Show BENNION J GIVES GIVE EXPlANATION Not Opposed To Distribution Of Free Wheat And Flour Claims Former Reports Did pid Not Give Important Points Points' As we went to press last week a letter came from Harden Bennion Bennion Bennion Ben- Ben nion state commissioner of agriculture agriculture agriculture agri agri- culture commenting on the petition petition petition peti peti- tion of basin people to Governor Geo H. H Dern asking for our portion portion portion por por- tion of the free wheat and flour allowed by the government for those stricken so severely by the 1931 drought Mr Bennion says that he had done all possible to assist in se securing securing securing se- se curing this free wheat and flour but had asked that the wheat stored in Utah carried over from 1930 be first moved instead of shipping in from other states Mr Bennion says Salt Lake City March 28 1932 Editor Uintah Basin Record Duchesne Utah Dear Mr May It lIt is always a a. matter of interest interest interest inter inter- est and pleasure to read your aggressive and wide awake malte newspaper newspaper news news- paper aper and to learn of of- the activities activities I ties and conditions of my old time friends of the Uintah Basin My attention was specially attracted to an item in your issue of March 25 containing copy of a letter to Governor Dern from citizens of M Myton ton in which I am in a way criticized because of a newspaper article in which it was stated that I was opposed to the free diStribution distribution distribution tion of wheat by the government to the people of our state It is not my purpose to in any anyway anyway anyway way oppose or condemn the letter of the thc My Myton ton people to Governor Dern In an effort to secure some of this wheat for their neighbors in fact before seeing such letter I I had written Mr A. A L. L Schafer of San Francisco Manager of the Pacific States Branch of the American American American Am Am- I Red Cross and had otherwise otherwise otherwise other other- wise done what I could to assist In securing some of this free wheat and flour for the people of Uintah Basin and other parts of our state However I will greatly appreciate the opportunity of making an explanation to the public public public pub pub- lic of the facts and conditions that are responsible for the press item mentioned containing my statement on this subject As a beginning may I say that such item did not fully set setout setout setout out the ideas I had in mind at the time although I am willing to admit amit that my c. c expression on the subject was faulty rather than Continued on last page BENNION GIVES EXPLANATION Continued from page 1 1 that the writer was in error In further explanation I wish to state that during the past winter inter notwithstanding notwIthstanding notwithstanding not not- withstanding the Uie fact that in Utah we have had In storage among the farmers large quantities of wheat which they could not sell and that the price of same was as low as fOe per bushel and yet in spite of the fact that official federal tests show that wheat is of greater value as stock feed than corn we have been shipping into our state from the East and shipping out our money in payment payment payment pay pay- ment for same hundred of carloads carloads carloads car car- loads of corn for the the- feeding of livestock and poultry Many protests as to this condition condition condition con con- have come to us and having having having hav hav- ing in mind that the carry carryover over of this stored wheat into another year especially in view of a high production for 1932 also h having ving In mint minU the thought that the proposed proposed proposed pro pro- posed free distribution of wheat by the Red Cross contemplated shipments from other states slates rather rather rather ra ra- ra- ra ther than the use of our own supply supply supply sup sup- ply was the basis of the expression expression sion I made Later I was advised advIsed advised ad ad- that the Federal Farm Board that being the source from which the Red Cross was hein being supplied had some wheat stored in our state and since being so advised advise I h have ve done everything I possible to assist in hi the distribution distribution distribution tion of this wheat and flour supply sup- sup ply Yours very truly HARDEN BENNION Commissioner of Agriculture |