Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-12-22
GRAIN AGREEMENT
REPUTATION ASKED
Caraway Criticizes Farm
Board Chairman for Hold.
ing Secret Conferences.
Ry the Associated Press.

by the ASSOCldteQ SIeSS.
Hope that the Federal Farm Board
will repudiate agreements for handling
grain reported to have been reached at
a recent conference between Alexander
Legge, its chairman, and several grain
operators, including Julius H. Barnes,
head of President Hoover's business ad-
visory council, was expressed yesterday
in a letter to Legge from Chairman
Caraway of the Senate lobby committee.
"I truly hope the board will repudi-
ate your agreements and the place and
time in which you saw fit to announce
them," Caraway wrote. ut must do
so if it wishes to retain the confidence
of not only the farmers but all those
who earnestly sought by legislation
some means of relieving the distressed
condition of agriculture"
Replying to letter from the Farm
Board chairman, Caraway offered him
an opportunity to appear before the
lobby committee to explain the confer
ence. Legge had written Caraway an
explanation of the Farm Boards policy
in advancing money to cooperative
farm organizations.
Offers Legge Hearing.
Explaining that it was not the policy
of the lobby committee to incorporate
letters of explanation in the record un-
less they were offered in open hearing
Caraway added that Legge would be
given opportunity to put his statement
into the record in person at any time.
The letter continued:
"I cannot, however, refrain from re-
plying to that part Of your letter in
which you mentioned that the agree
ments that you announced at this
private meeting with Mr.. Barnes and
other grain SPECTATORS in the office of
Mr. Barnes were in accordance with a
determination of the Federal Farm
Board arrived at another time, but not
previously published.
These agreements seem to have been
two, as you announce them to Mr.
Barnes and the grain dealers.
First. In accordance with their de-
mands you say the Farm Board, al
though expressly required SO to do by
law, will refuse to lend money to the
cooperative associations that may seek
to relieve the distress of their members
by buying their grain unless they shall
pay the commercial rate of interest.
Second. That the Farm Board will
not in future announce any policy
affecting the price of grain until and
after a consultation with those engaged
in the grain Observation-Disclosures this
conference Is to be public or again in
private your letter does not disclose.
Sees Surrender of Board.
"Your announcements, if they be con-
iV, hxy tta dc ia
of the board to these grain people and
a disclaimer of any intention on the
part of the Farm Board of a desire to
be helpful to cooperative associations
and, as I said before, determination
to disregard both the spirit and intent
of the law under which the board was
appointed.
again would it not be both wise and
but simple justice to the farmers If the
board had these two questions under
consideration to have had an open
meeting in which they could have been
heard to protest instead of you, as the
chairman of the board, going into a
private, If not secret. meeting with Mr..
Barnes, and there announcing those i'm
portant decisions of the board?
will not this method of announcing
board determinations lead every farmer
to suspect that if the policy of the board
| is to be determined in secret meetings
with the speculative interests that the
board is now functioning in the interest
Of the grain people and in opposition to
farmers?"
Caraways letter, which was made
public by the Senator, drew an imme-
diate reply from Legge in the form of a
! public statement that every action
taken by the board affecting cooper
| (ConCinued on Page 2. Column Al