WHAT'S 



AHEAD? 



^rtC^^^B^^^^^^rSf^BHHMBBM^^d^^^^^^^^^VV^^H^HH^^^VC^H 



5,000 Farmers Try To Find Answer To 



This Question Facing Agriculture, 



at San Francisco AFBF Convention 



sac 



■ ^^^^ ^^^— ^^^^J ^^™'^™^^'^^>^^^^'^^^'^™^J ^^^^^™^^^^^J^^^^^™^^^^^J ^^^^^^^^H^^^^^^^^H^^^^^a ^^m 



By CRESTON FOSTER 



lAA RECORD Editor 



WHAT'S ahead for American agri- 

 culture? 



That was the biggest question in 

 the minds of farmers from 45 states 

 and Puerto Rico as they met in San 

 Francisco for the largest convention 

 ever held by the American Farm Bu- 

 reau Federation. Official registration 

 was 5,000 with more than 650 from 

 Illinois, but hotel agencies in the con- 

 vention city reported 9,000 reservations 

 filled. 



It was the biggest convention San 

 Francisco had seen in some time and no 

 doubt labor and industry groups of that 

 area were impressed with the united 

 strength of Farm Bureau. 



Throughout the sessions it was 

 pointed out that today the farmer is 

 receiving a relatively fair price in the 

 market place. He has established a 

 production record second to none. But 

 he's wondering what's ahead. While 

 industry and labor are talking about 

 higher prices, a number of expert econ- 

 omists are making the headlines with 

 their forecasts of a slump in farm 

 prices. 



It is indeed a strange phenomenon. 

 Here is agriculture, the one and only 



8 



group that has consistently fulfilled its 

 responsibility by producing to meet 

 current needs. And, if the experts are 

 right, agriculture is the one group that 

 is going to be penalized with lower 

 prices for increasing production 30 per 

 cent over pre-war. 



The farmer would like to continue 

 his full production schedule, but he 

 wonders if labor and industry will re- 

 strict their output a few years hence 



when supply catches up with demand. 

 Industry has done that before and it 

 may do it again. 



There are several factors in the pic- 

 ture, however, that were not present 

 after the last World War. First is the 

 present day strength of the Farm Bu- 

 reau.The annual meeting report showed 

 the American Farm Bureau Federation 

 to have 1,128,259 farm families in 45 

 states and Puerto Rico in 1946. Based 

 on USD A estimates of 4.1 members in 

 the U. S. average farm family, this 

 figure represents more than four mil- 

 lion people in the Farm Bureau, mak- 

 ing it the largest farm organization in 

 the country. 



That Farm Bureau membership is 

 going to be a potent influence in the 

 days ahead. However, there is an ever- 

 increasing need for greater organization 

 and enrollment under the Farm Bureau 

 banner. This is apparent in view of 

 the huge membership of organized 

 labor and the strong influence exerted 

 by industry. [ 



The other factor that is expected to 

 soften the price decline of farm com- 

 modities is the government's two-year 

 commitment on support prices follow- 

 ing the official declaration of war. 



Seeing that the government makes 

 good on this commitment is the im- 

 mediate job ahead for the Farm Bureau, 

 according to the convention resolutions 

 and the address of President Edward A. 

 O'Neal. 



Said O'Neal in referring to the gov- 

 ernment price support program: "The 

 program is not automatic. To make it 

 effective. Congress must provide money 

 to carry out the provisions of the law. 

 We can fairly expect Congress to do 

 just that, and therefore we are confi- 

 dent that the program can be carried 

 out as Congress intended in 1941, when 

 the original Steagall amendment was 

 passed. It follows that farmers must 

 do their part in carrying out the pro- 

 gram." 



Chatting with Mrs. Charles W. Sewall, right, of the Associated Women of the AFBF, at 



the annual meeting are, left to right, Mrs. Jennie Hack, Ford county; Mrs. Nettie Biller- 



beck, Livingston, and Mrs. Elmer Whidholm, DeWitt. 



L A. A. RECORD 



