The New York herald., 1922-01-24

rlust be a good deal OF an engineer
to deal with problems of drainage,
road building and the like. He re-
quires the practical knowledge of an
all round mechanic to handle his ma
chinery and get bese results from II.
The problems of stock raising and
breeding demand understanding OF
biology. while those of plant raising
and breeding call for a wide. practical
knowledge of botany and plant path
ology.
III handling his soils for best re-
suits, in using fertilizers, determining
rotations. and in selecting and using
feeds for stock, he has need for
working knowledge of chemistry. AS
our timber supply is reduced, his SER
vice in conserving and expanding the
timber resources of the farm will be
increasingly important, necessitating
an intimacy with forestry and fores-
tation. There is no business in which
the executive talents of the skilled or
ganizer and manager are more abso-
lutely necessary than in successful
farming and this aplies alike to the
producing. the buying and the selling
phases of farming. Along with all
this the farmer must have untiring
energy and q real love and enthus-
iasm for his splendid profession. For
such / choose to call the vocation Of
the farmer-the most useful and, it
ought TO be made, one of the most at
tractive among all lines of human
effort.
Secretary Wallace, following the
President on the platform, said: "The
agriculture Of the nation is in a bad
state and our entire business and indus
trial life is suffering in consequence
High production costs, followed by
ruinously low prices, have greatly re-
duced the farmers net income, and his
Purchasing power has been still further
reduced by the disproportionately high
cost of everything he needs to buy"
Mr.. Wallace then explained plans for
the appointment Of committees to make
recommendations to the main confer
ence. which hereafter will assemble each
morning to listen to papers and each
afternoon will divide itself into com.
mittees TO work out relief plans.
Representative Sydney Anderson
tAiinn.). the third speaker at the morn
ing session. was elected permanent chair
man of the conference. Mr. Anderson is
mittee now making a study Of the agri-
cultural situation. His presence at the
conference makes one more link in the
chain connecting the capital and the
room.
Pay Below Laborers'.
Mr.. Anderson offered a statistical pa
per in which he stated that the average
farmers profits and return on his invest
ment touched the low mark of $444 In
1913, and rose TO only $1.466 in 1920,
agricultures best year. At the same
time, he said. the average earnings of
factory employees. miners, railroad
workers and other employees were much
larger than those Of the farmers, al
though the workers had no capital in
vested.
At the afternoon session real 'dirt
farmers" from different sections made
reports on conditions in New England
and in the cotton. wheat, corn and cat
tie raising sections.
Thomas Wilson, president of Wilson
d Co.. spoke. from the standpoint Of the
meat packers and other industries allied
with the farming industry.
Friends thrust William j. Bryan upon
the platform late in the afternoon and
although he is not a member of the
conference Mr.. Bryan drew from the au-
dience the greatest applause OF the af-
ternoon by extolling the work of the
agricultural bloc in Congress.
Il have been watching Congress for
thirty years." he said. land there never
was time when Wall Street didn't have
a bloc. Why. then, should we become so
excited because the farmers have a bloc?
The only difference is that the farmers
bloc works openly and the bloc attributed
TO big business has always worked in the
dark.
The farmers of the country nave been
able to get on the statute books every
reform for which they worked. They
are now asking representation on the
Federal Reserve Board, the most impor-
tant board in the United States, because
when II debates or initiates the currency
system the property OF every person in
the United States Is affected in value"