The sea coast echo., 1913-11-22

just hit him between the eyes with
that statement. and II he y stiu skep-
tical, we can supply him with incon-
troverttbfe proof.
have Travelled In the past year
fully one-fhird more miles than at any
time within my seven years az head
Of your organization That means that
l have spent very few days IN my
home, and altogether have been az
home less in the past several months
than ever before. East and west.
north and south, have travelled al
most constantly In the cause. and
have come In personal contact with
more individuals, attended more meet
ings, addressed more gatherings. pre-
sided over more deliberations than In
any of the previous seven years.
/ have satisfied more enterprises
from one end of the country to the
other than ever before. have made
personal Investigations, talked with
the men at the head of the enterprises
and have seen the work they are do
ing I want to say with all the en-
phasis possible that nowhere have l
found ought TO feel discouraged over.
More OF these enterprises are prosper
ing and giving satisfaction than ever;
we. have had as few. perhaps fewer.
failures than in other lines Of business
endeavor.
I found with great satisfaction that
more and more of these enterprises
are being changed from joint stock
concerns to purely cooperative plants.
This is hopeful sign, and one mean
ing much to the Farmers union. These
enterprises are demonstrating to the
world that solid, sane, conservative
and successful business men can be
recruited from the rank Of the farm
ing class.
Out of the hundreds and hundreds
OF enterprises / have visited in the
past year, a very small percentage
failed to show signs Of success. and
even these few were striving to get
on their feet More and more were
developing the right sort of men for
these undertakings. 1t takes grit, 10y
atty, stickitiveness and common sense
to make them succeed. We want and
welcome all Of that kind of men we
can find.
More letters of inquiry concerning
the Farmers union have reached me
within the past twelve months than
for the entire six years prior to this
time. That sounds like an extrava-
CANT statement, but If you could see
my mail every day and had to wrestle
with answering it as I DO, you'd be
prepared to believe 1t then without
question. However, it is not an exag-
geration when / make this assertion,
but plain fact. We have received
greater and more valuable publicity
in the past year than at any previous
period in the history Of the organiza-
ton. The work of the union and its
achievements have come in for great
er and more valuable exploitation than
we have ever had. And this has been
through not only the union publica-
ton, but through the great daiiies
from coast to coast and the great
magazines of the country.
In the main. this publicity. has been
the union before the world in its
proper light, and in many instances
with a breadth of sympathy and un-
derstanding. It is In large measure
just recognition and appreciation at
last of a real world force. That, too,
goes very far in answering our critics
and should bolster UP the failing cour-
Of L
We are getting more and more IA
vorable legislation through state leg
islators. Many states have passed
numbers of excellent and helpful laws.
l might mention in particular Wash
ington and North Carolina. But other
states are waking up, and everywhere
the conscience of lawmakers seems
to be aroused to just laws to help the
farmer
The national congress is waking up
and giving heed more and more to
the voice of the agriculturist. There
is much to be done in this line yet,
and we are hopeful of great results
ultimately.
A national conference of all the
various farmers organizations to dis
cuss and work out general plan for
marketing farm products is something
most heartily advise and urge. /
believe such a conference, composed
of the leading men in the several or
ganizations. could achieve great things
if approached in a broad and conoili-
atory spirit. Upon the solution Of the
problems of adequate and proper mar
keting of farm products much depends,
in fact, the very salvation of the farm
ing interests of our country. ! hope
such conference can be had, and
that every farm organization, large or
small, will be represented in 1t.
Cooperative Creameries.