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HEARINGS

BEFORE THE

COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

SIXTY-THIRD CONGRESS

SECOND SESSION

ON

H. R. 14493

A BILL PROVIDING FOR THE UNIFORM GRADING OF
GRAIN, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES

APRIL 27, 28, 29, AND 30, MAY 1, 2, 7,
AND 11, AND JUNE 1, 1914

WASHINGTON

GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE

1914

377

294

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UNIFORM GRADING OF GRAIN.

COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE,
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,
Monday, April 27, 1914.

The committee assembled at 11 o'clock a. m., Hon. Asbury F. Lever (chairman) presiding.

The CHAIRMAN. Gentlemen, we are to begin this morning the taking of testimony relative to the bill (H. R. 14493) "for securing the uniform grading of grain, preventing deception in transactions in grain, and regulating traffic therein, and for other purposes; and also to take testimony in reference to the operations of the various grain exchanges of the country.

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The question is a big one, and I took the liberty, under an order of the committee, of appointing a subcommittee of five to handle this proposition.

That subcommittee consists of Mr. Moss, of Indiana, chairman; Mr. Rubey, of Missouri; Mr. Doolittle, of Kansas; Mr. Haugen, of Iowa: and Mr. Sloan, of Nebraska.

Of course these hearings will be before the full committee; but the subcommittee suggested itself to my mind, because I desire these men to be a little more alert intellectually to the testimony than some of us who do not know very much about grain might be.

I understand from Mr. Moss that he desires to present officials of the Department of Agriculture this morning first, and I believe Dr. Duvel, who is in charge of grain standardization in the Department of Agriculture, is here.

Mr. Moss will now take charge of the hearing.

And, gentlemen, before we begin, let me say it is not the wish or intention of the committee unduly to limit you in your testimony. It is the wish of the committee, however, that you present your testimony in as brief a way as possible, consistent with a clear statement of your own position. It has been suggested to me this morning that it would expedite matters probably if witnesses were permitted to conclude their testimony before any cross-examination of them was undertaken, giving the members opportunity, however, to cross-examine them, but letting the members note their questions as they develop in the discussion, and ask them at the conclusion of the regular statement of the witness. I realize, of course, that it is a very hard matter to hold members of the committee down to that rule; but as nearly as possible I would like to have the members of the committee follow it.

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