402 IOWA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



true. Our state is a little different from Iowa, in that it has a different 

 kind of history. I was brought up in Missouri, and those of you who 

 know the feeling of Missouri towards Kansas can realize the absolute 

 change in attitude that I have had to have in order to become a loyal 

 citizen of the state. It used to be true in our section of the country that 

 to tell a man to go to Kansas was a higher insult than to tell him to go 

 to another famous place that is even hotter. It seemed to worry my 

 people very much when I first went to Kansas, because of the fact that 

 they objected to addressing a letter to me in that particular state; but 

 they have learned better now. And those of us who have lived in Kansas 

 and learned the ways of the Kansas people, can't help but appreciate 

 and admire the fact that things do happen rapidly, that the people there 

 are as loyal to their state as the people here are to Iowa; and after you 

 know them well, you realize that it is justly so. I used to think that I 

 would never say anything about a state in which I lived, because of the 

 fact that it looked as if a man was bragging on things unnecessarily; 

 and so I will not say anything further about Kansas except that it is 

 really a good place to live. It is a place that we all enjoy, and if any of 

 you ever get dissatisfied in Iowa, probably you will find something dif- 

 ferent in Kansas that may meet your needs at that particular time. 



I came to this meeting six years ago, and I cannot help but notice 

 the difference in the attitude of the Corn Belt Meat Producers' Associa- 

 tion toward their meeting. None of the ladies were present at the last 

 banquet that I attended, and really I can truthfully say that it is a 

 decided improvement to have them here. It is a matter of a great deal 

 of satisfaction to those of us who are interested in agricultural organi- 

 zations to know that a group of men representing the industry which 

 you represent in your state are able to get together year after year, to 

 grow in influence, and to make yourselves felt not only in your own 

 state, out in every state in the Union. I think no great question has 

 come before the live stock men of the United States for solution in the 

 past ten years but what the Corn Belt Meat Producers' Association has 

 contributed much to the solving of it, if not more than any other group 

 of men interested in this particular industry. That means that you 

 have had grouped together a lot of men who are vitally, permanently 

 and financially interested in the industry. It means that you have not 

 looked upon this annual meeting simply as a social organization at 

 which you can get together and shake hands and say Hello! and How 

 do you do! to one another, but it means that you have come here with a 

 purpose in view, and shown your excellent judgment in electing as ofl!icers 

 and as your spokesmen from year to year men who command the re- 

 spect and confidence of the live stock m&n in every other state in the 

 country. 



At the present time our live stock industry is considered one of the 

 most important of all those that are engaged in the prosecution of the 

 war. Mr. Cotton tells us that next to the production of munitions, 

 probably the production of food is the most important single factor in 

 the winning of the war. Iowa being the greatest hog state in the Union, 



