The Lexington progress. (Lexington, Tenn.) 1884-current, 1921-02-04
A YEAR OF FARM BUREAU
ACHIEVEMENT

PuDllshed by permission OF the
Country Gentleman, having appeared
in the December Attn issue, Written
by Harry 0'Brien,
One million five hundred thousand
farmers in particular and some six
million farmers in general will have
their eyes focused on indianapolis
next week. Many of the remaining
ninety-odd million Americans will
turn their eyes in the same direction
For in that town the directors, dele
gates and executive committees of the
American Farm Bureau Federation
win assemble for the second annual
meeting of this, the newest, largest
and most potential of all farm or
CARNATIONS ever set in motion in this
land
When delegates from more than
thirty states met in Chicago a year
ago, adopted tentative form of or
ganizaton and elected Jim Howard
an Iowa farmer, as temporary presi-
dent, the federation faced the world
an unknown factor. The organiza-
ton, its aims and purposes, were I'M
known, misunderstood and underes.
timated.
Today it is known from one end OF
the country to the other Its officers
are put on the front pages of big city
newspapers when they come TO towr
and are invited to address the most
influential gatherings in the land
Presidential candidates, cabinet
members, congressman, governors
other men high in affairs, listen tc
the Farm Bureau with respect, anC
some of them, if the truth Were
known, with fear. The Bureau has
taken its place in a great national
farm voice.
There is certain club in Washing.
totn which, from time to time, influ.
entail men are invited to address. Nc
reporters being present, the speakers
are at liberty to talk quite freely anC
discuss matters of official or semi-o
ficial nature.
Fifteen minutes after one of these
meetings had closed Gray Silver
Washington representative of tn,
American Farm Bureau Federation
was called on the telephone by mar
who has sympathetic interest in the
welfare of the livestock formers OF
the country. He had just come from
the club meeting, he said, and he tolC
Mr.. Silver that certain government
official in addressing the clud haC
said that the Shipping Board wa
planning to break the high price o
meat in this country by equipping
line of ships with refrigerator space
hauling cheap meat from Argentine
and Australia and throwing it on tn
markets of the United States.
Early the next morning Mr. Silve
was at the offices of the shipping
Board, From his description Of wha
followed he must have made nos
enough to comport with the volum
of farmer interest which he repre-
sents. Unable to secure audience
with the official he had come to see
he served verbal notice of a subordi
nate that he would send out state
ment to the farmers Of the nation re
garding the remarks alleged to hav
been made at the meeting the pre-
vious night unless Shipping Boar
cared to make an official statemen
on the matter.
Organized Business Listens.
Shortly afterwards statement APP
peared declaring that the Shippin,
Board did not have any plans nor di,
it contemplate any for equippinl
ships to bring neat into the country
Thus was the matter cleared III
promptly, because the Farm Bureau
Federation had its ear to the groun,
in Washington and had the voice of
million and half farmers with whicl
to back up its request for a quiel
hearing.
In the past year it has been tn
task of ]. R, Howard, president of tn
federation, to speak TO the farmers o
America in a large way to business
to organige labor, and to industry
From comparative obsurity as an 10
wa farmer. Howard has been carrie,
forward in his position as Farm Blu
reau executive to the place where h
has become a national figure. Fo
example, he addressed the Unite
States Chamber of Commerce at it
summer meeting. Thus organize
business Of America listened to tn
organized farmers.
Howard, Silver and other officer
of the Federation have been quote
in the greatest daily newspapers j
the land. Influential magazines hay