Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1917-04-19
Resolutions Adopted by the Advisory
Board of the National Agriculture
Society at the Saddle and Sirloin
Chicago, April 9TH, 1917.

WHEREAS the United States of
America is entering upon a war prac-
tically without a food reserve, and
WHEREAS the state of war is up
on us at the very opening of the
crop season and an emergency exists,
and
WHEREAS the limiting element
of food production is labor on the
farm, and
WHEREAS disregarding military
enlistment the labor supply was
never so short as now, and
WHEREAS indiscriminate enlist
ment from the farms with no plan
for labor replacement will reduce
food production below the level of
absolute need, and
WHEREAS if an adequate food
supply is to be assured the plan for
public defense must include an en-
listment for food production as deti-
mite as for service 81 the front.
THEREFORE, BE 1T RESOLVED
that the enlistment be so broadened
as to include those who by reason
of their age or physical disability are
incapactated for active military ser
vice but who are yet able to render
to the Government indispensable SER
vice in the production of food, NUM-
tons, etc '.'his enlistment should
include three classes:
1st Those beyond military age.
2nd Those of military age, but
not accepted for active military SER
vice,
Bird Boys from IS to 10 years of
age
All these enlistments should lie a
part of the national military PLAZA of
defense and shall receive the regu-
lar soldiers pay and he uniformed
and organized in regular military
units and under the command of the
War Department, but the general
policy governing their distribution
and assignment to outy in public de-
tense shall rest with a commission
consisting OF ;h' Secretary of War,
Secretary of Agriculture, and the
/ Secretary of Labor. be it further
RESOLVED that so far as these
enlistments will be absorbed by far
mers actually upon the farm and
paid at the going wage" of the To-
cality, such employment shall be il
every way encouraged, the man be-
ing at the time on furlough and off
Government pay, and that so far as
these enlistments are not so absorb
ed or by assignment to other indus
trial occupations contributing to the
national defense, they should be
gathered upon camp farms located at
convenient points for the production
of small fruits. vegetables, and
emergency crops requiring a large
amount of hand labor under close
supervision.
RESOLVED that We recommend
the establishment in each state of a
state council of defense chat will CO.
operate with the existing national
council of defense in the mobiliza-
ton of the civilian resources of the
state and nation.
RESOLVED that it is the sense of
this body that suitable legislation be
Immediately enacted creating a Fed
eral food commission which shall
{ have authority and power to super
, vice, direct and control the market
, ing and distributing of all food and
clothing supplies, including speci-
5 fically the right to determine and en-
: force. by actual market operations,
= minimum and maximum prices at
= which all staple food products shall
! be purchased and sold.
RESOLVED that we urge upon
: Congress the great necessity for the
: immediate enactment OF this legisla-
- ton to the end that the commission
herein contemplated may at once an
nounce minimum and maximum
! prices for the staple food crops of
5 1917 with a view to insuring an
! equitable basis for the coming sea-
, SON In this connection we heartily
f commend the action of the National
- Wool Ware house and Storage Co
q and the Wool Trades Association of
Boston Chicago and st. Louis i'll
! placing their stocks at the disposal
: of the Government at such price as
the Government may determine.
> RESOLVED that it is the judg-
ment of the Advisory Board of the
National Agriculture Society that
, this is not the time in which to ex-
| pertinent with new and untried crops
| and processes. The American farmer
should be encouraged to devote his
| principal efforts to the production of
such crops and the employment of
, such methods as are well established
in his community and as are likely
/ to yield maximum return in food or
/ clothing material.
RESOLVED that there is yet time
{ in which to increase substantially the
bread supply of the nation by en-
, larging the area sown to spring
, wheat in those regions where this
crop has proved to be staple. At
, tention is also called to the fact that
we are milling our wheat wastefully.
and that the -four produced by the
normal wheat crop of the United
States may be increased LIP or ap-
proximately 100000 barrels by
milling on the basis of 81 per cent
flour instead of 70 per cent flour as
at present.
RESOLVED that an important in
crease in our food supply may be
made by enlarging the area planted
to navy beans in the North and West
: and to Mexican and Tepary beans in
, the Southwest, by stimulating in
every reasonable way an increase in
the area of potatoes planted and of
such crops as may be used for bread
substitutes
RESOLVED that there is yet time
in which to enlarge substantially
the areas planted to corn and cotton,
Americas two most important crops,
and that by the use of manures and
fertilizers With a corn production
above normal it VIII be possible
greatly to insrease our live stock