REPORT OF IOWA FARM BUREAU FEDERATION 389 



engaged as director of this department and will begin his work February 

 1. We believe him to be the best qualified and most competent man 

 available for this job to be had in America, and I bespeak for him the 

 most hearty and generous support on behalf of the farmers of Iowa. 



The departments of Administration, Relations or Organization, Informa- 

 tion, Transportation, Research, and Legislation, of the American Federa- 

 tion are each pledged to lend valiant assistance to the Co-operative Mar- 

 keting Department, and all the forces of the present administration will 

 be centered around the great project of co-operative marketing. 



Permit me to say to the farmers of Iowa that great and useful machines 

 are being set up by your County, State and National Farm Bureau, but 

 they will do you little good as individual farmers if you do not use 

 them. The Farm Bureau is built on the cafeteria plan, so you must help 

 yourselves. Let us therefore as farmers work together for the good of 

 each, and thereby for the good of our state and nation in order that we 

 may have better schools, better churches and better homes in which may 

 dwell a happy, contented and prosperous people. 



CHICAGO PRODUCERS' COMMISSION ASSOCIATION 

 BY A. SYKES 



Something like eighteen months ago there was appointed what was 

 known as the Livestock Committee of Fifteen. Out of the work of that 

 committee has come the National Livestock Producers' Association. The 

 first selling agency, or commission company, established by the Pro- 

 ducers' Association was at St. Louis on the first day of January, 1922. 

 Then followed the house at Indianapolis, and next the Chicago house, of 

 which I happen to be president. All of these selling agencies or com- 

 mission companies are organized strictly on a co-operative basis. 



Now, there is one thing I want you to understand, and that is that we 

 are talking about the co-operative marketing of livestock. Another thiug 

 I want you to understand clearly, is that co-operative marketing of live- 

 stock doesn't simply mean the formation of a co-operative shipping asso- 

 ciation, and then continuing to ship your stock to the old-line livestock 

 concerns, because the formation of your co-operative shipping associa- 

 tion is only the starting point of co-operative marketing of livestock. 



Plan Will Succeed With Proper Support 

 A lot of people have the idea that the only thing there is to the co- 

 operative marketing of livestock is the formation of a co-operative ship- 

 ping association back in the country. It is not my thought to abuse any- 

 body, but I want to call your attention to the fact that you will never 

 market your stock co-operatively and successfully until you learn to 

 carry it clear through. 



The Committee of Fifteen gave this question serious consideration. It 

 undertook to work out a plan, not only for Iowa but for the entire coun- 

 try. The plan is not perfect. At the time it was offered it was the best 

 we could do. But we believe it is big enough and broad enough to take 

 us all in, and we believe that if it is followed and supported by the men 

 back in the country that it will prove sufficient and in time will bring 



