AGRICULTURAL RELIEF

411

difficulty ; and the second difficulty—and I am not going to hesitate
a moment in stating it—the second difficulty is politics and outside
influences. That is a serious thing to say, and I am saying it deliberately.
 To me it is the saddest thing we have faced in agriculture,
 that in this crisis there was not a willingness to surrender the
principles not vital to get together on principles that are essential.
But in view of all the facts, in view of two offers of our organization,
 we stand where we commenced in this hearing, suggesting a
program that has in it the elements of compromise and certainty
to benefit the farmer.
There is another thing you must remember: There is no lure to the
grange for $10,000 jobs; there is no lure to our organization for a
program that sets up expensive machinery. It has no lure whatever.
 There is only one thing we are concerned about, and that is
money in the farmers’ pocket, by the simplest method, that does not
do violence to a 61-year program of an organization that opposes
any superimposed dictatorial authority on top of agriculture.
Mr. AxprEsEN. Mr. Taber, is your organization willing during the
course of the next week to try to get together with these other
S1ganitings to see if you can not unite on a bill before this committee
 ¢
Mr. Taser. We are ready now. We have been ready for a year.
Mr. AxpreseN. Well, will you make an effort during the course of
the next week to get together?
Mr. Taser. I have made that invitation. If it will do this committee
 any good, I will reissue it. But the point I am trying to
emphasize is this: If that invitation is to come in and sign on the
dotted line. to accept the board, the equalization provision of the
bill and all, there is no use to issue that invitation, expecting an upstanding
 organization 60 years old, with almost a million dues-paying
members to efface their self-respect. I think it is asking too much.
Mr. Menges. A little while ago, Mr. Taber—if I may ask a question—Mr.
 Adkins stated’ that a New England farmer and himself
had been discussing these agricultural problems, and the New England
 farmer stated. if I repeat you correctly, that vou do not need
to think I will vote for a bill that will increase the stuff I feed to my
dairy cows. Am I right?
Mr. Apkins. Yes.
Mr. Mexces. I am an eastern man. and we recognize that if that
western farmer can produce the grain he feeds into his dairy cows
cheaper than we can, then he can feed his dairy cows cheaper than
we can. I say that if he can produce lis feed cheaper than we and
feed his dairy cows cheaper than we can, if we persist in keeping
down the prices of his product by our votes in the East. it will not be
long until he will be up against us as a dairyman and he will ship
his dairy products cheaper into our market than we can produce them.
[s our selfishness going to help us in this thing? I want to say to vou
that my people are ready now to come in on a program eliminating
that selfishness.
Mr. Taper. I think that is true of a great many sections.
Mr. Menges. I would like to say to you, Mr. Taber, that I am a
cranger, and I am willing to abide by a program that will eliminate
the damnable business that we have been at, and that you fellows
have been at! That is pretty plain. is it not ?