AGRICULTURAL RELIEF 
Al 
whether you will only{take the equalization fee, and if you canfnot 
get that you will take nothing. Now I would like that as the official 
expression of your body, and according to what you say, this group 
of men have authority for the American Farm Bureau Federationfto 
suggest amendments to the bill. 
Mr. Gray. In other words, you want not only a positive but you 
desire a negative statement as well. FY 
Mr. Fort. Whether it is that or nothing—if that is the attitude 
of the American Farm Bureau Federation. I think we are entitled 
to that. 
Mr. Gray. Can we get the same kind of expression from the mem- 
bership of the committee here, the Committee on Agriculture, 
positive as well as negative? 
Mr. Fort. You can from me, and you have from other members. 
Mr. Gray. I have no hesitancy in saying that I can transmitkto 
this committee, either in person or preferably by letters signed by 
those gentlemen whom I have named, our positive convictions on 
this proposition. I do not know whether we are going to commit 
ourselves to a dog in the manger attitude or not. I am not trying 
to shield this committee from its responsibility. If it wants to take 
a negative attitude, as I said this morning, that is its responsibility. 
Mr. AsweLL. How could you shield the committee? 
Mr. Fort. We appreciate that, but following Mr. Kincheloe’s 
question, the attitude we are finding here is that there are three 
groups who have to be satisfied before any bill on this subject can 
become law, and the third is representative of the farm organizations 
who are not satisfied with the bill as introduced by Chairman Haugen, 
who come to us—it being the responsibility of this committee and 
the Members of Congress to shape legislation—with the suggestion 
that that bill, without certain amendments, should not be reported, 
unless they get all the amendments Chairman McNary, in the 
Senate, put in his bill, and are telling us that a certain type of legisla- 
tion containing specific paragraphs and clauses is what they want. 
Now I think we are also entitled to know whether their attitude is 
that or nothing, and I think if that is their attitude, we have got to 
make up our independent judgments as to whether we can give them 
that, whether we can give them nothing, or whether we can work out 
something independent of their suggestion, in view of their attitude 
that it is that or nothing. 
Mr. Gray. If the members of this committee or if the committee 
as a group—referring to the Agricultural Committee here—are seek- 
ing an alibi or defense of negative action on farm relief from the farm 
groups, I suspect you will wait some time to get that sort of an alibi. 
I am perfectly willing to and I shall give this committee, at your sug- 
gestion, a positive statement from those men whom I have named, as 
to our positive position. If a negative position is taken that is your 
responsibility, and you will get no alibi from the farm groups. 
Mr. Fort. In other words, Mr. Gray, the attitude that you do 
express is one of willingness to cooperate with us only in the drafting 
of a bill that involves or incorporates the equalization fee? 
Mr. Gray. I answered that further and fully in answer to Congress- 
man Ketcham’s question a while ago. You will get our cooperation 
R6160—28%—sFRE. PT 1—5&