The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1909-10-13
INTERESTING DA 7
IS GIVEN
JOHN +. BURNS OF DRY FARMIN-
CONGRESS GIVES SOME PEs-
TINENT FACTS.

Billings. Oct. I2.-In an address be-
fore n mass meeting of Billings bust
ness men. Secretary John r. Burns Of
the Dry Farming congress has given
some interesting data on the work AMI
growth of that organization which will
hold its fourth session at Billings,
Mont. October 26-2s. Mr. Burns said;
All indications point to this being
the greatest development convention in
the west. The dry farming movement
has grown far beyond the conception
of the NEST enthusiastic Of those
present at the FIRST meeting In Denver
three years ago when the congress
was launched. The second convention
at Salt Lake closed with about 800
members enrolled. Wyoming secured
the third session, but even then IL Was
not treated seriously as a movement
of world magnitude. Money was
needed To make start on the work
that had been planned at Salt Lake,
and funds We're RAISED under protest.
Hut the movement grew in spite OF the
neglect of the public.
Campaign Started.
Before the third congress met an
aggressive campaign WAS started TO
get the work of the congress before
the public. and n determined fight WAS
made against the attacks to which IL
had been subjected from various quar-
tiers When the third congress closed
there We're about loo members and
the movement was established upon a
permanent basis as the leading eco
nomic force in the greater development
n ha n M mi N
the betterment of every region OF the
world where agriculture ~ being prac-
ticed. Those memberships represented
the east and west of this country, and
some foreign lands. but the bulk of
them were I'm Colorado. Wyoming.
Utah, Idaho. Montana, the Dakptas
and other western states.
THE membership today. seven
months after the Cheyenne meeting, is
more than $500 and represents IS
states and territories of the United
States and 10 foreign countries. New
Mexico leads with t.2o7 members:
Wyoming Is second with Lisa; Ne
braska third with a3T; Montana has
20a. There are members in New
Hampshire. Rhode Island Massachu
sets. Connecticut. New Jersey. Mary
land, PENNSYLVANIA. West Virginia,
New York. Ohio. District Of Columbia.
Louisiana and Illinois. These are
among the states outside the com
monty recognized dry farming region
having more tiian so members. Can
ada leads the foreign lands with ~
members: Mexico has 10 and Australia
3. British Columbia. Russia, British
South Africa. Hungary. Brazil and
Turkey arc among the foreign coun-
tries represented
..All these members are getting the
literature of the congress. and the cor
respondence handled through this Of
flee shows that we have the heart in
terest. the personal interest of every
one of these members. The correspnn-
dence has Increased In volume in the
last few months 50. that with three
stenographers constantly employed. we
are scarcely able to keep pace with IL.
Every farming district In the world
is covered With our publicity matter,
In the last six weeks $4,000 pieces Of
printed matter has been mailed from
this office. The names on our mailing
lists have been compiled from reliable
sources and are live addresses.
we have aimed at conservatism. Tell
the truth. has been the motto. Eigh-
teen months ago il was next To impos-
sible to get into print. The congress.
then. was attacked as a vehicle of
land boomers. Newspapers and men
i'm high position questioned its motives.
All that has been changed. Today the
congress is recognized as "A genuinely
earnest movement for the education
of the farmers of the arid and semi
arid regions of the world--as the most
important development force of the
present day. The leading publications
of the world have thrown open their
columns tn our literature and through
In. publication OF news items and edi-
torial comment have given the Dry
Farming congress serious considera-
tion and generous support"