HAMPSHIRE COUNTY FARMERS' MONTHLY 



NEWS OF THE FARM BUREAU 



NATIONAL FARM 



BUREAU NEWS 



"The passing of the 67th Congress 

 marks an epoch in the undertaking of 

 the American Farm Bureau's national 

 legislative campaign," says Gray Silver, 

 Washington representative of the Ameri- 

 can Federation. "It is not too much to 

 say that the twenty-six laws passed by 

 that Congress, which were initiated or 

 supported by the Farm Bureau, are of 

 a more importance to American agri- 

 culture than all the legislation relating 

 to agriculture passed since the adoption 

 of our Constitution. 



"In that Congress — thanks to the for- 

 mation of the loyal and fearless Farm 

 Bloc — farmers cea.sed to be helpless sup- 

 plicants at the council of our national 

 Congress, and, by organization, became 

 one of the influential forces in national 

 law-making. In a few months, they se- 

 cured legislation that had been bandied 

 about in Congress without serious con- 

 sideration for from seven to twenty-one 

 years; and the ruses of legislative de- 

 ception and procrastination were exposed 

 and overcome. 



"When the American Farm Bureau 

 undertook a federal legislative program 

 and established this oflice to promote 

 legislation in conformity with it, its gen- 

 eral objective was the attainment of laws 

 that would help to bring about a fairer 

 relation of t!ie distribution of rewards 

 among the various groups in industrial 

 activities that make up the national 

 whole. We were convinced that agri- 

 culture for a variety of reasons had long 

 been deprived of a square deal in the ex- 

 change of its products for those of other 

 industries. 



"We foresaw there were three ways 

 in which federal laws could contribute 

 to equitable exchanges of products be- 

 tween agriculture and other industries, 

 namely: 



"First — Legislation that would help 

 the farmer to be a free seller on even 

 terms with the buyer through agencies 

 of his own creation or choice. 



"Second — Regulatory legislation that 

 would curb unfair practices in manufac- 

 ture and trade, which have operated to 

 the disadvantage of the farmer as well 

 as the general public. 



"Third — Legislation that would tend to 

 reduce the farmers' cost of production, 

 processing, standardizing and distribut- 

 ing. 



"I like to think of the work of the 

 Farm Bureau Federation as a national 

 undertaking, as a national blessing. I 

 honestly believe that by giving agricul- 

 ture new hope and new vigor we are 

 regenerating the Republic. Our work 



ACTIVITIES OF 



LOCAL FARM BUREAU 



Co'operative Purchasing Laid on the 

 Table 



A recent meeting called by President 

 Parsons for the purpose of selecting a 

 purchase committee for Hampshire Coun- 

 ty, failed to bring forth the necessary 

 number of volunteers. It was hoped that 

 these men would form the central com- 

 mittee to supervise the cooperative pur- 

 chase of farm supplies. 



Discussion brought out the fact that 

 few of the farmers present were in the 

 habit of paying cash for supplies and 

 that they were well pleased with the 

 service rendered. For the present at 

 least this line of work will not be carried 

 on. It will be interesting to note prog- 

 ress made with the proposition in other 

 counties. 



President Parsons, Vice-President Pel- 

 issier and Chas. E. Clark attended the 

 state executive meeting in Worcester on 

 April 17 and reported an enthusiastic 

 meeting. 



Daylight Saving 



Having failed to convince the Legisla- 

 ture through hearings that the majority 

 of the people are opposed to daylight 

 saving, representatives of the Grange, 

 the railroad brotherhoods, the Sate De- 

 partment of Agriculture and the Federa- 

 tion will now resort to the initiative and 

 referendum. A meeting is planned for 

 the near future, when steps will be taken 

 to start the necessary petitions in circu- 

 lation. 



The only discouraging feature is that 

 it will be necessary to wait until a year 

 from this coming November before the 

 question can be submitted on the ballot. 



The Boston Chamber of Commeixe can 

 be counted upon to spend large sums of 

 money putting out propaganda in favor 

 of continuing the present law. Never- 

 theless, those who are opposed feel that 

 the majority of the people are with them. 



restores the fair trade balance between 

 the country and city and they prosper 

 together. But most important, perhaps, 

 from a national point of view, is the 

 putting of agi'iculture on firm business 

 foundations and improving the standards 

 of farm life and thereby insuring the 

 perpetuity of a strong and happy rural 

 population in America. The country 

 will forever feed, the city, and the sort 

 of people the country sends to the city 

 determines the kind of a city life we are 

 to have. So, in reviving and invigoi-at- 

 ing American farm life, we are regen- 

 erating and preserving the Nation. 

 Therefore, our watchword should be or- 

 ganization and service." 



STATE FARM BUREAU NOTES 



Co-operative Buying Being Urged 



County Farm Bureaus not already en- 

 gaging in cooperative buying should take 

 steps immediately to begin such a project, 

 according to the unanimous opinion of 

 the State Executive Committee. Further- 

 more, the time is at hand when each 

 county organization should employ a 

 manager either on full or part time. 



These were the two principal decisions 

 arrived at by state leaders at a meeting 

 in Worcester, April 17th. President 

 Howard S. Russell, presided, and every 

 county except Norfolk was completely 

 represented. 



Other recommendations of hardly less 

 importance are that each county execu- 

 tive committee should hold regular month- 

 ly meetings, that local directors should 

 not be paid for collecting delinquent 

 membership dues, and that each county 

 not already organized with a definite 

 program should adopt such a program 

 as soon as possible. 



Discussion of the cooperative buying 

 project occupied the head of a long list 

 of business matters. It was ag:ieed that 

 the easiest way to insure a large con- 

 tinuing membership is to make a direct 

 dollars and cents saving. Counties which 

 have entered the Eastern States grain 

 and fertilizer pools have had little diffi- 

 culty in showing such results. 



Proposed county managers will doubt- 

 less derive the major part of their sala- 

 ries through commissions. Local direc- 

 tors will receive the bulk of the money 

 allowed for such purposes, but the county 

 manager will exercise a certain amount 

 of general supervision and will therefore 

 be assigned a nominal fee. The balance 

 of his salary will be paid out of member- 

 ship dues received. Middlesex is the only 

 county at present that is definitely plan- 

 ing to take on a man for full time. 



Oflicers and Executive Committee of 

 the State Federation voted unanimous 

 approval of the Eastern Apple Exposi- 

 tion and Fruit Show, to be held in New- 

 York, November 1 to 10. Leslie E. 

 Smith, Assistant Commissioner of Agri- 

 culture, presented the matter in Worces- 

 ter, April 17th. The fruit growers' as- 

 sociations throughout the State are es- 

 pecially interested. The purpose of the 

 Show will be to advertise eastern apples. 



Is Your Sign Up? 



Many complaints have been received 

 that this year's membership signs do not 

 hold their color as have those of previous 

 years. This has brought to the minds 

 of the State Executive Committee that 

 the paper sign was only suppo.sed to have 

 been a temporary affair, anyway. Next 

 year, it is probable that a metal sign 

 will be used. 



