268 IOWA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



And so as I sat here this evening listening to the music and par- 

 taking of this splendid banquet, I wondered why you didn't start 

 these festivities long ago. It is a pleasure to be with you fair men 

 tonight, because of the fact that you people, as largely as any ele- 

 ment in the economic development of our state, have been respon- 

 sible for the development of our agricultural business of the state 

 to the point where Ray Files was describing the greatness of Iowa. 

 The corn crop of Iowa brings more gold into Iowa than has ever 

 been produced in all Alaska, and those are conditions very largely 

 brought about by these very agricultural societies. Then when my 

 friend, Senator Rule, was talking about the conditions as he sees 

 them at this time, the thought came to me that the people of this 

 nation are builded of a race brought through the turmoil of the 

 old world — a distinctive race made from all the selected elements ot' 

 the earth. I was under the impression that we had always arisen to 

 the emergencies as they came, and I don't doubt that we have a 

 condition upon us now that does demand the most careful thought 

 and consideration, perhaps, that any industrial condition has ever 

 presented to the American people. And yet I know that the Ameri- 

 can people, in their red blood, will arise to this emergency, and it 

 is in your minds, it is in my mind, and it is in the mind of everv 

 household in the state of Iowa at the present time, "How shall we 

 solve the present conditions ?" and I don't believe the conditions here 

 in Iowa are like the Israelite on the ship at sea when he was notified 

 in the middle of the night that the ship was sinking, and he replied, 

 "Vot do I care, it is not my ship." But our people are awake, and 

 the American people will arise, they will continue to arise and they 

 will handle the situation, but we must not be derelict in our duty, as 

 Senator Rule said. As you go out into the country, as you carry 

 on the great enterprises that you are all carrying on in your com- 

 munity, you cannot awaken too much enthusiasm in the hearts and 

 minds of your people to get them interested in the promotion of 

 agriculture. Get them to produce the finest stock, the best stock, 

 that the world produces. You are producing it now in Iowa. The 

 best corn, the best vegetables, and all of the best fruits that can be 

 produced, and we are doing it now in certain fields in Iowa. A 

 great problem, too, is quick production. Look at your county fairs, 

 how you put your boys on the baby beef contests, teaching them to 

 produce 500 pounds of beef in half the time that it was formerly 

 produced. Haven't you caused two blades of grass to grow where 

 one grew before? Not only that, individually I know that you are 



