EIGHTEENTH ANNUAL YEAR BOOK — PART VH 397 



Raising of live stock, and in order that the people in "Washington, who 

 are a little far away, should have a clearer vision of the troubles and the 

 struggles that you are going to go thru in performing your duty for this 

 year to come; because, while it is perfectly easy to say, "Raise live 

 stock," that does not make it any easier to do; and it is highly important 

 that the government administration understand the difficulties under 

 which you are working. 



The Food Administration in general is not an exciting job. There 

 is one jart of its work that I dofl't think is understood, and that I 

 might speak of for a moment. The very first thing a Food Adminis- 

 tration has to do is to look after the production and distribution of food 

 and if it does not accomplish that, it is pretty unimportant. 



I think very few realize that the Food Administration is today prac- 

 tically controlling the question of exports and imports. For instance, 

 if we want to get sisal from Yucatan, which we must have, we are con- 

 stantly controlling food exports to Chile; and in a number of cases the 

 sisal. So if we want to ge: nitrates for explosives from Chile, we are con- 

 stantly controlling food exports to Chile; and in a number of cases the 

 inves.tigation has shown actual shortage of many food products. Sugar, 

 for instance, is a particular one, and we are preventing exports and try- 

 ing to shorten consumption. That is not very important, except that I 

 want to be sure you have no misunderstanding as to the purpose of the 

 Food Administration. It has a purpose to keep down prices just as far 

 as it can. I am not pretending that it is the special friend of any group 

 of producers; it is not. It would not be worth its salt if it was. But I 

 wa,nt to get the idea into your minds that while it is an organization 

 which is trying to keep down the price of foods to the consumer, it also 

 is wise or sensible enough to know that it can only do that if it gives to 

 the producer a real living wage during the war; and that, I think, it 

 does know and understand. 



It has been particularly pleasing, Mr. Chairman, to come here and to 

 meet the live stock growers, because they have told me so much, and 

 lold it so frankly and clearly. I did not come to talk to the ladies, and 

 I am no man to call on for that purpose. That does not mean that I am 

 not obliged for the opportunity and not very glad to be here. 



The Toastmaster: I am sure we iiave all enjoyed Mr. Cotton's visit 

 with us, and I think he will take back, both to his Chicago office and to 

 Washington, where I understand he is going this week, the right sort of 

 a notion of Iowa people. I think he knows now, if he did not before, 

 that it is the sincere desire of our people to do whatever they can to help 

 win this war. "We are not looking for exorbitant profits, and are willing 

 to take our losses if by so doing we are going to serve our country, and 

 to continue taking them just as long as v/e have any money to lose. It 

 is perfectly clear to every thinking man that the losses of the farmer, just 

 as well as the losses of every other business man, are measured by the 

 depth of his pocketbook; when he reaches the bottom, the stuff is off. 

 "We want you to feel, Mr. Cotton, that you can call on us for any possible 

 service that we can render to you or to the Food Administration in 

 general. 



