1274 New York State Agricultural Society 



wives' League. The organization has become very effective in 

 Philadelphia, Chicago, New York, Providence, Boston and else- 

 where. There is a large membership in the league. In New York 

 City alone between one and two hundred thousand housewives 

 are members of that league. I heard Mrs. Heath say last Sunday 

 that this is not an organization, it is a movement. They do not 

 claim to be a close organization at all. It is simply a movement 

 that is popular and is trying to be effective in bringing about a 

 saner method of purchasing supplies, and it comes under the pur- 

 ^•iew really of the report of the committee on cooperation in the 

 matter of more direct marketing from producers to consumers. I 

 want to say further that this .women's movement is going to do 

 more to solve this question of the high cost of living and to bring 

 about the direct marketing of our products from farm to the con- 

 sumer than any other one thing that is happening to-day. 

 Mrs. Heath's telegram reads : 



" I am completely overworked and fear I cannot be at the meet- 

 ting to-morrow. If not, will you present my good will to the pro- 

 ducers and all the agriculturists, and tell them how hard we are 

 working to help adjust conditions. I am disappointed, but pre- 

 sent my best wishes for a successful convention. Jennie Dewey 

 Heath." 



Chairman Tucker: An important topic will be presented to 

 our attention by Senator Roosevelt. 



Senator Roosevelt : I have been asked to come here and sav a 

 word about the legislative end. I am glad to have heard what Ex- 

 speaker Wadsworth said and I agree with him in every detail. 

 I think he would, if he had gone a little further, have taken up the 

 legislative end that he knows so well. We are confronted, as mem- 

 bers of the senate and of the assembly, with very much the same 

 troubles that vou are finding in the larcer work. We are con- 

 fiMiitcd ])y chaos. We arc cniifronted by different interests, dif- 

 ferent organizations, different sections, different individmils who 

 come to us on the agricultural committee of either house or come 

 to us as individuals, mend>ers of the legislature, and ]iiit their 

 views before us imlividuully and separately. Every year there 

 are, as you all know, a number of bills relating to agriculture in- 



