412

AGRICULTURAL RELIEF

Mr. Taper. That ought to be plain enough.

Mr. MencEs. 1 think so.

Mr. Taper. I think that it is.

Mr. Apkrns. Do you yield for a question?

Mr. Taper. I yield for a question.

Mr. Apxixs. I do not think there is any member of this committee
but who is trying to use his best efforts and thought in trying to
solve the farm problem, and I feel I am no exception, because I
have talked to all of them time and over again, and I know every
man here is sincerely trying to work out the program. But he does
not want to carry a strong organization politically on his back in
every campaign, to be frank about it, in his district, because he
knows the influence it has in the farm vote. It is just as well to
be practical about that. But when we met here for the second ses-
sion last Congress, of course, every member of the committee, es-
pecially, came down here with the farm relief thought on his mind.
wondering if we could get something done the second session; and
myself along with the rest came down here two weeks ahead of
time. 1 took the matter up with one whom I consider a very promi-
nent friend of the farmer in the United States Senate, as we all
appreciated that we had to have a bill that could pass Congress
first, and then one that probably had a chance of being signed by the
resident, that if we could not pass a bill bv both Houses we had no
chance.

I took it up with Senator Capper—I do not think anybody ques-
tions his sincerity and influence in the United States Senate—and
outlined the facts to him that we had tried to sell the equalization
fee idea to the country twice, and failed, and that I was not mar-
ried to anybody's else’s particular program, because they were ex-
periments anyhow, and I thought we had about as well try one as
the other, and then amend. I asked him what he thought of try-
ing to put this idea through instead of the equalization fee bill. He
said “ I am not married to anybody else’s program,” but he said, © The
fellows over here are not for this program; they are for the other
scheme.” I am sensible enough to know, and 1 think every other
member is, that it is useless for us to pass a bill that the Senate is
not for; that we have got to work together. Then we should nat-
urally, as far as I was individually concerned, take up the matter
in the committee here. We took up the other bill, and passed it, and
the Senate passed it. The best information I have been able to gather
1s that the Senate is of the same mind vet. and want to trv this other
experiment.

Mr. AsweLL. What other experiment ?

Mr. Apxixs. ‘Well, the Haugen bill. I am speaking of the two,
the debenture bill and the equalization fee bill.
out I understand this bill here, Mr. Taber, I think you and I talked

> Ig he train coming over about it. I think everybody has
agreed on the board. We could try a debenture, and if we failed we
oon Cry, Something Cle. ; I take it Jou have about the same ma-
other bill, have on nots r the debenture that you have on the
wi Tanmm. Undyr cir Lill it provides a minimum of simplicity