AGRICULTURAL RELIEF

617
the board’s method of operation and not give them an absolute and
unlimited power to loan anywhere they please.

Mr. Hare. Personally, I would say to the gentleman that I would
have no objection whatever to the Congress putting that provision
in this bill. The only reason I left that out was to remove the
objection to the idea of price fixing by legislation. I hope that the
fundamental idea in this bill will be incorporated into some bill that
will come a law and afford the much needed relief.

Mr. Fort. Should we not also take another provision of the Crisp
bill which is in some of this other legislation, which the grange people
have said lately they favor, namely, a recognition of the grading;
that is to say, the attempt to stabilize the market only on such com-
modities and on such grades as we want in this country.

Mr. Hare. I think that would all be taken care of through the
cooperative marketing system already provided for by the Govern-
ment, just like it is taken care of to-day in our cooperative cotton
associations.

Mr. Former. Under the present grading laws of the United States?

Mr. Hare. Under the present system. In other words, we are
establishing nothing new under this bill further than legal coordina-
tion of existing governmental agencies.

Mr. Fort. We are growing in this country certain products for
which there is no domestic demand—certain grades of some com-
modities. Now, should we put Government money into an effort
to stabilize the price of something we do not want?

Mr. Hare. Well, if there is any commodity that we are growing to
any extent without any particular market for it, I am not aware of it.

Mr. Fort. No; there is an European market, and a Chinese
market, for instance, for certain grades of rice; but there is no
American market, because Americans will not eat those grades of
rice, yet their statistical presence in the country depresses the price
of our rice. Undoubtedly the Nation would be better off if they
did not grow those, if the farmers would grow other grades. We
would be better off if we did not grow those grades of rice.

Mr. Hare. I see no particular objection to that, but to my mind
that class of legislation probably would not be embodied in a bill
of this kind.

Mr. Fort. It was in the Crisp bill, and Mr. Taber and Mr. Goss,
of the grange, admit that it ought to be in any piece of legislation.

Mr. Hare. As I said, I see no particular objection to 1t, but I
am not prepared to argue that it would be an additional virtue mn
the bill. . .

Mr. Chairman, with the consent of the committee, I would like
to briefly summarize the purposes and provisions of this bill, but if
the time has expired I will just ask permission to give it to the
stenographer and let him include it In my remarks.

The CuarmanN. Without objection 1t 1s so ordered.

(The additional statement submitted by Mr. Hare 1s as follows:)

The purpose and provisions of the bill 1 50 Shing your committee to consider

7 as : reitraatld
Pot unlike A hor farm relief bills it provides for an administrative
voard consisting of one member from each of the Federal land-bank districts.
[t will be the duty of this board to determine when there is a surplus 2 ay non
perishable farm crop. If a surplus of any such crop 1s found to ex af an ay
approved organized group of farmers request it the board is required to ar