This is Congressman Bob Dole with my weekly radio report from Washington. First of all, as in the past, I certainly wish to thank this station for carrying my program as a public service.

Secondly, I wish to advise the many, many people who have written that we will start publication of our newsletter, Capitol Commentary, in the very near future. Right now, we’re in the process of trying to weed out duplications in our newsletter mailing list, and we hope to have the first newsletter published and mailed within the next two weeks. We certainly appreciate the apparent widespread interest there has been. There have been many, many inquiries, and again we will attempt to keep our newsletter on an objective basis, but we will, of course, state our opinions and reasons for voting for or against certain proposals. As I have said in the past, I think you're entitled to know how a Member of Congress, regardless of party affiliation — mine or yours — how I conduct myself in Congress when it comes to the issues of the day. And certainly we hope to convey this information to you either through personal contact or by letter or by our weekly radio programs or through newsletters. I might also state that we are preparing a questionnaire which we hope we will have ready for mailing within the next 30 days because I feel it's most helpful to have these suggestions, the comments, the opinions, and, of course, the criticisms from those who live within my district. And if you have any comments or suggestions at this time concerning the future radio programs or newsletter content or what might be included in a questionnaire, I certainly trust you will make this Known to me.

As in the past, the primary topic of discussion among the Midwest Congressmen, at least, is what will happen in the wheat referendum? And I'm certain this is a topic in every small community in Western Kansas and probably with 90% of the farmers who are directly interested. The question is, ‘how do you think the wheat referendum is coming out?’ and, of course, at this point I wouldn't hazard a guess. As I said last week and as I’ve said publicly many times, to me, the most important thing that I can do, as a member of Congress, between now and the time the referendum will be held, is to furnish the farmer with honest, objective information. As I've also said before, that if the Western Kansas farmer knows what the program will do, knows its advantages, knows its disadvantages, I think he will make the proper choice. I do not feel it is my prerogative, as a Member of Congress, to attempt, in any way, to influence a farmer’s vote by saying that I feel he should vote no or that he should vote yes.

My position is clear on the bill. Last year, I voted against the Omnibus Farm Bill which included a 1964 wheat program, but for me to tell an individual farmer, now, that he should vote for or against the bill, or the referendum — vote yes or no — I think is outside my prerogative as a Member of Congress. But we shall make information available, and we shall correct misinformation which may be disseminated by any group opposing or favoring the 1964 wheat program.

We have had many letters in the last week, and frankly, it disturbs me to see ASC [Agriculture Stabilization and Conservation] Committees now entering into the controversy. Let me point out what some of the ASC newsletters are printing. This is an exact quote from a newsletter — ASC newsletter — in my district dated March 11, 1963. It says, the title, “1964 Wheat Program Referendum $2 or Question Mark [?].” It goes on to say, “While there are several details farmers want to know about the ‘64 wheat program, one primary point is that a yes vote means about $2 wheat and a no vote means a much lower price, probably about $1 per bushel.”

This is sent out [at] taxpayers’ expense, it's a public document, its marked official business, and it is sent out to every farmer in this county. I'll not mention the county at this time. And, of course, it's not a true statement. In the first place, the ‘64 program does not provide $2 wheat. I'm certain you'll recall that 15% of the wheat will be sold at seed price at about $1.30 per bushel. If the referendum fails, it is still the right and prerogative of the Congress in this country to enact new legislation, and it's not necessarily true that wheat will be a dollar a bushel. In fact, it wouldn't be a dollar a bushel if there was no new legislation, and I think these are the kind of statements and misinformation that disturbs the farmer. He wants to know who he can believe; ‘who can I turn to for objective, honest information?’ On this and future programs, we hope to make available to the farmer what are the facts under the ‘64 program. When this is done, as I said before, the choice will be the farmer’s, and he will decide on the date the referendum is held. And again, we are insisting that [U.S. Agriculture] Secretary [Orville] Freeman have it at the earliest possible date.

Thank you again, our time is gone, and this is Congressman Bob Dole, Washington, D.C.