The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1919-11-06
WEBSTER FARMERS
HEAR PRESIDENT
OF STATE LEAGUE
BY WILLIAM r. sANeoRN.

BY WILLIAM r. SANBORN.
The farmers of Webster township
met for organization at the Friends
church In Webster on Wednesday eve
ming. and were addressed by John G.
Brown. or Monon, president Of the
Indiana Federation Of Farmers asso-
Citations. Mr.. Brown did not reach
Webster until S:45, but the crowd
came early and the church was COM
fortably filled by 1880 Because of the
attendance of the state president, the
Webster folks had invited the farmers
or Wayne county to be present and
the chairman of the meeting announc-
ed that fully half of the audience rep
resented various parts of the county,
outside Of Webster, the smallest town.
ship on the county map.
On receipt of phone message that
Mr. Brown, though late, would be with
them during the evening. the work
Of organization began. preceded by
two musical numbers by teachers in
the Webster school. Miss Madge
Guthrie contributed piano solo,
which was followed by a song by Miss
Clara Newsom. Where the West Be
gins" who sang "Ole Virginy" in re.
Spouse 10 an encore.
A. L. Baldwin addressed the meet
ing and stated that he believed in or
garization and hoped that 1t was the
feeling of those present that Webster
should be represented in the feder
alton. The result of the discussion
was the election of officers as fol-
lows: President, A. L. Baldwin; vice
president, l.. c. Farmer; secretary,
Herbert Grove; treasurer. Luther
King. 1t was agreed that the officers
elect should form the committee on
bylaws and that a meeting should
be held in Webster next Monday eve
ming to hear the report of the COM
mittee, and for the enrolment Of
members.
Educational in Spirit.
Mr.. Brown prefaced his remarks by
stating that he was plain farmer,
had farmed all his life and that his .
sons and daughters all live on farms,
and love farm life. He maintained
that the federation had no intention
of usurping or interfering with the
orderly process Of business In any
line.
The great work of these farm asso-
Citations was educational, neighborly,
and for the promotion of mutual inter-
tractive to the boys. He cited why
farm boys are leaving home, of the
growth of urban population. which is
absorbing the best elemnts Of our own
rural homes.
Not Fighting Anybody.
The speaker Interestingly described
the meetings in Washington where
Mr. Hoover had discussed food prob
lens with representative of the great
commercial and industrial organiza-
tons. prior to the fixing of the price OF
wheat. and the minimum on hogs.
Here were some of the brainiest and
highest paid men in the country.
practically in conflict with the farm
ers, men desiring to keep the prices
on all foods at the lowest level. and
mostly also intent on getting the high
est possible dollar for their own labor
and products. 1t was maintained at
these conferences that the laborin2
man would not stand for. 10 or -
cent loaf indeed one labor leader
stated that he might call strike if
bread was fixed at a high level And
so the fight went on, conducted by
unorganized farmers, at their own eX
pense and here was conceived tie
need for an organization which should
stand for something, should know ali
that is vital to know about farm pro-
duction and costs. and which sha Il
fater, perhaps, be able to say TO the
packer:
These hogs cost so much to raise.
they are worth SO much here IN the
yards today, the price should be thus
and so, and by getting together on a
fair basis, the tremendous losses so
often mourning to farmers, may De
eliminated and a basis established.
fair alike TO producer, consumer ana
packer.
The Cost Of Wool.
With reference to the cost OF the
wool in SIS suit a t present raw
wool prices the speaker said:
The wool in this suit now nets the
farmer So. In pre-war times the same
amount of wool went into $25 suit
and the farmer received $50 for it.
The farmer finds that everything lie
buys has a fixed price; he takes 1t or
leaves it, But in no circumstance
does the farmer set a price on dol
lars worth of his surplus.
"Speculators manipulate the price
of his grain from season to season and
from day to day. He has no stable
market for anything. His butter. poul'
try, eggs, cream. fruit, live stock,
everything indeed in which he is vital
~ interested as the producer, is sub
ject to every market tuctuation and
to the manipulation OF so many middle
men that however little the farmer
may receive, the benefits are rarely
ever passed on to the consumer in a
corresponding ratio In proof Of this
he cited a number of instances of in