The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1950-04-20
THURSDAY, APRIL 20, 1850.
Brannan's Hired Audience
Scored on Senate Floor

The following is an article taken
from the official letter of the Ameri-
can Farm Bureau Federation of April
II, and is being reprinted here be-
cause we feel that such methods of
the federal bureaucrats should be
given the widest kind of publicity, 50
that all people may know the extent
to which those in power will go if
necessary to push their socialistic
programs down the threats Of an I'M
suspecting people. The same thing
might happen here.
Here is the article:
The assembling of captive audi
enoe' of the more than 5000 county
and community PIMA committeeman
in Minnesota to hear Secretary Of
Agriculture Brannan and others de-
liver political addresses at St. Paul
April cost the government from
$4,000 to 100000. it was charged
on the floor of the United States SEN
ate last Tuesday.
Senator George D. Aiken of Yer
mont declared that the Minnesota
committeeman were strongly urged to
attend the st. Paul meeting by their
State chairman, Charles W. Stickney,
and they were paid So per day plus
travel expenses for doing so.
political Medicine"
The senator quoted an editorial
from the Minneapolis Star of April 6
which described the PIMA meetings as
winding up with the strongest dose
of political medicine handed out in
these parts in long, long time"
After Senator Aiken concluded his
hour-long discussion, Senator Homer
Ferguson Of Michigan denounced the
st. Paul activity as "a clear violation
Of the law" and added:
1--WE shall wait to see what action
the Attorney General of the United
States-whO has taken an oath to en-
force the law of the land, just as the
president has dOne-will take in this
case"
Pointing out that the two-day ST.
Paul meeting (April 3-4) was origi-
nally scheduled only for county PIMA
committeeman, Senator Aiken said:
at appears that the Secretary was
slated to address the meeting on the
afternoon of the second day. Evident
ly it appeared to the sponsors of this
conference that members Of the coun-
ty committees alone would not
provide a sufficient audience for the
Secretary and so, under date of March
Is, a notice was sent to all the 5000
community committeeman of the PM
A in Minnesota. q. This notice, in
effect, directed these 5000 community
committeeman to attend the meeting
at 2:30 on the afternoon of April
to listen to the Secretarys speech"
PIMA Chairman's Letter
Senator Aiken then read PIMA State
Chairman Stickney's letter. 1t urged
community committeeman to contact
other committeeman and arrange to
pool rides; it said that drivers with
one or more passengers would be al
lowed five cents a mile, and those
coming by bus or train would be re-
imbursed for their fare.
We feel it is extremely important
for you community committeeman
who represent agriculture at the
grass roots to have this chance to
hear your Secretary who is making
a terrific fight to maintain SEINE
measure of economic stability for the
farmers" said the Stickney letter. 1t
concluded by saying:
''YOu will receive regular days
pay for attending the meeting. For
community committeeman who live
some distance from the Twin Cities
and require travelling time which
would exceed the one day, up to two
days salary would be authorized. We
feel this is an opportunity which you,
as committeeman, cannot afford to
miss. We strongly urge that you at
tend"
Senator Aiken then questioned the
right of the Department of Agricul-
ture to pay $500 per day and ex-
penses for 5000 people to listen to
the Secretary, and continued: