FARMERS' PART IN WORLD WAR 35 



light cattle at times at scarcely more than their 

 hides were worth. Then meatless days were 

 provided for and consumers had to pay un- 

 usually high prices for beef. It is undoubtedly 

 true that our live stock industry suffered more 

 acutely from depression later because of the 

 manner in which this beef control was handled. 

 However, the farmer proceeded to increase the 

 supply of meat at a time when a shortage was 

 feared. We exported large quantities to the 

 Allies and thereby aided in prosecuting war. 



The control of dairy products, milk, butter 

 and cheese, was attended by considerable dis- 

 turbance which was exaggerated by the press 

 denouncing dairymen and dairy farmers as 

 profiteers and the almost constant agitation for 

 legal proceedings against milk producers' asso- 

 ciations. The same cooperative organizations 

 which had been heretofore hailed as a great 

 improvement in marketing development were 

 subjected to a constant fear of prosecution and 

 an agitation that prices were not fair to the 

 consumer. Milk producers were indicted and 

 while they were sincere in their belief that 

 they were helping improve the situation, they 

 were constantly harassed by public criticism. 



The charge of profiteering was so generally 



