Plenary Session Transcripts

Governors Attending:

Discussion Subjects:

Problems of agriculture; agriculture and government; agriculture, industry and transportation as related to the American Merchant Marine; hydro-electric power and the states' interest; Mississippi floods; and campaign practices and expenses

Points of Interest:

Although it was noted that industry faced many of the same problems as agriculture, Governor Adam McMullen of Nebraska pointed out that industry had been afforded protective devices that were not available to farmers, such as tariffs, loans, and rate support. Once again, Governors expressed the belief that the federal government was partly to blame for the problems being experienced by farmers because of its encouragement of overproduction during World War I, and should therefore support the notion of cooperatives as a means of ensuring price stability. However, it was revealed that federal legislation to establish such cooperatives had been vetoed recently in the face of charges that it was tantamount to price fixing.

Governors talked about the need for the government to help establish a strong merchant marine fleet to compete with foreign ships and provide American businesses with the means for shipping their goods affordably. Governors voiced objection to the federal government's encroachment on state authority via passage of both the Water Power Act of 1920, which authorized federal issuance of permits for the development of hydro-electric power, and the National Defense Act of 1926, which empowered the President to designate any river site for the construction, maintenance, and operation of dams, locks, power houses, and other such facilities in the event they were needed to generate electric power for war-related production.

Major flooding of the Mississippi River earlier that year was a key subject of discussion. An appeal by President Hoover had led to voluntary contributions of $16.5 million, but given that the cost of the flood exceeded $250 million, Governors discussed whether it was a problem too great for states to bear, therefore requiring federal assistance.

Governors also talked at length about campaign finance and the question of whether there should be limits on campaign expenditures. The new system of primary elections concerned many Governors, who feared voter fraud and the election of candidates not because of their qualifications but because of such arbitrary factors as where their name appeared on the ballot.

Memorable Quotes:

Governor Fred Green of Michigan said: "Various federal agencies show a disposition to drag all of our sectional problems, and many purely intra-state problems, to Washington for solution...Recent years have given rise to many freakish ideas in government. There has been a craze for centralization, a craze for legislation, a craze for regulation. Some good things have resulted from these various crazes, but the fact that any idea or movement has become a fad should make it suspect to inquiring minds."

Governor Adam McMullen of Nebraska said: "If farming declines until its profits become negligible...the farm population will decline proportionately and there will follow such a corresponding increase in the price of farm products that American manufactured goods will be unable to meet the competition of other countries. American exports will decline because crop prices of the raw material entering into them will be high. With a reduced farming population, prices for crops to meet the demands of home consumption also would be high with reduced export. Trade labor will be less employed and wages will be lowered. The next step will require removing the tariff from farm products and allowing agricultural imports from foreign countries to destroy the value of the American farm."

Governor George Dern of Utah said: "I feel...that we do not have the time in these conferences to discuss a subject with that thoroughness that would be required in order to adopt resolutions and do it intelligently. If we could organize...so as to have standing committees to work on special subjects, and have them report their findings from time to time, and have those things submitted to the membership for previous consideration, then it might be possible to adopt resolutions efficiently."

With respect to campaign finance and election fraud, former Governor Gifford Pinchot of Pennsylvania said: "If a nation cannot rule itself, I cannot see that it makes much difference whether it is ruled by a foreign tyrant with arms or by a domestic tyrant with stolen votes."

On the same subject, Governor Sam Baker of Missouri said: "As long as there are votes to be bought, there will be people to buy them. If every citizen guarded his own right to cast his ballot as he sees fit, there would be no buyer, any more than there would be a market for bootleggers if [elected officials and dignitaries] would refuse to buy their products...let us enact statutes that will punish the individual for selling his vote, and punish the individual that buys products illegally as well as punishing the manufacturer."