TWENTIETH ANNUAL YEAR BOOK— PART V 443 



and financing the Federation for future activities. This was purely 

 a free-will offering, separate and apart from the annual membership 

 fee of $5 a year. Members could give much or little, as the spirit 

 moved and as they might be interested in seeing the work go forward. 

 The response was generous indeed. The farmers, for the first time, 

 appeared to realize that they would have to go into their pockets 

 for the wherewithall to finance operations if they were to get any- 

 where in presenting their problems and claiming their rights in com- 

 petition with a thousand-and-one other interests and enterprises 

 clamoring for attention. 



More than $350,000 was contributed in this way for the use of 

 the state organization. A portion of this fund was absorbed by 

 the expenses of the big campaign, as it cost approximately $1,000 a 

 county to put it over. However, after all expenses were paid, a 

 good working fund is left in the treasury, a portion of which has 

 been invested in interest-bearing securities and the balance will be 

 used in carrying out the working program of the organization. 



vSuch is a summary of events leading up to this first annual con- 

 vention of the Federation. Meanwhile the farm bureati movement 

 was growing in other states almost as rapidly as in Iowa. In Novem- 

 ber delegates from thirty-five dififerent states had met in Chicago 

 for the purpose of uniting the various state farm bureau organiza- 

 tions into one grand national solidarity. This was efifected. The 

 new body of farmers, the most imposing and significant the country 

 has ever known, is the American Farm Bureau Federation. 



A part of the business of the meeting of the Iowa Federation 

 January 8th and 9th was the ratification of the constitution and by- 

 laws of the American I'^edcration and llic election of delegates to 

 the same in order to fulfill the rc(jin'rcnicnts for membersliip in the 

 national body. 



There have been and arc today hundreds of farmers' organizations 

 of one kind and another promoted in the country. Some of them 

 have been short of life and barren, or nearly so, of accomplishment. 

 Others have lived, grown in membership and influence and served 

 their constituency to good purpose*. 



One thing, however, American agriculture has so far lacked, and 

 that is a voice for all the agricultural interests of the nation. The 

 agriculture of the country is diversified. It includes a nniltitude of 

 branches and interests. Its ramifications are legion. There are 

 innumerable problems strictlv local in character that can be adjusted 

 and (lis])osed of by local organizations. While Texas, for instance. 



