348 IOWA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



ated. The lending of money by the government to the railroads has 

 been advocated by some of our ablest financiers, and it impresses me 

 as the best solution of the present embarrassing situation. 



If such a plan as this cannot be satisfactorily worked out, then the 

 government should direct the operation of the railroads during the war, 

 and put a stop to this persistent and endless contention by the rail- 

 roads for higher rates. 



In accordance with a resolution passed at the last annual meeting, 

 your officers co-operated with the officers of the State Live Stock As- 

 sociation of Illinois in securing a reduction of the amount of dockage 

 on stags. After several conferences with the packers on the subject, 

 on July 10th, at a conference in which all the big packers or their rep- 

 resentatives were present, we secured a reduction of ten pounds on 

 stags, and on July 16th the dockage was reduced from eighty to seventy 

 pounds. We made every effort to have the dockage reduced to fifty 

 pounds, but were obliged to compromise on seventy. This seems like 

 a small item, but it will save to Iowa swine raisers about $100,000 

 annually. 



Another matter in which this association has played a very impor- 

 tant part is in the securing of fair and equitable prices thru the Food 

 Administration fixing the minimum price on hogs. After Mr. Herbert 

 Hoover took up his duties as Food Administrator, he at once began 

 investigating the live stock and meat situation, and in August he and 

 his direct representatives held a prolonged conference and inquiry in 

 Chicago, in which both your secretary and president took an active 

 part. Following the Chicago conference, another was held in Wash- 

 ington, D. C, lasting some three or four days. At this meeting, Mr. 

 Wallace represented your interests, as your president did not feel that 

 he could take so much time from his work of canvassing for member- 

 ships and funds with which to finance the association and provide for 

 the heavy expense being incurred. 



At the Washington meeting, Mr. Hoover appointed your secretary 

 as a member of the Animal Industry Committee of the Food Adminis- 

 tration, and made him chairman of the Swine Committee, thus placing 

 this organization in a position to become a strong factor* in determin- 

 ing the questions that vitally affect not only your interests but the 

 welfare of the nation, and also of our allies, and that no doubt will 

 assist greatly in winning the war. 



Following that meeting, a number of other conferences and meet- 

 ings were held at Chicago, Washington and other places, at which this 

 association was represented by Mr. Wallace alone or with me. At the 

 beginning of these investigations, it was very evident that Mr. Hoover 

 had no practical knov/ledge of what it costs to produce hogs and cattle 

 under existing conditions, and it was only by persistent and continued 

 effort on the part of all concerned that we were able to secure the 

 minimum price of $15.50 per cwt. on hogs. We felt that if the govern- 

 ment would allow a fair price, there would be no difficulty in securing 

 a substantial increase in the production of hogs another year. We feel 

 that the price of $15.50, and a price per cwt. equal to the value of thir- 



