The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1899-02-26
AMERICAN MAIZE PROPAGANDA

Springfield, ILL.,, February A-Within
few weeks the legislatures of the seven
great corn-producing states OF America will
have taken action upon the subject just
preached of uniting in the organization of
an interstate corn belt commission, which
will devote its efforts In the direction of
the various forms of food produced from
Indian corn in this country.
The promoters of this gigantic enterprise
show that the corn crop of the past four
years has averaged over two thousand mill
lion bushels; that the surplus of production
above domestic demands grows larger each
year, and that the United States, which
possesses the only corn belt" In the world,
can produce more corn with the present
acreage devoted to the crop, than would
equal In volume all the wheat grown in the
world. The purpose of the American
Maize Propaganda" as the association be-
hind the movement is called, Is to widen the
demand for corn and corn products. Its
members will derive no benefits other than
Will accrue to all who will be the gamers
by increased consumption; the possible eie-
walton of the market price of Americas
greatest grain crop.
Hon. Clark E. Carr of Galesburg Ill.,
is president of the American Maize Propa-
ganda. He was president of the Illinois
Transmississippf and International Expo
sition commission, which erected the Illi-
nois building In the Omaha exposition
grounds last year and managed the dis
plays of Illinois exhibits.
Colonel Carr is also an ex-minister of the
United States to Denmark, a veteran Off
Ger or the civil war and prominent char
acter IN Illinois politics.
The vice president OF the association,
John Cownie. of South Amana, Ia, is pres
tdent of the Iowa State Agricultural So
ciety and member Of the board of control
or the state institutions, The secretary,
b. w Snow. Of Chicago, is statistician of
the Orange Judd Farmer and formerly as
sistant statistician of the United States de-
partment OF agriculture. The treasurer.
Andrew Langdon, of Buffalo, N. Y, is pres
ident OF the Empire State Savings bank of
that city and city park commissioner. The
executive committee is headed by Charles
J. Murphy, of Brussels, Belgium, who has
been identified with efforts to introduce
corn abroad for the last quarter of a GEN.
fury, and it includes the names of the lead
Ing agriculturists Of all the large states in
the union. editors of the great agricultural
publications and officers of the great agri-
cultural societies and colleges.
The American Maize Propaganda was or
ganized in Chicago February 16 last.
1t Is the formal result of q great gather
tural and commercial interests dependent
upon this cereal. Primarily 1t is the pur-
pose OF the organization to secure the ap-
pointment by the states of the corn belt
of representative citizens who shall man
age practical cooking demonstration of
the food value of corn at the Paris EXPOSE
|ftien, where, under the critical observation
Of thousands who will be gathered from all
quarters of the globe, corn in all its varied
forms can be cooked and tested.
The money appropriated by the United
States government will be used only in the
exhibition of a collective display of corn
and its products. This association proposes
to utilize such funds as may be appropri-
ated by the states individually in pushing
the food upon the attention of the visitors
at the fair, and, subsequently, to introduce
1t generally throughout Europe, Asia and
Africa
just what the result of these efforts may
mean to American farmers is shown in the
prospectus issued by the association, which
says the addition of one cent bushel TO
the price of a normal corn crop would pro-
duce 900 added income in a year to
American corn growers. The association
points out the fact that while Japan has
appropriated q sum equivalent to 100000
for advertising her teas, the United States
government has set aside but $4,000 for
exploiting the value of American corn.
1t is In view of this situation that the
interests of the great west depending upon
the value of the corn annually produced
are asking the state legislatures to take up
the matter and grasp the opportunity pre-
scented in the coming French exposition.
LEWIS H. MINER.