NINETEENTH ANNUAL YEAR BOOK— PART VII 379 



We testified at length, on two different occasions, be'fore the agriculture 

 committee of the United States Senate, and urged upon the Food Admin- 

 istration the imperative need of the government buying a higher grade of 

 beef for our armies and our Allies, and also vigorously urged a substan- 

 tial advance in the price, so that the feeders would at least have some 

 chance to break even. To make a long story short, before leaving Wash- 

 ington, we began to receive some favorable reports from the country, in 

 regard to the prospect of improved conditions. We also felt that the men 

 in authority at Washington realized that heroic efforts must be made to 

 save and protect the live stock industry. 



On our way home, we stopped at Chicago and laid the entire trans- 

 portation matter before Mr. R. H. Aishton, who had been appointed 

 regional director of railroads for the Middle West. He pledged to us his 

 most hearty and cordial support, and assured us that he would do all in 

 his power to improve the conditions at once. Thru our efforts at Wash- 

 ington, and thru Mr. Aishton. at Chicago, we secured the annulment of 

 the slower train schedules and the order requiring all live stock to be 

 unloaded at the Mississippi river, and the reinstatement of the thirty-six- 

 hour train schedules from western Iowa points to Chicago, thus saving 

 to the farmers and feeders many thousands of dollars on this one item 

 alone. We also secured additional train service on different days of the 

 week, so that your stock could be moved more rapidly to market and 

 at the same time were able, during the spring months, to so distribute 

 the shipments as to prevent a glut on the Chicago market on any of the 

 market days. So as a result- of all these various efforts, the bulk of 

 the live stock was marketed on an ascending market after the latter part 

 of February. .. 



During the latter part of February, a very important conference of 

 stockmen and farmers was held in Chicago, and was attended by your 

 president and secretary and several members of the board of directors. 

 At this meeting the whole situation was carefully considered and strong 

 resolutions were passed, and a committee, of which your secretary was 

 a member, was sent to Washington to present your claims and to con- 

 tinue to urge upon the different departments the various things which 

 your president had been contending for some time. This committee 

 did splendid work and greatly assisted in bringing about the accomplish- 

 ment of the things which have been of so great value to all of us. 



And I here wish to publicly commend the splendid work done by Mr. 

 Aishton, the regional director of railroads for this section, in his untiring 

 efforts to furnish railroad equipment, to relieve the farmers and stockmen 

 of the very serious conditions that existed, and at the same time to avoid, 

 if possible, the flooding on any one day of the Chicago market, which 

 naturally would result in great loss to the feeders. 



Early in the spring of 1918, Mr. McAdoo, Director-General of Rail- 

 roads, made the announcement that during the month of June sweeping 

 advances in both freight and passenger rates would be made. As these 

 advances seemed so unreasonable, after going over the matter fully, it 

 was decided that Mr. Thome, yo.ur attorney, and your president should 



