vi EDITOR'S PREFACE 



grown steadily. The Farmers' Union in some 

 parts of the eonntry had become quite powerful. 

 The cooperative movement had made greater 

 progress in the last half dozen years than per- 

 haps in any two decades of our previous history. 

 The rise of the Non-partisan League indicated 

 that the farmers were prepared to resist, and 

 even to fight politically, in order to obtain what 

 they regarded as reasonable justice. Out of 

 this general situation grew almost over night 

 what is at present the largest and most powerful 

 of our farmers' organizations, the Farm Bu- 

 reau Federation. 



Recently the pressure from all of these organ- 

 zations has been for legislation to relieve the 

 situation, and the *^ Agricultural Bloc" was the 

 result. This book describes the causes, meth- 

 ods, and results of this political aspect of the 

 present agrarian movement. The author has 

 been identified with the group from the start. 

 He comes from one of the great agricultural 

 states, is a successful editor of farm papers, 

 and is in close touch and sympathy with the 

 agricultural leaders as well as with the rank 

 and file. 



The *^ Agricultural Bloc" may or may not 



