226 ILLINOIS STATE DAIRYMEN'S ASSOCIATION 



that he would Hke me to tell him how it paid the farmer that 

 was selling it for three cents a quart. 



The Heart of the Problem. 



The question raised by this practical, hard-headed, suc- 

 cessful businessman goes to the very heart of the problem at the 

 root of all the farmer's problems. The question of how to make 

 farming of any kind pay, speaking generally, is still unans^ 

 wered. For the farmer it is the riddle of the sphinx, which not 

 to answer is to be destroyed. 



The reason we have never had an answer is that the farmer, 

 the dairyman included, has depended on the other fellow to look 

 after his business for him instead of looking after it himself. 

 You know the story of the lion and the lamb lying down to- 

 gether — how happy, and well fed, and contented the lion was 

 in the morning? That is the story of the farmer, with the farm- 

 er playing the part of the lamb. 



The remedy is for the farmer to look after his own busi-i 

 ness, and this conference is evidence that the dairy interests in- 

 tend to do so. But conventions are only meetings to determine 

 policy, and in the past have been, and in the future will continue, 

 to be, powerless to help much, unless, as a result of this meeting, 

 the dairy interests evolve a constructive and permanent pro- 

 gram and unite in a federated plan for its fulfillment. This 

 leads me to express myself in favor of a plan for ^ permanent 

 headquarters in Washington, not only for the dairy interests, 

 but for all agricultural organizations. Such a federation, super- 

 vised and directed by broad gauge, sincere men, will do more 

 for the solving of these national agricultural issues than can be 

 done by the present long range method. 



This would be welcomed by law-makers. It would present 

 the farmers' views and wishes in a way that could not be mis- 

 taken. Not only would it mean a great deal to the dairy inter- 

 ests but it would settle the other great questions affecting agri- 

 culture, such as transportation and marketing of farm products, 

 standardization of prices; the maintenance of a proper 

 equilibrium in the production and distribution of farm 



