202 THE GREEN RISING 



duced, but serving humanity in a more efficient 

 manner by giving the consumer an article of quality 

 at no increased cost." 



Mr. Strivings, of New York, said: "Farmers 

 must get past their own gateways and get out and 

 see what is going on in the world. We must put 

 agriculture into proper relationship with the rest 

 of the world.' 7 



J. R. Howard, of Iowa, declared: "I stand as a 

 rock against radicalism, but I believe in an organ- 

 ization which strikes out from the shoulder." 2 



These brief quotations from some of the leaders 

 who attended the Chicago meeting illustrate the 

 point of view of large numbers of farmers through- 

 out the country at that particular time. There 

 was no thought of radical action or affiliation with 

 any group with radical tendencies. 



The effect of the war on American agriculture 

 was the stimulation of production. But with the 

 restoration of peace conditions throughout the 

 world and the low purchasing power in foreign 

 markets had come a precipitous decline in the 

 prices of farm products. This situation had caused 

 the farmers to feel that production was not a seri- 

 ous problem, but it had become apparent that the 

 marketing of farm products was one of the most 

 essential determining factors in agricultural enter- 

 prise. Farmers everywhere had come to feel that 



3 See Kile's op. tit., Chap. IX, pp. 116, 117 and 118. 



