GRAZING FEES GUARANTY PRICE ON WHEAT. 15 



Mr. Hoover's office. He was then located in Washington. He had 

 already selected the men who were to act with him in the discharge 

 of the duties under the food bill. When it was passed he was here and 

 had his organization all perfected, so that we took it up with him, 

 through our secretaries, with a view to ascertaining just what their 

 policy was going to be. 



Here is a letter which was written to Senator Sheppard, in an- 

 swer to one forwarded to Mr. Hoover and answered by Mr. Barnes, 

 Mr. Hoover's first man. 



Mr. MgLaughlin of Michigan. Who was the letter written to ? 



Mr. Clement. This letter was written to Senator Sheppard in an- 

 swer to a letter addressed to Mr. Hoover written by Senator Shep- 

 pard transmitting a letter received from Mr. Dorsey, secretary of 

 the Texas Association. Here is the reply. 



Mr. Ettret. Have you a copy of the letter which was transmitted 

 to Mr. Hoover to which this was an answer ? 



Mr. Clement. I have it not here, but I am sure our secretary has it. 



Mr. Dorset. Yes ; I have it in Mr. Lanham's office. 



Mr. EuBEY. We ought to have the letter to which this is a reply. 



Mr. Clement. When this letter is read you will get it all. 



My Dear Senator Sheppard 



Mr. McLaughlin of Michigan. What is the date of that letter ? 

 Mr. Clement. July 3. That is very important. July 3 it was. 

 Mr. McKiNLET. What year— 1917? 

 Mr. Clement. Yes, sir. 



Hon. Morris Sheppard, 



United States Senate, Washington, D. C. 

 My Dear Senator Sheppard : I have your letter of July 2 and return you the 

 letter from Mr. Dorsey mentioned therein, and you may say to Mr. Dorsey that 

 no one appreciates more than I do that the present state of doubt and uncer- 

 tainty is menacing the whole grain trade and preventing a market for the 

 farmers' purchases In grain, but until authority is given me to act I can not 

 act or definitely express a policy even. I think when we do get authority to 

 evolve a plan the plan will be such that Mr. Dorsey will feel that we have 

 taken every care to protect the established channels of trade and all useful 

 agencies. I have been especially careful to get the advice of experienced men 

 and I am relying on the desire for public service and the splftt of self-sacrifice 

 which has been shown by so many of our people just as is expressed in Mr. 

 Dorsey's letter. 



Yours truly, 



Herbert Hoover, 

 By Julius H. Barnes. 



This latter was sent out to the entire trade, calling attention to 

 the attitude of the food control through Mr." Hoover's office. This 

 letter, together with other publications, confirmed us in our view 

 that we were not taking any needless risk in handling the wheat 

 on the market. This was July 3. The wheat began to move in 

 Texas about July 1, and the movement spread on into Kansas, Mis- 

 souri, Oklahoma, Nebraska, and Illinois. As the movement pro- 

 ceeded, notwithstanding the bill pending in Congress, no framing 

 of which indicated that power was going to be conferred upon 

 anyone to fix the price of wheat — as the movement proceeded we 

 liad continuous reports emanating from Mr. Hoover's office to the 

 effect that this country's supply of bread grain was something like 



