258 IOWA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



Is it not too often a fact that we think our business and political life 

 is, made up of capitalists, of the trusts of big combinations of capital, of 

 the captains of industry on the one side and of labor unions on the other? 

 We forget that these are but the extremes of our business life, and be- 

 tween these two extremes is a great mass of business men of our coun- 

 try; we forget that between these two extremes stands the farmer, the 

 business man, the professional man and the banker. We are welcoming 

 in our midst tonight one of the organizations that represent this class of 

 our business life, a class of men that are the very bone and sinew of our 

 Nation's life. 



* I was surprised to read in the report of our State Dairy Commissioner 

 that this State produces over one hundred and forty million pounds of 

 butter annually, and if sold at 25 cents a pound would yield an income 

 of thirty-five million dollars a year; that the dairies and creameries of 

 Iowa produce of that amount over eighty-two million pounds of butter, 

 yielding to them an income of over twenty million of dollars, and of that 

 amount over seventeen million dollars' worth is annually shipped out of 

 the State of Iowa. The high objects of your organization command not 

 only our respect but our admiration. You have conducted this business 

 so quietly, so skillfully, that we scarcely knew what you were doing. 



I bring with me to you tonight not only the welcome of our people 

 but I bring to you the well wishes of all our citizens. May your meeting 

 be both pleasant and profitable; may you learn not only how you may 

 increase the moisture of your butter but may you learn to increase your 

 overrun. While this may not be profitable to the farmer, it may not be 

 profitable to the consumer, yet we recognize the fact that you have taken 

 hold of this proposition in a scientific way; you have lessened the labors 

 of the farm and at the same time you have given a better product to the 

 consumer, and we welcome you most heartily, most cordially, to our city. 

 This building and two of the finest fireproof hotels in the West are at 

 your service. The city is yours. We have come to look upon your coming 

 here as almost an annual occurrence, and we trust that you will continue 

 to come to Cedar Rapids. It shall be our duty — it shall be the duty of 

 our citizens to see that your stay is both pleasant and profitable. Again I 

 extend to you a most cordial and sincere welcome on behalf of all our 

 people. I thank you. 



W. E. Smith, Deputy Dairy and Food Commissioner, Des 

 Moines, Iowa, responded to the address of welcome. 



Piano solo by Miss Agnes Kouba, of Cedar Rapids, was encored. 



The President: The next on the program is the report of 

 the secretary, Mr. W. B. Johnson. A little explanation is neces- 

 sary because we cannot have that report this evening. The secre- 

 tary shipped those documents from Des Moines on October 29th 

 ty express, and they have not arrived here as yet. The express 

 company has sent a tracer after them and we hope to have this 



