The Sauk Centre herald., 1929-09-26
ORDERLY RELIEF OF
FARMER, BOARD aim
Alexander Legg, Board Chair
man Tells Committee
Plans Are Considered
DESIRE STERILIZATION
Witness Heckeled by Opposi-
tiOn Leaders-Other Mem
bers Will Testify

Legge, who gave up a 100000 an
nual salary as head of the Inter-
national Harvester Co., to become
chairman of the federal farm
board, told the senate agriculture
committee today he would not
want that position under the mis-
apprehension" that he would favor
hurried or haphazard plan Of
farm relief.
He pledged himself to do all in
his power to make the farmer pros
porous by working out the agricul-
tural problem constructively.
II do not believe the farmer is
seeking handout or any charity"
Legge said. eff we put this mon
ey out haphazardly no one would
be benefited and it would soon be
gone"
With this statement, Legge COM
pleted more than four hours of tes-
timony during which some commit
tee members expressed disatisfac-
ton because the farm board has
not undertaken the stabilization Of
wheat and cotton.
At tomorrow's hearing James G.
Stone of Kentucky, vice chairman
of the board, and representative Of
the tobacco industry, will be heard.
He was indorsed by former Cover
nor Frank o. Lowden of Illinois.
Chairman Legge made it plain to
the committee that he favored sta
bilization operations in a farm
commodity only when it seems nec-
essary, and after a marketing or
ganization considered capable Of
carrying out thoss operations had
been perfected.
AS for wheat, he said the farm
ers national grain marketing cor
poration was now being organized
and if stabilizstion is to be under
taken, that agency would be able to
do it with more safety and dis
patch than the BOARD itself. He
added that in time such organiza-
tions might be set up to stabilize
cotton and pork.
Although no senator favoring the
stabilization of wheat and cotton
would comment publicly, some
limited that opposition to Mr.. Leg
ge's confirmation On the floor Of
the senate seems inevitable. A
number of administration leaders,
however, asserted that his appoint
ment would be approved.
After a series of questions on
production and marketing, Sena-
tor Norbeck, Republican, South
Dakota, remarked that as he un-
derstood the chairman, he holds
out no hope Of restoring the pur-
chasing power of the farmers dol
lar to it's pre-war level"
"Oh, I wouldn't go that far"
Legge replied.
"Well, then," the senator return
ed, "you hold OUT a hope but no
guarantee
Legge was prevented by other
questioning from replying.
The board chairman said fav-
orable price effect was noticed af-
ter arrangement of a $9,000,000
loan to the raisin interests Of Cal
ifornia. He was asked why the an
nouncement of some concrete pro-
gram or the issuance of a state
ment would not have helped boost
the price of cotton or wheat.
"A statement GTf cost of produc-
ton might have had a temporary
beneficial effect" he replied, but
it would have been mere guess
work"
Senator Smith, Democrat, South
Carolina, contended that a state
mept saying the BOARD intended to
use it's full resources to help con-
ditions would have aided greatly.
1--WE had a right to expect the
board to go right TO the relief of
the great staple products Of this
country" Smith said.