The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1916-11-23
WILSON BLAMESI
THE M|ODLEMEN
IN WELCOME SPEECH TO GRANG-
Frs AT WASHINGTON HE AIRS
VIEWS ON HIGH PRICES
WHOLE WORLD DEPENDS ON FARMERS
Duty Of Government to Aid Agriculture
In Every Way Possible His
View

In a speech of welcome to the dele
gates at the annual national conyen-
ton of the National Grange which con
vened at Washington, ID. c., last week
on the 5Oth anniversary of its formation
salers and jObbers for the high cost OF
living in this country. Urging the
farmers to increase their output the
president went on to say:
1--WE ought to raise such big crops
that circumstances like the present
can never recur when men can make
as if the supply al so short that the
middlemen could charge for it what he
pleased. 1t will not do to be nigardly
with the rest Of the world in respect
to its food supply"
The president did not mention re-
cent petitions to him to declare an en-
barge on expectation Of foodstuffs from
the United States to the rest of the
world and he did not refer even in
directly to the outcome of the presi-
Dental election. His address was in
terrupted frequently by applause from
the farmers attending the fiftieth an
niversary celebration of the founding
of the grange.
1T seems to me-" said the president,
that some of the most interesting
problems of our life and of the life of
the world lie before us problems in
connection with which the farmers of
the United States will play a part such
as they have never played before.
Dependent on the Farm
ut goes without saying that the
physical life of the nation has always
depended upon the farm. 1t goes with
out saying also that to a large extent
the physical life of the world has
drawn its sustenance from the great
areas of farm land in the United
States. We have IN food to all parts
of the world and the American farmer
has contributed to the life of all the
countries of the world. But you know
that as our W population has increas-
ed the proportion in which we could
help foreign countries as contracted
with u own decreased and there are
problems that are comparable with
the problems of craftsmanship lying
ahead Of the farmer of the United
States.
in the future we have got to bring
more of the areas Of the United States
under cultivation than is under cult
walton now. We have got to increase
the product at every point where it is
susceptible Of being increased.
"One Of the things that has most in
terested me about what has been done
recently by legislation for the benefit
of the farmer is the question why it
was not done long before. 1t is aston
ishing that the assets, the valuable,
available assets, the visible assets of
the farm should not have been avail
able as a basis Of credit in the banks
on the same terms as the assets of
commercial undertaking and manufac-
turing industry. Cattle are just as visi-
BILE and tangible as goods in ware
houses and goods on trains.
I'VE have liberated the credits of
the banks and we have modified
through the department Of agriculture
the scientific intelligence Of the world.
With that combination every nation
in the world ought to come to us to
learn how to raise big crops. We ought
to raise such big crops that circum-
stances like the present can never
recur when men can make as if the
supply was so short that the middle
IA could charge for it what he pleas
ed. 1t would not do to be ~niggardly to
the world in respect to its food supply.
One Great Satisfaction
81 wish that all problems of govern
ment were displayed in as clear lines
of duty as this problem Of government
with regard to how the farmer ought
to be treated is displayed. l wish, for
example, that foreign affairs were as
simple as agriculture. The great salts
faction about what you have to dis
cuss is that when once your duty is de-
termined We have got a great force of
intelligence to 60 forward in the line
Of duty.
"The thing that makes a free coun
try vital is the large number of peo-
pie who get together and do import
ant things without asking the leave of