The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1931-01-30

Continued from front page)
dent of the Wisconsin Farmers
Union; J. R. Callahan president of
the Illinois Farmers Union and M.
M. Thatcher, general manager of
the Farmers Union Terminal AS
ISOLATION.
"This committee fully agrees
with Mr.. Legge's reply to Mr..
Simpson concerning prices which
reads: Isn't it rather absurd to
accuse the Federal Farm Board of
trying to depress the price of
wheat at a time when the domestic
markets are 25 to 35 cents a BUSH
ell above what wheat would bring
if exported today?"
Speak only for Themselves 49,.
"This committee is not speaking
for the National Farmers Union.
It's purpose is to serve the best in
terests of the Farmers Union bus
mess organizations of the north
west and the membership of the
eleven states"
The problems that the state
farmers unions of these eleven
states face are possibly different
from those of the membership
which Mr.. Simpson represents. The
eleven states are 100 per cent back
of the Federal Farm Board pro-
gram. If Mr.. Simpson and his sup
porters oppose the farm board pro-
gram they have a right to do so.
When this committee was organiz-
ed Nov. %, 1880 it was stated that
these state Farmers Unions includ-
ing the northwest group, have
banded TO continue their support
of the Farm Board. regardless of
the opposite policy of the Simpson
group. This group has and plans
to continue in full cooperation and
support of the Federal Farm board
and its agencies. The formation of
this group need in no way separate
the National Farmers Union. This
committee will work in the inter
ests of the business institutions
which have been set up. 1t will
support the new national president
so long as such a policy will not
affect their business institutions F"
Avoids Simpsons Charges
The above report does not touch
upon Simpsons charges which
were: That Legge testifying before
a senatorial committee in execu-
tive session, said that the farm
board could control the price of
wheat in United States; that in
fact it was controlling it; that it
rescued the price and stabilized it
at about rs cents at Chicago; that
when the board bought heavy to
maintain prices the price of wheat
shot up in response above 76 cents
and gave signs of going higher,
when the board Immediately sold
31s millions of bushels of wheat
and knocked the price of wheat
down again to 76 cents where ii
held it Is to Is cents above the
world market; that the board did
not want wheat higher than 76
cents at Chicago because it want
ed to reduce acreage and to edu-
cate the farmers to use wheat for
cattle feed and thus reduce the
surplus, which the farmer would
not do with dollar wheat.
Also Legge testified that the
board had refused to sell cotton to
Russia because Russia wanted
credit, and such sale would have
raised the price of cotton, and the
American cotton manufacturers
cannot afford to pay more for cot
ton than they are now paying.
The senate meeting was secret.
Legge did not expect this testi-
mony TO get out, but Senator
Thomas of Oklahoma wrote a syn
opsis of Legge's testimony to SimI
son, his friend, and Simpson, not
realizing that Thomas report was
confidential, spilled the beans.
Legge promptly called Simpson
liar and Simpson called Legge
another and quoted Sen. Thomas
This was bad medicine for Legge
for the cat was out of the bag
Simpson demanded a senatorial in.
vestigation of the activities of the
Farm Board.
Then the Farmers Union anC
other farm board camp followers
appointed this committee anc
found facts that no one disputed
that is: that the Farm Board car
and is stabilizing the price o.
wheat at Chicago at 76 cents The
bushel, 10 to 25 cents above the
world market.
But the committee made to find.
ing as to why the board is no
stabilizing wheat at $1.25 at Chi
cago for domestic consumption anC
as to whether or not Legge solC
31k million bushels of wheat II
depress the price when it passed
rs cents.
Both the farm board, Legge, ant
Secretary Of Agriculture Hyde ha'
! a lot to say about the Russian
selling 7 millions of bushels o
wheat at Chicago to hedge a cot
ton buy, when wheat was a 10
higher in Chicago than 76 cents.
R~~