The Washington times., 1931-08-28
HOOVER IS TOLD.
FARM BOARD|S
IN POLITICS
Rep. Knutson Complains Of
Alleged PaternaIistic Prac-
tiCeS of Grain Bureau
By WILLIAM C. MURPHY, JR.

By WILLIAM C. MURPHY, JR.
Complaints have been made to
President Hoover alleging that the
Federal Farm Board is utilizing
the power Of government loans to
set up an agricultural marketing
organization that resembles a po-
litical machine.
. This was learned today follow
ing the conference at the White
House yesterday between the
President and Representative
Harold Knutson (RO, Minnesota,
who protested against farm board
pressure to Supplant regional CO.
operative organizations with one
vast national set up responsive to
the boards wishes. KnutSon said: 8
"The possibility of building up
. political machine out of the
cooperative farm movement,
threatened in the nationwide,
rather than the regional set up,
threatens the very life of the
cooperative movement and is
menace to good government"
Opposition Piles Up
KnutSOn's complaint follows .
flood Of written and personal pro-
tests from Minnesota and Dakota
cO-OperativeS who object to the
boards efforts to bring regional
co-Operatives into SubOrdinatiOn to
the Farmers National Grain Cor
pOratiOn. The latter Is regarded
by the Farm Board as a sort Of
parent cooperative to the other
organizations operating in the
grain trade.
These protests are based upon
the asserted fear that absorption
of regional co-operatiVeS by the
Farmers National Grain Corpora
ton will ultimately break down
the local groups and destroy the
entire cooperative movement. IN
Sistence by the Farm Board upon
the right to supervise policy and
personnel of co-operativeS seeking
Federal loans is said to be the
basis for the apprehension that
the machine thus set up could
be utilized for political pressure.
Northwestern critics Of the
board insist the agricultural mar
keting act is SO drawn that the
board is not authorized to ex-
tend its supervision beyond a de.
termination Of the financial sta
bility Of the cooperative seeking
Government loan. On the
other hand, the boards position
is said to be that it must exer-
else supervision in order to pro-
tect the public money.
Ignored Other Plants
Recently the board turned q
cold shoulder to a protest against
the proposed absorption of the
Northwest Grain Association and
the American Wheat Growers AS
sociation by the Farmers National
Grain Corporation. This protest
was signed by both of the coop
eratives marked for absorption
and by such other important
agricultural groups as the Mime
sofa Farm Bureau Federation,
the South Dakota Farm Bureau
Federation, the Central Co-opera-
tive Association, Minnesota Wool
Growers Association. Land O.
La kes Creameries Association,
and the Twin City Milk Pro
ducers Association.
Farm publications in the North
west are threatening to promote
Congressional investigation Of
the Farm Board next winter and
one Of these publications. THE
Dakota Farmer" which circulates
widely in that territory is conduct.
ing an open campaign for a re-
organization of the Farm Board
personnel.
This periodical in ITS latest issue
publishes a petition addressed to
President Hoover which it asks its
subscribers to sign and which calls
upon the President to make
changes in Farm Board personnel
Ito assure the propert interpre-
tation and administration" Of the
Agricultural Marketing act.
The opinion is expressed that
the Act itself is not at fault but
that it has failed because Of in
vnoh1m iet ffASaD