Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1920-05-14

the Kansas City chamber of COM
merce. Business interests, he said,
are largely dependent upon the farm,
and wheat is practically the back
bone &C the country. Having OBJ
served that the official call put the
ban on haranguing, he said he
thought he had better quit right
there.
That's a mighty good start, -
calculated President Barrett in com
menting on the briefness of the well
coming speech.
Secretary Davis responded to the
welcome. He said the tendency of
the commercial world is to get with
out producing. The farmer is about
the only one who has been efficient,
but he can't continue to be efficient
under present labor conditions. We
will have food crisis unless some
thing is done. Farmerado not want
to act the whole hog, but only to
protect themselves.
Election of a permanent chair
the conference resulted in the choice
of President Barrett and Secretary
Davis, respectively Mr.. Barrett was
urged to make speech. THAT
would be the biggest fool thing
could do" he responded, but l will
say that this is a wheat meeting and
anybody who says cotton here today
will be thrown out the window"
Upon motion of E. NJ. Pollard of
Nebraska, the next order was the ap-
pointment of committees, which oc-
cupied most of the remainder of the
| forenoon.
After the committees had left the
conference hall to begin their work,
Cass county, Missouri, farmer start
ed discussion of the cost of grow
ing wheat by giving figures to show
that it cost him Sits an acre last
year. He hadn't sat down until scv-
eral men were on their feet to de-
clare that the figure was away too
low. One after another presented
higher figures until the top was
something over $38 an acre.
At the beginning of the afternoon
session, A. D. Fairbairn of the Ma
tional Board of Farm Organizations,
Washington, D. c., presented a reso-
luton endorsing the Capper-Hers-
man bill, Ito keep co-operators out
of Jail" The resolution was adopt
ed with whoop.
No committee was ready to report,
so President Barrett was again urged
to make a speech. He said he would
not make speech, but he would give
a few "hot shots"
Farmers organizations should get
together and pull together. The rea-
son why they do not, Mr.. Barrett de-
clared, is because of the meanness,
selfishness and jealousy of the lead
ers. The members of the different
organizations are not opposed to
working together, but they follow
their leaders blindly. However, the
case is not hopeless, he said, for the
beginning of federation has been
made.
Mr. Barrett told about the com
mittee appointed in 1917 to fix the
price Of wheat. 1t contained the
president of the United States cham
Der of commerce, telephone mag
nate,<a college president and so on
down the line-called in to fix the
price on farm product the cost of
producing which they knew nothing
about.
Il wouldn't say what party farm
ers should belong to, but I do wish
they would get to voting together"
said Mr.. Barrett Farmers must be
on the alert or they will have to pay
more than their share of the big war
debt. They should spend at least two
hours out of every "a in politics, he
declared, though not in partisan poll
ties The fellows who get the most
out of the government don't care
about party
Farmers have been told that they
must not get into politics because it
wrecks their organizations. who
ever advises farmers to keep out of
politics" said Mr.. Barrett with en-
phasis, is either a hypocrite or a
fool. Let me run the government
and I'll ride you to a fare-you-well -
As parting shot" President
Barrett urged that farmers should
quit blowing their money, pay
their debts and get ready for hard
times which ara bound ~ oox,o