280 IOWA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



has thousands of friends and acquaintances among the dairymen who 

 know no other in the organization. Each one of these friends appeared 

 to feel called upon to write him, as president of the National Dairy Union, 

 whenever anything happened that was not understood. He had either to 

 retire from the office, devote a large portion of his time to answering this 

 correspondence, or ignore it. The latter he would not do, and have we 

 any right to expect him to further carry the former burden? 



Personally I feel that I too should be permitted to shift the responsi- 

 l)ility which I have carried the past six years. I cannot see my way clear 

 to continue the work. Justice to my own personal interests and the wel- 

 fare of those with whom I am associated and those depending upon me 

 demand that I cease to spend my time in this great' struggle and begin 

 to look out more for my own personal future. 



I realize, of course, that during an experience of six years in this 

 work I have made acquaintances and accumulated knowledge which is 

 almost indispensable to the office. Yet there must be a change some 

 time. I can not continue the work forever, and it must always be carried 

 on by somebody, or we will very rapidly lose all and more ground than 

 we have gained. There will never be a better time to change than now. 

 So it seems to me that right now is a good time to determine upon some 

 plan or organization for the future which will put the National Dairy 

 Union upon a solid foundation. This means that promises for its finan- 

 cial support must be arranged for and in some manner that will not cost 

 a hundred cents to collect a dollar. 



And in final conclusion I will say I have exhausted my ability along 

 this line. In six years I have worked every scheme which my brain can 

 devise for raising funds to carry on the work. I confess I am at the end 

 of my rope, and it's up to those who are interested and benefited to 

 decide in regard to the future. 



Now I have done just as I said here in this reiJort. I have exhausted 

 every scheme that I can think of to raise money; I have worked the 

 whole ground over; I have come to you with all kinds of schemes and 

 plans and propositions to raise money. I can not think of any more. I 

 have racked my brains. The trouble with tlie dairymen, and all other 

 interests as far as that is concerned, is they are like the man from Arkan- 

 sas when he was asked by the Arkansav/ Traveler why he had no roof 

 on his house, and the Arkansan said: "When it rains I can't put the roof 

 on, and when it does not rain I don't need it." The trouble with the 

 dairymen is when the time for fighting arrives they are not ready to 

 fight, and when there is no fighting on hand they do not want to be both- 

 ered. That is the situation. 



Now I requested the Elgin Board of Trade that they send a commit- 

 tee to the office of the National Dairy Union to look over its books. It 

 was my desire when I came before you tonight to be able to present to 

 you, through the eyes of others, some sort of an idea of what has been 

 done. The Elgin Dairy Board of Trade was requested to appoint a com- 

 mittee to come in and audit the books of the National Dairy Union. The 

 bookkeeper was placed at their disiK)sal and INIr. .Joseph Newman, whom 



