AGRICULTURAL RELIEF

HouskE oF REPRESENTATIVES.
COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE,
Monday, January 30, 1928.
The Committee met, pursuant to adjournment, at 10 o’clock a. m.,
Hon. Gilbert N. Haugen (chairman) presiding. -
The CrarryaN. The committee will be in order. I have before
me a letter from Mr. A. W. Ricker, of the Farmers Union Herald, of
St. Paul, in which he says (reading):
I am sending under separate cover a large bundle of contribution blanks
circulated from our office in behalf of the MeNary-Haugen bill.
Without objection the clerk will read the letter to the committee.
(The clerk to the committee thereupon read as follows:)
THE FARMERS EDUCATIONAL AND
CooureraTiveE UNioN oF AMERICA,
St. Paul, Mina. January 26. 192%
Hon. GILBERT N. HAUGEN,
House Office Building, Washington. D. C.
Dear Sir: [ am sending under separate cover a large bundle of contribution
blanks circulated from our office in behalf of the McNarv-Haugen bill. On these
blanks will be found the actual names of farmers and rural business men in the
Northwest who have subscribed varying amounts from 25 cents upward to sus-
tain the farm organizations in their efforts to obtain favorable action at Wash-
ington on what is known as the McNary-Haugen bill.

Our paper, the Farmers Union Herald, is read by 95,000 farmers in the North-
west. We have been consistent advocates of this measure since May, 1925. Last
vear we printed the MeNary-Haugen bill in full in our paper, using large type.
The Mc Nary-Haugen bill has been discussed in perhaps a thonsand school houses
in the Northwest by our speakers.

Any one who undertakes to say that our farmers out here do not understand
this measure is grossly mistaken. We know what the bill means, and we know
that the equalization fee is the heart of the bill. The MeNary-Haugen bill shorn
of the equalization fee will not be the MeNaryv-Haugen bill at all.

Our farmers are so well informed on the principles of this bill that they will
regard any other measure presented in its stead as a mere gesture intended to
fool and not help the farmers. Thousands of our farmers here in the Northwest
have made up their minds to use their ballots as a means of punishment should
the Republican and Democratic Parties fail to meet the requirements of the situa-
tion, both as to legislation and presidential nominees.

When the heads of our farm organizations say to your committee that we want
the McNary-Haugen bill or no bill at all. thev are speaking the sentiment of the
farmers of the Northwest.

The individual sums of money represented on these contribution lists are piti-
fully small, but they come in many instances from farmers who lack money to
pay the interest on their debts. In very truth, they represent in many cases the
widow's mite, but they express in eloquent terms the sentiments of our people.

I ask that you insert the foregoing in the record, and that official note be taken
of the contribution lists which are being forwarded to vou.

Yours very trulv.
A. W. Ricker,
Editor Farmers Union Herald

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