THIRTY-SEVENTH ANNUAL CONVENTION. 35 



Of all industries Elgin is most interested in milk products. 

 For many years Elgin has fixed, through its Board of Trade, the 

 price of butter everywhere. At times Chicago has sought to 

 control it, but without success, and the general belief is that the 

 producer, not the broker, should fix the price. 



The beautiful river and the fertile valley that surround El- 

 gin make it the greatest milk producer, and therefore ought to be 

 the center of this great industry. I believe we could spare any 

 other line of business with less loss to all our people. 



We are proud to have you with us and trust that your tem- 

 pers will be as sweet as the cream you produce and the butter you 

 make, and that much good will result from your meeting. 



Remember that Elgin has been made famous to the farthest 

 corners of the earth, by butter, condensed milk and straight milk. 



May this condition continue. 



Again I welcome you most heartily and may success attend 

 you one and all. 



President: By a mistake on the part of the printer, Mr. 

 Sudendorf's name appears on the program. The name of Mr. 

 Chas. Gilkerson of Marengo should have appeared, and I take 

 pleasure in introducing Mr. Gilkerson. 



Mr. Gilkerson : Ladies and Gentlemen, Members : I re- 

 member when I was a boy I spoke a piece which began something 

 like this : "You'd scarce expect a boy like me to get up here and 

 speak a piece as well as those who wear a larger kind of clothes." 

 And that is somewhat my feeling today. I really feel a little out 

 of place on a program with the men of world wide reputation we 

 have with us. 



In responding to this very pleasing address of welcome I am 

 reminded of a conversation two preachers once had. One preach- 

 er wrote his sermons and read them and the other preached ex- 

 temporaneously. They were talking about the various degrees 

 of success preachers had and the one who read his sermons asked 

 the other why he did not have as good success as he who did not 



