The Arvada enterprise. (Arvada, Colo.) 1908-1970, 1920-12-09
A YEAR OF FARM BUREAU
ACHIEVEMENT
BY HARRY R. o'ss'ss y COUNTRY GENTLEMAN

One million five hundred thcS-
sand farmers in particular and some
six million farmers in general viii
have their eyes focused on Indian
apolis next week. Many Of the rss
naming ninety-odd million AmeriA
cans will turn their eyes in the same
direction. For in that town the di
rectors, delegates and executive COM
mittees of the American Farm Bur.
eau Federation. will assemble for
the second annual netting of this
the newest, largest and most potter.
tial of all farm organizations eve,
set in motion in this land.
When delegates from more than
thirty states met in Chicago a year
ago, adopted a tentative form o
organization and elected Jim How
ard, an Iowa farmer, as temporary
president, the federation faced thu
world an unknown factor. The or
ganization, its aims and purposes.
were unknown, misunderstood or
underestimated.
To-day it is known from one end
of the country to the other. It's
officers are put on the front page
of big city newspapers when they
come to town and are invited to ad-
dress the most influential gatherings
in the land. Presidential can IL
dates, cabinet members, congressman
governors, other men high IN affair
listen to the Farm Bureau with lie.
spect, and some Of them. Il thc truth
were known, with fear. The bureau
has taken its place as = great nation
ell farm voice. x.
There is q certain club In Wash
ington which, from time to time,
influential men are invited to ad-
dress. No reporters beng present,
the speakers are at liberty to talk
quite freely and discuss matters Of
official or semiofficial nature.
Fifteen minutes after onp Of. these
meetings had closed Gray Silver,
Washington representative Of the
American Farm Bureau Federation,
was called on the telephone by =
man who has = sympathetic interest
in the welfare Of the livestock farm
ers of the country. He had just
come from the club meeting he said,
and he told Mr.. Silver that a certain
government official In addressing
the club had said that the Shipping
Board was planning to break the
high price of meat in this country by
equipping line Of ships with refrig-
orator space. hauling cheap meat
from Argentina and throwing it on
the markets of the United States.
Early next morning Mr.. Silver
was at the office OF the Shipping
Board. From his description Of
what followed he must have made
noise enough to comport with the
volume Of farmer interest which he
represents. Unable to ,secure audi
ence with the official he had come
to see, he served verbal notice on
subordinate that he would send out
n statement to the farmers of the
nation regarding the remarks alleged
TO have been made at the meeting
the previous night unless the Ship
ping Board cared to make nm offic-
ial statement on the matter.
Shortly afterwards a statement
appeared declaring that the Ship
ping Board did not have any plans
nor did 1t contemplate any for equip
ping ships to bring meat into the
country. Thus was the matter clear
ed up promptly. because the Farm
Bureau Federation had its ear 70 the
ground in Washington and had the
voice Of a million and a half farm
ers with which to back up its request
for quick hearing.
In the past year It has been the
task Of j. r. Howard, president Of
the federation, to speak for the
farmers Of Amcricn in = large way
to business, to organized labor and
to industry. From comparative OBJ
security Is an Iowa fnrmer, Howard
has been carried forward in h'T posi-
ton ms Farm Bureau executive to
the place where he has becor'c r
national figure. For example, he
addressed the United States Chnmb-
err Of Commerce at It's summer meet.
ing. Thus organized hus'ress Of
America listened 70 the organized
farmers.
Howard. Silver nnd other officers
Of the federation have been quoted
In the greatest daily newspapers In
the land. Influcncial magazines
have come 70 them for facts or for