yes, sir. Mr. Apkins. And you necessarily know something about the practical propositions that the Congress is up against, of course? Mr. KeHoE. Yes. Mr. Apxins. The impression seems to be abroad that if this fee is cut out of this bill, as I understand it has been drawn up with the idea of eliminating the Executive objections to the body of the bill, except the fee; and I think you can gather from questions asked that it is presumed that the President would sign this bill if the fee was out of it, and we proceed to operate, depending upon good merchan- dising to maintain the revolving fund. Now, as a practical legislator you would try to regain what you considered the vital principle in your bill, and perhaps some kind of a scheme to get by with that vital principle preserved. One of the statements, as I remember it, that the President made in his veto message, on the equilization fee, was, first, that it was unconstitu- tional, which is very vital; and, next, that it would destroy agricul- ure, on the theory, I presume, that when he declared an operating period on a half dozen commodities that he would wreck the whole agricultural industry. . have made this proposition to two or three people, that you put in a provisional equilization fee; in other words, that you try to make ation lene) President would be justified in signing the bill, as a cause I oe ator, on the presumption that that proposition would ; iim to sign it, by reason of the insistent demand and the de- plorable condition of agriculture; that you provide to eliminate a possibility of one of these provisions that would destroy the United States, and put a provision in that— Provided, however, That if the constitutionality of this act would be attacked, which would be the equilization fee, that all activities under the fee plan be sus- pended until the courts had decided the constitutionality of it. _ Now, then, if he is right in his contention that it is unconstitu- tional, you would automatically be functioning under the bill as 1t 1s presumed the Executive would sign; and if the contention is true that it is unconstitutional. vou are out of business anvhow on the