506 IOWA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



There is no other great business industry that could possibly survive 

 such terrific onslaughts upon the prices of its products without becoming 

 bankrupt; but the farmers and stockmen still remain true to their trust, 

 and the morale of the agricultural classes is yet unbroken; but I wish to 

 serve public notice upon all who are concerned in the buying, selling, 

 handling and consumption of agricultural products that there comes a 

 time when forebearance ceases to be a virtue, and that there is a time 

 coming in the not far distant future, if market conditions are not speedily 

 improved, that the long-suffering farmer will strike back, and that very 

 hard. 



The consuming public and some harebrained editors of big city dailies 

 may talk and discourse upon it being the sacred duty of the farmer to pro- 

 duce food to prevent the world from starving, but I want to say to all 

 that it is no more the sacred duty of the farmer and stockman to con- 

 tinue to produce food at such great loss in order to prevent the world from 

 suffering for food than it is the sacred duty of the coal miner and the 

 coal barons to produce an unlimited amount of coal at a loss so that the 

 world may not suffer for fuel. The sacred duty of the farmer is to himself 

 and his family, and if the world is not willing to allow him the cost of 

 production plus a reasonable profit for his products, then it is high time 

 for him to arrange systematically to reduce his production. The farmers 

 and their families have labored, sweat and sacrificed, working early and 

 late and paying wages beyond all reason to hired help to produce a crop, 

 believing that they would be remunerated by a just and equitable price 

 for their products, and now they are informed that they have over-pro- 

 auced and must sell their wares for fifty cents on the dollar. This is 

 indeed a sad commentary on our American civilization and much boasted 

 system of marketing, and it is a condition which the farmers must take 

 note of and deliberately set about to correct thru their various organiza- 

 tions. 



As to the work and activities of your association the past ten months, 

 I will say that these have been varied and important, as we have been 

 passing thru the most crucial period as farmers and stockmen in our his- 

 tory, and your officers have been constantly engaged in various efforts 

 to relieve the very oppressive and discouraging conditions. 



At the time of the holding of your last annual meeting, packer legisla- 

 tion, as it is commonly termed, was receiving considerable attention by 

 the congress at Washington, and your board of directors authorized the 

 sending of a committee to Washington to assist. If possible, in securing 

 some practical legislation for governmental supervision of the various 

 agencies connected with the handling and slaughtering of live stock. 



It so happened that when a call was received for your committee to 

 come to Washington, that only two of the members of the committee could 

 leave home, so accordingly Mr. A. L, Ames and I went and in due time 

 appeared before the house committee on agriculture, which was then 

 considering the formation of some sort of legislation. The hearings were 

 long and tedious, and much time was wasted and a voluminous amount 

 of testimony submitted by the packers that had no bearing whatever on 

 the case. Your representatives remained some ten or twelve days, and 



