am calling your attention to the fact that it is available both in the Department of Agriculture and the Department of State, and, I understand, in the Department of Justice.

The CHAIRMAN. We will be very glad to have that information. Mr. SPENCER. I would like to ask Mr. Fisher whether Mr. Perkins and Mr. McCormick and Mr. Legge are coming here?

Mr. FISHER. That will entirely depend. They will all certainly come if it is the desire of the committee and if there is anything that occurs that seems to require their presence from our own point of view in the effort to make it perfectly clear what the present situation is.

Mr. WEXLER. You want Mr. Reynolds, and therefore it is quite desirable that they have Mr. Perkins and Mr. McCormick.

Mr. FISHER. The chairman of this committee wrote the Interna tional Harvester Co.-or telegraphed-saying this hearing was on. The International Harvester Co. replied that all the information of every sort and description in its possession was available for this committee, and it means what it says.

The CHAIRMAN. Then we can decide. I assume it will require several days beyond Thursday to finish with the witnesses we know of now; and if we determine it necessary, these gentlemen could be telegraphed to?

Mr. FISHER. Oh, certainly.

The CHAIRMAN. And, with the understanding that they will come if desired, we will not extend any formal notice for them to come at this time. Mr. Clerk, I wish you would write to the Department of State, Department of Justice, and the Department of Agriculture and say that we have been officially informed that they have valuable information on this subject, and, if so, we would be very glad to have. it furnished for the use of the committee.

Mr. FISHER. Or such as is consistent with the public interest. The State Department might have some reluctance.

The CHAIRMAN. Senator Gronna asks that you telegraph Hon. F. S. Talcott, warden of the Bismarck, N. Dak., penitentiary, inviting him. Mr. FISHER. In view of the fact that the Kansas penitentiary is the only one I know of up to date which has made a price on twine, it might be interesting, Senator, to have them come. They might have some information that is desirable.

The CHAIRMAN. You can ascertain his name and telegraph him, inviting him to come.

Mr. FRENSDORF. Would it be necessary to have the representatives of farmers' organizations, if it is considered they have not already shown that they are sufficiently interested in this?

The CHAIRMAN. We have got to bring this hearing to a close some time. You might have one or two representatives come if you do not think you could speak for them. If one or two representatives from those organizations want to come to emphasize their interest, we will be very glad to hear them, but we can not go into this matter indefinitely.

The committee will now stand adjourned until next Thursday, February 24, at 10 o'clock a. m.

(Thereupon, at 1.38 o'clock p. m., the committee adjourned, to meet Thursday, February 24, 1916, at 10 o'clock a. m.)

HEARINGS

BEFORE THE

SUBCOMMITTEE OF THE COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE AND FORESTRY UNITED STATES SENATE

SIXTY-FOURTH CONGRESS

FIRST SESSION

ON

S. RES. 94

A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING AND INSTRUCTING THE COM-
MITTEE ON AGRICULTURE AND FORESTRY OF THE

SENATE TO INVESTIGATE WHAT COMPANIES

AND CORPORATIONS ARE ENGAGED IN

THE IMPORTATION OF SISAL AND
MANILA HEMP, ETC.

PART 2

Printed for the use of the Committee on Agriculture and Forestry

WASHINGTON

GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE

COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE AND FORESTRY.

THOMAS P. GORE, Oklahoma, Chairman.

J. ROY THOMPSON, Clerk.

SUBCOMMITTEE TO INVESTIGATE THE IMPORTATION OF SISAL AND MANILA HEMP AND THE PRODUCTION OF BINDING TWINE.

SENATOR RANSDELL, Chairman.

IMPORTATION OF SISAL AND MANILA HEMP.

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 1916.

UNITED STATES SENATE,

SUBCOMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE AND FORESTRY,

Washington, D. C. The subcommittee met at 10.45 o'clock a. m., pursuant to adjournment.

Present: Senator Ransdell (chairman) and Senator Gronna.

The CHAIRMAN. The committee will please come to order. Mr. Wexler was on the stand and Mr. Fisher was cross-examining him when we adjourned.

Mr. SPENCER. Before the committee commences may I make a suggestion in reference to the facts that have come to our attention and which I think the committee ought to know at this time in order that it may take whatever action it may deem proper. We, of course, take it that the committee wants to get all the information possible relative to the sisal industry and relative to the binder twine situation.

The CHAIRMAN. That is the disposition of the committee, I assure

you.

Mr. SPENCER. Now, at the very beginning of this inquiry the committee, I understand, invited those people that were particularly and directly interested, namely, the people that knew something about the business, would be here to speak for both sides. Accordingly we have brought everybody that we thought could give the committee any light so far as our point of view was concerned; and we were very anxious to see that the people representing the harvester company would likewise come here and lay their side before the committee and give us an opportunity of examining them in reference to some of the charges which have been made against us.

Now, on the very first day that this committee sat we asked that Mr. McCormick and Mr. Daniels and Mr. Legge and Mr. Perkins, of the harvester company, be requested to appear here; and Mr. Fisher, who I understand represents the harvester company, stated that the harvester company had every desire to give this committee full information and every fact in its possession. Now, it came to our knowledge that the people connected with the harvester company who knew more about this situation than anybody else have all left the country. Mr. M. J. Smith, who is the representative of Montes & Co., in New York, and the man who knows all about the things we have been talking about here, set sail, or left New York City on February 11, the day after notices went out for this hearing. And although we have made diligent inquiries at his office to find out