316 =

AGRICULTURAL RELIEF
Mr. Kixcurroe. Oh, no; I am not asking you that. I am talking
of the possibility of this bill ever being signed by the President if it
went over, and I am asking your opinion, if vou think he would
sign it.

Mr. Taser. That is a question that is not germane to the discussion.

Mr. KincHELOE. I do not think it is germane around here. But
when they talk about the McNary-Haugen bill, that is the first thing
that comes, “ Will the President sign that?” If he will not stand
for the McNary-Haugen bill, let us get something the President will
sign.

Mr. Taper. This bill answers every feature of the veto.

Mr. Kincueroe. If you are going along that line, you had best
gest something the President will sign.

Mr. Taser. Could we get two-thirds vote in Congress to pass it?

Mr. KincHELOE. I do not know.

Mr. Taser. I think we can.

Mr. Kercaam. And if he did veto it he certainly would be put on
record as against something for which he has stood during his whole
life, namely, the maintenance of a protective principle. That would
be a square-toed proposition.

I think no lawyer I have ever heard of has ever raised the question
of the constitutionality of this bill.

Mr. KincHELOE. No; and they do not on the tariff. But there is a
policy that involves a good deal more than constitutionality.

Mr. Taper. Mr. Chairman, I hope that they do not ask me foolish
questions, and a plain farmer is not supposed to know anything about
the President of the United States.

ir KincuaELOE. 1 hope you will not give any foolish answers
either.

Mr. Taper. Mr. Chairman, we are raising the question of deflecting
revenue from the Treasury, and I wanted to place in the record here
as an exhibit statistics showing fully that the export debenture
method is no more a subsidy, is no more an agency to deflect the
Fv from the Treasury than are now on the statute books and in
operation,

The first exhibit I give you will be D-1, which relates to butter.
I am giving you that because I am a dairyman and milk Jersey
cows. We raised the tariff on butter in the closing days of 1922. 1
have the figures for the United States Tariff Commission of the but-
ter imports at 8 cents per pound from January 1, 1923, to April 1,
1926, at 8 cents a pound. During that period 50.226,406 pounds of
butter came into the United States for consumption. The tariff on
this butter was 8 cents a pound, or a total of $4,018,113, an average
tor all the months under the 8-cent tariff of $103,029. A. -

And I want my distinguished friend to remember that under the
operation of the flexible provisions of the tariff a proclamation by
the President of the United States was issued raising the tariff on
Pitan Soom 8 cents to 12 cents; that it went into effect in April,
Toil my memory serves me correctly. But the figures of the

rit Commission show that during the 21 months, since the 12-cent
jeri went into effect, that there has been imported for consumption
ins Ae United States 11,907,428 pounds at 12 cents, yielding $1.428.-
892, or $68,043 per month.

Mr. KixcureLoe. Then. you do not think—