582 IOWA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



held, and a real wave of enthusiasm and good fellowship pervaded the 

 assemblage. We trust that the same spirit will be liberally manifest 

 in this 1914 gathering. 



During the winter of 1914, your president, as has been his custom 

 in the past, took up the work through the farmers' institutes and other 

 gatherings, and continued to spread the gospel of the Corn Belt Meat Pro- 

 ducers' Association among the farmers, urging them to get in line with 

 the only really live farmers' organization in the state, and help boost 

 it along. In this we were fairly successful, holding some good meet- 

 ings in territory where we were already organized. We also managed 

 to push out into some new fields, but this I found very difficult, be- 

 cause men were either afraid to take the responsibility of calling a 

 meeting, or else were indifferent to their own interests. At any rate, 

 a number of meetings which we had expected to hold in new terri- 

 tory fell through, and, I think, for lack of proper leadership among the 

 local men. So you will readily see that it is no easy task to arouse 

 interest under such conditions. 



During the winter we also endeavored to keep close tab on the 

 movement of stock trains, and see that unnecessary delays were avoided, 

 as well as to look after the comfort and convenience of the stockmen 

 while accompanying their stock to market. In this we were reasonably 

 successful, as I am sure the past year has seen the best service and 

 accommodations by the railroads for a number of years in the past. I 

 believe that if the Corn Belt Meat Producers' Association and the rail- 

 roads will co-operate in the future and try to maintain good service to 

 the markets, good and satisfactory results can be secured. It is very 

 gratifying to note that the railroad authorities are beginning to realize 

 that this organization is not antagonistic to their interests, but ready 

 and willing to co-operate with them in bringing about better conditions 

 and a clearer understanding of each other's needs. I am fully convinced 

 that many of our ills can be eliminated when the railroad men are willing 

 to meet us half-way and talk these things over, and co-operate with us 

 to a greater degree in correcting them. 



You will recall that the most important matter considered by the dele- 

 gates at the last annual meeting was the unjust and unreasonable 

 valuation imposed upon the shipper, and other obnoxious features of the 

 present live stock contracts, and that you instructed your officers to pro- 

 ceed with a case before the Interstate Commerce Commission, and en- 

 deavor to have those objectionable features of the contracts changed. 

 Accordingly, after numerous unavoidable delays, we succeeded through 

 the Iowa railroad commission, in getting our case properly launched with 

 the Interstate Commerce Commission. We were also able to secure the 

 able assistance and co-operation of the American National Live Stock 

 Association in the case. The commission, recognizing the importance of 

 the matter to the live stock industry, set an early date for the hearing, 

 and, as announced, the hearing was opened at Colorado Springs on July 

 15th. This association was represented by Judge Henderson, commerce 

 counsel; Mr. Chas. Goodenow, your treasurer, and your president. Judge 

 Henderson also represented the Iowa railroad commission and the state 



