| 34

AGRICULTURAL RELIEF

The CuairMAN. I understand the members wish to hear Mr.
Bledsoe further. Will you be here Monday morning?
Mr. BLEDsoE. Yes, SIT.
Mr. Rupey. Mr. Grennan, the gentleman who made a statement
here yesterday, wants to be heard by a number of members on the
committee as to certain questions about his proposition. It is
12 o'clock now, and he has to go home to-day. I want to ask him
whether he could stay over until Monday.
Mr. GRENNAN. No, I am going home. T think that my statement
will take care of that.
The CHAIRMAN. Without objection, the committee will stand
recessed until Monday morning at 10 o'clock.
(The hearing was then adjourned until 10 o’clock a. m., Monday,
January 23, 1928.)

House OF REPRESENTATIVES,
COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE,
Washington, D. C., Monday, January 23, 1928.

The committee met at 10 o’clock a. m.
Present: Representatives Haugen (chairman), Ketcham, Purnell,
Pratt, Hall, Menges, Adkins, Andresen, Hope, Fort, Aswell, Clarke,
Jones, Rubey, Swank, Kincheloe, Fulmer, McSweeney, and Doyle.
The CHAIRMAN. The committee will be in order. Mr. Bledsoe is
next. I believe.

STATEMENT OF O. F. BLEDSOE—Continued

The CrarMaN. You may proceed, Mr. Bledsoe.
Mr. CLARKE. Mr. BLEDSOE, I take it you are extremely favorable
0 cooperation.
Mr. BLepsor. Cooperative markets; yes, sir.
Mr. CLARKE. Do you believe that this bill, as it is, which seems
to be a compulsory pooling bill, will encourage or discourage
cooperatives?
Mr. BLEpsoe. Compulsory pooling, you mean?
Mr. CLargE. Yes. It indirectly is a compulsory pooling proposition.

Mr. BLEpsok. I have never thought of a cooperative association
any way except as voluntary.
Mr. CLarkE. This bill, under the equalization fee——
Mr. BLEpsoe. Compulsory pooling?
Mr. CLARKE. Yes.
Mr. BLeEpsok. I haven’t given any study to a problem like that.
[t is far from my idea of cooperative marketing, which should be
voluntary. I can’t answer a question like that. I am not prepared.

Mr. CLARKE. You can readily recognize the fact that if the equalization
 compels them all to come in—1it does, does it not?
Mr. BreEpsor. No, no; not into the cooperative marketing asso-‘iation.

Mr. CLarkE.. Not into the cooperative marketing, but into this
\ssoclation.
Mr. BLEDSOE. It means each commodity carries its own surplus