AGRICULTURAL RELIEF

9250

Mr. KiLcore. I stand on the fee, if you want me to answer yes
or no. But I am going to amplify that a little later, if you gentle-
men will permit me.

In answer to your question, Mr. Kincheloe, my main purpose in
the statement that I am beginning to make to you, gentlemen, is to
show in my judgment the absolute necessity for the equalization fee
in effective form for surplus control legislation.

Mr. AsweLL. Now, Doctor, would it disturb you to be interrupted?

Mr. KiLgore. No.

Mr. AsweLL. You made a statement that your cotton exchange
demands the equalization fee or nothing, in substance?

Mr. K1Lgore. You remember just how I answered.

Mr. AswerL. I remember what you said. What part of the cotton
producers do you claim that your exchange represents richt now?

Mr. K1LGorE. At its best it represented 10 per cent of them.

Mr. AswerLr. May I interrupt you here to read the report of the
Department of Agriculture, prepared at my request, and it is a
detailed report of an official of the bureau, and I would like the
committee to get this [reading]:

The average of the United State.

That is, the cotton sections:

1921 and 1922, handled by the cooperatives was 5.3 per cent; 1922 and 1923,
it was 7.4 per cent; 1923 and 1924, it was 8.9 per cent; 1924-25 it was 8 per
cent; and 1925-26 it was 9.1 per cent.

That is the highest?

Mr. KiLGore. That is the highest.

Mr. AsweLL. That was not 10 per cent. The year 1926-27 they
handled 6.7 per cent of the entire cotton crop produced in the United
States; that is, that year there was 18,000,000 bales produced and
the cooperatives handled a little over one million bales. So, if your
exchange represents all the cooperatives—which you do not—-—

Mr. KiLgore. All except two, and they are for this bill.

Mr. AsweLL. What two?

Mr. KiLgore. Staple and short staple in Mississippi.

Mr. AsweLL. Is the cooperative in Oklahoma for this bill? Did
they not send you a telegram about it?

Mr. Kingore. They are for it; they voted for the resolution.
Mr. Frailey moved——

Mr. AsweLL. They do not stand for the fee or nothing?

Mr. Kircore. Of coutse, they are for it.

Mr. AsweLL. What about Georgia?

Mr. KiLcore. Mr. Conwell last year was against the McNary-
Haugen bill. I stated in my testimony before the Senate committee
last year that all of the cooperatives in the exchange except Georgia
were for the bill. Mr. Conwell, who is the general manager——

Mr. AsweLL. 1t is not necessary for you to prove it; I will accept
your statement.

Mr. KiLgore. This year, Mr. Conwell, the general manager, said
{reading]:

[ want farm legislation as badly as anyone.

Referring to the McNary-Haugen bill and to his representatives
he says:

They all know that I am in favor of farm legislation—