exactly the same thing would apply as is here, and inasmuch as that has never been raised, I can not assume there will be any difficulty. And then too there is a provision in the bill that no one can be convicted under the act unless he knowingly permits these importations, so that a carrier or other person would have to have knowledge before he can be convicted. The CHAIRMAN. Thank you, Senator. STATEMENT OF A. M. LOOMIS, REPRESENTING THE NATIONAL GRANGE, WASHINGTON, D. C. Mr. LOOMIS. Mr. Chairman, I have been asked by Dr. C. T. Atkeson, chairman of the National Grange, to come up here for him and just for the record to put the approval of the National Grange into this hearing. I will read what action took place at the National Grange at Portland, Me., the week of November 18, I believe. The following resolution was adopted by the National Grange, being introduced by Herman Ihde, master of the Wisconsin State Grange [reading]: Whereas the dairy industry of American is one of the most important branches of agriculture; and Whereas any importations of dairy products from foreign countries will necessarily tend to destroy American markets; and Whereas adulterated or substitute products, whether domestic or foreign, threaten the health of the Nation as well as destroy the market of pure dairy products; and Whereas certain legislation now pending in Congress, accompanied by sufficient appropriation, would bring relief to the dairy industry: Therefore be it Resolved, That the National Grange indorse the placing by Congress of a tariff upon all dairy products suffic.ent to protect the dairy industry of America and prohibit the importation of adulterated or impure dairy products. The grange committee which adopted that resolution consisted of P. H. Dewey, master of the Pennsylvania State Grange; H. W. Lawrence, master of the Vermont State Grange; Caldwell Davis, master of the Kansas State Grange; Mrs. Mary L. Abbott, of the Maine State Grange; Mrs. Neva D. Hanley, of Öklahoma; and Mrs. Florence W. Ensor, of the Maryland State Grange; and it had before it the pending Lenroot-Taber bill. I was present at those meetings and know that those people who represented the farmers' organizations of these various States and of the United States about these matters acted deliberately and took time to consider it, and passed this resolution after full consideration. The CHAIRMAN. Thank you, Mr. Loomis. Now, Mr. Gray. STATEMENT OF CHESTER H. GRAY, WASHINGTON REPRESENTATIVE AMERICAN FARM BUREAU FEDERATION, WASHINGTON, D. C. Mr. GRAY. The fact is well known, of course, that the Farm Bureau Federation is not primarily a dairy organization, so that in coming before the committee and speaking on this bill, which is primarily a dairy bill, we simply want to lay the weight of our organization in the balance in behalf and in favor of the bill and its ultimate passage through the Congress. We have, in our organization, many dairymen, but being a service organization, we do not give any more attention to dairying than we do to many another aspect of agricultural enterprise. At our last annual meeting, in Chicago, Ill., which was the eighth one, during the sessions at which we gave attention to many economic factors that relate to agriculture and dairymen, we adopted this resolution in regard to the dairy industry; and we approach the industry from the point of view, primarily, of economics, although there are other avenues of approach than that [reading]: DAIRY INDUSTRY Our dairy industry must be protected against adulterants and substitutes. It is unfair to require the American dairy farmer to comply with sanitary and hygienic regulations unless the products of his foreign competitors, when sold in this Nation, meet the same requirements. The large quantities of fats and oils of vegetable, animal, and fish origin produced in foreign countries, constitute a dire threat to the prosperity of the American dairy industry unless their importation is restricted or prohibited by tariff rates of amounts comparable to the differences between the costs of producing dairy fats and oils in this country and the foreign competitive costs. The portion of that resolution which relates specifically to the so-called Lenroot-Taber bill is contained in this sentence [reading]: It is unfair to require the American dairy farmer to comply with sanitary and hygienic regulations unless the products of his foreign competitors, when sold in this Nation, meet the same requirements. That sentence means specifically the Lenroot-Taber bill. In my capacity as secretary of the resolutions committee at this annual meeting, I know that many farm measures were brought to the attention of the resolutions committee, and the resolutions committee had under advisement this Lenroot-Taber bill and wrote that sentence into the resolution, meaning thereby our approval to this pending act. On that resolutions committee, you might be interested to know, were Mr. E. A. O'Neal, vice president of the American Farm Bureau Federation and chairman of the resolutions committee; George N. Putnam, member of the board of the American Farm Bureau Federation and president of the New Hampshire Farm Bureau Federation; C. S. Brown, one time president of the Arizona Farm Bureau Federation and member of the board of the American Farm Bureau Federation; C. E. Hearst, president of the Iowa Farm Bureau Federation and member of the board of the American Farm Bureau Federation; Mr. W. H. Settle, president of the Indiana Farm Bureau Federation and member of the board of the American Farm Bureau Federation. So that those men, acting upon that resolution, when writing it definitely had in mind such legislation as you have before you at this time. I just wanted to thus briefly bring to your attention the fact that the American Farm Bureau Federation is in sympathy with the purposes of this act and hope that this committee, in its discretion and in the quickest time that it sees fit, can report the measure out favorably. Senator RANSDELL. One moment. As I understand your resolution, you are seeking to protect the health of the people by getting sanitary dairy products. Mr. GRAY. Yes; that is the purpose of our resolution, Senator. Senator RANSDELL. That is the purpose of your resolution? Mr. GRAY. Yes, sir. Senator RANSDELL. And you do not confine your efforts, I take it, to foreign dairy products? Mr. GRAY. No; we do not, Senator Ransdell. We are, all along the line, in favor of healthful, hygienic, and sanitary regulations, state-wide and national. Senator RANSDELL. Have we any national regulations with reference to milk? Federal regulations, I say? Mr. GRAY. No; with the exception of the eradication of tuberculosis. Senator RANSDELL. Did you take specific grounds in your resolution in favor of this regulation against foreign dairy products and not against domestic products from one State to another? We have got an immense country, and our best customers are our own people. Now, did you discuss that at all? Mr. GRAY. Yes; but as Kipling says, that is another story, and properly should be, Senator Ransdell, confined in another bill. Senator RANSDELL. Probably so, but will we get relief along health lines in a broad thoroughgoing way unless we make it general? Not simply confine it to Canada, which is a comparatively small country on the north, because Mexico does not figure? Will we get relief unless we make it general? Would not your organization say there ought to be a general thorough regulation? Mr. GRAY. We are working toward that goal, Senator, in our tuberculin eradication program, but we have not arrived at it yet. But our States and our cities are enforcing their regulations. Senator RANSDELL. Their own local regulations? Mr. GRAY. Their own local regulations, and we are gradually coming to such a program as you suggest, but we have not arrived at it yet, and there is no bill pending in Congress which contemplates that broad comprehensive program. Whenever it does come, the American Farm Bureau Federation will be behind it. Senator RANSDELL. I was in hopes we could make it general, if we legislate at all. Senator KEYES. Mr. Gray, do you not think that some relief is desirable if we can not go as far as Senator Ransdell indicates? Mr. GRAY. Absolutely; Senator Keyes. Last year we passed-it was taken up by this committee, and passed here the GoodingKetcham seed bill, prohibiting the importation of certain seeds. Some time we are coming to the point in the matter of seeds when we can make domestic seeds as much a matter of inspection as foreign seeds; but Senator Keyes's point is well taken, that if we can not do it all in this bill, let us do it as far as we can. Senator LENROOT. I want to make the point that the only reason this bill is not general is that there are many points where the interstate commerce will be involved, and that is a matter that will have to be worked out with great care. Senator GOODING. There are pioneers in all movements, and New York is a pioneer, and this will give a start. The CHAIRMAN. Senator Lenroot, have the parties come to an agreement in the whole matter? Senator LENROOT. I think so. In two minutes, they say. They will come to an agreement, I think, which will relieve the committee. Representative TABER. Mr. posed amendment with the agreed on with most of them. insert a new paragraph. Chairman, I have been over the prodealers, and this language has been The amendment is on page 4, line 12, The CHAIRMAN. Pardon me. I did not get it. What page now? Representative TABER. Page 4, line 12. The CHAIRMAN. After the word "act "? Representative TABER. After the word "act" insert a new paragraph, as follows: The Secretary of Agriculture is directed to waive the requirements of paragraphs 2 and 5 of section 2 of this act when issuing permits to operators of or to producers for delivery to creameries or condensing plants in the United States within 20 miles of the point of production of 'milk and who import no raw milk except for Pasteurization and condensing: Provided, That if milk imported when the requirements of paragraphs 2 and 5 of section 2 have been so waived is sold, used, or disposed of in its raw state otherwise than as Pasteurized, condensed or evaporated milk by any person, that permit shall be revoked and the importer shall be subject to fine, imprisonment, or other penalty prescribed by this act. I understand that with that these gentlemen are satisfied with the bill. Mr. FINERTY. That is satisfactory to the Sheffield Farms Co. Mr. PARKER. Mr. Chairman, as representing the cream dealers who are vitally interested in this matter, I would say that this particular provision which has been suggested is satisfactory, because I am only incidentally representing the milk dealers. I am not satisfied until the provision contained at the bottom of section 3, on line 20, page 4, is amended to do just exactly what Senator Copeland asked to have this section which has just been discussed conformed to. That the Secretary of Agriculture shall be directed to issue these temporary permits until he can make the necessary inspections provided for under the statute. The CHAIRMAN. Yes. You and your people oppose legislation of this character, I understand, of course. Mr. PARKER. I might say, Mr. Chairman, that we stated that we had no objection to any reasonable legislation of this kind, and a study of the testimony of my witnesses will bear witness to that. We did say it was unnecessary, but we said as far as it was a health measure and so aimed, we were satisfied; but certainly there is no justice in making a $50,000 appropriation, which is inadequate, and then holding up the The CHAIRMAN (interposing). You testified three different times, Mr. Parker. Mr. PARKER. I want that understood. The CHAIRMAN. We understand that thoroughly. Now, if there is nothing further to come before the committee, the committee will meet in executive session, and those not members of the committee will please retire. (Whereupon, at 11.45 o'clock a. m., the committee went into executive sesssion, and after a short time spent in executive session adjourned.) 25622-26- -4 |