The Redwood gazette., 1920-12-15
Farmers TO Get
Much Desired Laws
BUREAUS TO KEEP 100000 VOT-
ERs INFORMED OF WORK OF
EVERY CONGRESSMAN.

I 1feIy COIlSI ilOHSC1oI
answer to the American farmer for
every vote and action, and every pro-
posed new law must pass the scrutiny
| of a national farmers tribunal or face
opposition of 100000 voting men and
| women on farms, officers of the Amer
ican Farm Bureau federation told the
second annual convention of the or
ganization here today.
Already the federation has built up
a power in Washington that makes
congressman sit up and take notice
when they hear from the farms, Gray
Silver, legislative representative OF the
farm bureaus, said in describing a sys-
tenn by which votes of every senator
and representative on every measure
affecting agriculture are kept as
permanent record, for use which the
congressman goes back to his const1-
| tuents for reelection. In carrying out
it's purpose to guarantee the farmer a
voice in national affairs, the fedora
tion has created system to bring to
bear upon any member of congress the
force of farmer sentiment in his
community, he said.
The convention was to act today on
resolution drafted by Minnesota
members declaring the fundamental
principle of it's activities to be the
conviction that "the farmer is entitled
to reward for his service equal to
actual cost of efficient production and
reasonable return upon his invest
ment," and pledging this federation to
efforts to put that principle into oper--
alton. Other resolutions to be acted
on included demand for laws forbid
ding short selling of farm products,
giving state power to regulate rail-
road $intrastate rates and practIses,
raising the limit of farm loan banks
credits to $4,000 extending credits to
cover period of marketing and recog
nizing farmers right to collective bar
gaining, and-resolutions. indorsing a
demand for admission of cooperative
associations to grain exchanges, OPP
posing the pittsburgh plus" steel
rates, demanding rigid government
economy, deprecating the principle of
guaranteeing public utilities fixed re-
turns on cost plus. basis, and asking
establishment of world news SER
vice to publish market prices and sup
plies.
"The farmer has gone to Washing
ton with the avowed intention OF see
ing that congress does what he wants
it to do," said Mr.. Silver. He is
creating, through the federation, the
machinery to watch every bit of legis-
lation that bobs up
To persuade congress to give the
farmer more machinery for helping
himself, Mr.. Silver said, the fedora
tion has established:
Legislative officers to fight for
agriculture in congress and op-
pose acts disliked by farmers.
A transportation department to
fight for reasonable rates, SER
vice and railroad valuations.
A research organization, the
committee of II, now spending
$4,000 investigating means Of
consolidating cooperative grain
marketing enterprises.
Another research organization,
the committee of Is, doing similar
work for livestock.
The federation progress to go far
ther. It's president, j. r. Howard, and
Clifford Thorne, it's attorney, outlined
today projects it hopes to carry out.
They include:
Expanding the federation's
transportation department until it
is second to none in America.
A department of cooperation,
to give it's whole attention to CO.
operative marketing.
A department to work with the
department of agriculture, ar
ranging and issuing to farmers
the crop and trade data collected
by the federal government.
Laws to place agricultural at
taches in every foreign country.
A bureau of organization, with
corps of workers to extend the
federation into every county in the
United States.
Establishing regional offices in
various sections, to coordinate
working state federations.
Establishment of regional offices,
delegates said, undoubtedly would
give the twin cites headquarters of the
northwest department. Minnesota has
taken a leading part in the conven-
tion here. L. E. Potter, president of
state federation, was given an ovation
by the convention when it was an
nounced he had been appointed uni
versity regent as a special recognition
of agriculture and move on today,
backed by Iowa and South Dakota, to
make him a member of the national
executive committee.
A. c. Townley and Joseph Gilbert,