O'Neal and Smith 

 HeadA.F.B.F. 



Convention Reflecfs Unity of 

 JInierican Agriculture on 

 Maior National Policies 



EAHL C. SMITH. LETT, AND EDW. O'NEAL 

 in a more aerioua momanL 



American agriculture is a 

 , J lL widely diversified industry. 

 ^ ^^ f Not only distance but sharp 

 differences in history and environment 

 separate the potato producers of Maine 

 from the orange and lemon growers of 

 California. The milk producers of New 

 York and Vermont who buy most of 

 their feed grains and concentrates have 

 a different outlook than the corn and hog 

 growers of Illinois and Iowa. The to- 

 bacco and cotton planters of Dixie know 

 little of the day to day problems of the 

 wheat growers and cattle raisers of the 

 Great Plains. 



But sharp as are these variations in 

 historic background, in climate, human 

 temperament, production and marketing 

 problems, astonishing progress has been 

 made toward breaking down sectional 

 barriers. Substantial unity in solving the 

 common problem of all — fair prices — 

 has been achieved through the American 

 Farm Bureau Federation. 



It was a harmonious gathering repre- 

 senting all these and many other agricul- 

 tural interests in America that reelected 

 an Alabama cotton planter, Edward 



O'Neal, president, and an Illinois com 

 and livestock producer, Earl Smith, vice- 

 president of the Federation in Chicago 

 December 13-15. 



The convention this year was notable 

 for several things. It stood firmly for 

 parity farm prices despite the backing 

 away from this goal by Secretary of Agri- 

 culture Henry A. Wallace who hereto- 

 fore has seen eye to eye with the Farm 

 Bureau. The Secretary expressed his new 

 goal in addressing the convention as 

 "parity income for agriculture" even 

 though prices are allowed to drop some- 

 what below parity. Mr. Wallace received 

 a warm ovation from the convention 

 when introduced by President O'Neal. 



Speaking extemporaneously, as he said, 

 "from the heart as one talks to his rela- 

 tives," the Secretary in his rambling talk 

 had no new message. But with char- 

 acteristic honesty and sincerity he re- 

 peated his belief in the need for balanced 

 production, balanced income and bal- 

 anced prices between agriculture, indus- 

 try, and labor. "Labor and capital hold 

 the key to half the farm problem," he 

 said. "It is a matter of grave concern 



that factories may work at 85 per cent 

 capacity for a time, but within six months 

 they may work at only 30 per cent of ca- 

 pacity. The workmen turned out cannot 

 buy a normal volume of farm products." 



The Secretary avoided mention of 

 the disagreement between his Depart- 

 ment and the Farm Bureau over cotton, 

 wheat, and corn quotas in the pending 

 farm bills and the protection, if any, 

 against low prices offered farmers in 

 the ever-normal granary program. 



On this point. President O'Neal in 

 his annual address earlier in the day 

 speaking of the unsatisfactory House 

 bill said: "We regard the entire loan 

 structure of the bill as entirely inade- 

 quate to stabilize prices in times of 

 heavy surpluses. The responsiblity for 

 high quotas must be laid on the ma- 

 jority of the members of the House 

 Committee. It is reported that high 

 quotas were approved by officials of 

 the U. S. Department of Agriculture. 

 We fought with all the power at our 

 command to get the bill amended to 

 make it workable, but the opposition 

 was too strong. We even had to op- 

 ( Continued on page 6) 



A PROUD MOMENT FOR A. B. GULP, McLEAN 

 County, ni., who receives cup for largest County 

 membership in U. S. from Pres. O'Neal. 



MARRINER S. ECCLES 

 "Monopoly and High Prices 

 are Responsible" 



HARRY F. REIFSTECE PRES. 

 Champaign Co., HI. Farm Bu- 

 reau, with cup for second high 

 U. S. membership. 



