The Washington herald., 1920-02-20
CONGRESS WILL
DEFEAT GRONNA.
BILL is BELIEF
Members Of Agricultural
Committee Concede Pro-
tests Beat Measure.
THOUSANDS OF LETTERS
In Senate Alone Three
Cabinets Are Filled
With Protestations.

So widespread has been the protest
against the Gronna bill for the aboli.
tion Of the United States Grain Cor
poration from farmers. millers grain
dealers and business men generally,
that ii Is now generally conceded that
no favorable action on the measure in
Congress Is possible. Several men,
bers of the Senate Agriculture Com
mittee expressed this opinion yester-
day.
As soon as the measure was favor
ably reported by the committee, Sena-
to-s. and Representatives were flooded
with protests from all parts Of the
country. On the Senate side three
cabinet cases are filled with demands
oy letter and telegram that the bill
De voted down IL it ever reaches the
hoor Of the Senate.
Gronna Determined.
Senator Gronna, of North Dakota,
author of the bill. announced his de-
teTuiudliOn 'tO push thS htce~SN'C Q "
vote II possible. and expressed his
satisfaction that he had "at least
got an expression of public opin-
ion"
kilograms and letters of protest
against the bill il bound would fil
many volumes. Following are exam
pies of hundreds of communications on
hle at the Capitol:
]. n Mullen, president of the Col
orado Milling and Elevator Com
pany We earnestly protest against
the passage of the Gronna bill, with
drawing the government guarantee
on the wheat price. Large numbers
of farmers, millers and elevator men
are holding great quantities OF
wheat. The passage Of the bill will
discourage wheat growers and the
milling fraternity. who have been
helping the farmers to increase their
acreage
Mills ProtestA
Lamar Flour Mills. Lamar. Colo;
The passage OF the Gronnas bill
would lower the price of wheat. not
raise 1t. The farmers are holding
an unusually large amount of
wheat, which they accumulated ex-
pecting that the pledge of a guar
anteed price by the government
would be carried out"
Denver Grain Exchange Associa-
tion: I'VE believe the passage of
the Gronna bill would be a disaster
All grain owned by mills, elevators
and farmers is financed by banks on
the basis of the government guar
anteed price, and the passage of this
bill would result in the calling of
loans and dumping the wheat on the
market with disastrous and panic
results. The bill is intended to en-
hance the value of wheat to the
farmer. but the mere mention of the
possibility Of its passage has al
ready resulted in wheat dropping
so cents a bushel. Its passage would
result in wheat prices far below the
government guarantee. Three hun
dred million bushels of wheat are
still to be marketed, and instead of
assisting farmers this bill would re-
, suit in enormous losses to them. 10
say nothing of the disaster to all in
terests engaged in the marketing of
wheat. We urge Senators to do all
in their power to defeat this meas
ure. which would precipitate one of
the worst panics we ever had"
Demands Defeat.
Model Flour Mills-"we are Vi
tally interested in the defeat of tho
Gronna bill. Its passage would
constitute a gross breach of faith
with farmers. miIlers, and eIeyator
interests who have constructed
their business on the pledged pro-
gram of the government"
Crescent Flour Mills. Norton, Kan
The Gronna bill is having the
opposite effect from that intended
Wheat values have dropped 50 cents
a oushei. and unquestionably will
go below the guaranteed price II
government protection is with
drawn With an immense amount
of wheat on the farmers hands, and
, in elevators. and with exports. far
below those of last year. the pas
sage Of this bill would be a real
disaster to farmers and grain in
terests."
NJ. c. Palley. a farmer of Repub-
lie, Kan, writing to Senator Cur
tbs. under date of February IA. said
lnspired by a sense of duty. We