Exhibit 99.4



                                                              November 20, 1998
Mr. Paul Wood
WEC Company
Madison Dearborn Partners, Inc.
Three First National Plaza
Chicago, IL  60602

Dear Paul:

         With respect to your letters dated November 17 and November 18, 1998,
we have several  observations.  First,  as you well know,  Alamo's  decline in
results  for  the  first  nine  months  of  1998  as  compared  with  1997  is
attributable  primarily  to the  Rhino  International  settlement  (which  you
supported  and to which WEC formally  consented),  this past  summer's  severe
drought in the South and  Southwest  and the onset of a cyclical  decline  (as
opposed to a decline that would be anticipated  to have long-term  effects) in
the agricultural industry,  which occurs from time to time and is a normal and
expected cost of doing business in the agricultural equipment industry.  These
events have not had a material adverse effect on Alamo's financial  condition,
value, results or prospects.

         We agree that actual results have fallen short of projections that we
have  delivered  to you  before  and since the date of the  Merger  Agreement.
However,  as you must recall,  you and your counsel  requested  several  times
during the course of negotiations that Alamo make certain  representations and
warranties concerning  projections.  We refused to do so on the basis that, as
we told  you  then,  projections  are  speculative  and  subject  to  inherent
uncertainty. A shortfall in actual results versus projections,  as to which we
made no warranty,  does not  demonstrate  the existence of a material  adverse
effect on anything.

         For the  record,  I did not  receive  your  letter of November 17 and
still  have not  received  it. I received a fax from Brown & Wood LLP at 10:49
a.m. on November 18 while we were in the  directors  meeting after the special
shareholders meeting.



         Although  your  correspondence  reflects  an  intent  to  avoid  your
contractual  obligations,  we are of  the  view  that  we  have a firm  merger
agreement that requires all parties to work towards closing.

                                             Very truly yours,

                                             ALAMO GROUP INC.



                                            /s/ Donald Douglass by JAS
                                            Donald J. Douglass
                                            Chairman