The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1923-03-01
BIG FARM MEET
OPENS TODAY
Representatives Meet at
st. Paul to Find Pana-
cea for Farmers.
LACK OF INITIATIVE


production costs, marketing, trans
portation, cooperation and various
other economic problems of the farm
er came in for exhaustive discussion
and study today when the northwest
agricultural price sterilization con-
ference opened for a two-day session
here.
Delegates from ten wheat growing
states, invited to the conference by
Governor j. A. o. Preus, were pres
ent when Rev. T. T. Hoff of Mime
apolis delivered his Invocation and
the conference got under way in an
attempt to help the farmer solve some
of his difficulties.
Colonel G. H. March of Litchfeld,
Mimi, chairman Of the Farmer Bank
er council of Minnesota, which insti-
gated today's meeting, delivered the
opening address to the delegates who
came from Minnesota, Wisconsin,
North Dakota, South Dakota, Illinois,
Kansas, Iowa, Nebraska, Michigan and
Montana.
Would Restore Industry.
The purpose of the conference, ac-
cording to the call issued by Gov
ernor Preus as chairman is the re-
storation of agriculture and industry
in the ten states whose delegates are
taking part in the deliberations. Five
sessions of the conference are sched-
uled, three to be held today and two
tomorrow, the final day of the meet
ing.
Little action is expected at today's
session which is considered in the ma
ture of preliminary meeting, al
though several authorities delivered
addresses, including Governor Preus
and J. F. Reed, president of the Min
nesota Farm Bureau Federation.
Governor Preus advocated down
ward revisions of the tariff to broad
en- the outlook for American farm
products and the expansion of coop
erative marketing as essential steps
towards assisting agriculture.
''The top of the tariff rails should
be removed" Governor Preus said and
he urged that the conference ask
President Harding to exercise his
prerogatives to obtain reduction of
the tariffs which impose duties on the
necessities of life on the farm.
Governor Reviews Development.
The governor reviewed the develop
ment of cooperative marketing, not
only in Minnesota, but in other states,
and urged the necessity of binding
contracts between the farms and their
associations as essential to the sue
cess of the cooperative movement.
Mr.. Reed, who explained "why the
farmer needs redress" declared that
expansion of cooperative marketing
and readjustment of the present tariff
schedules were the logical remedies
for the present agricultural depres-
sion in the northwest. &t
He opposed artificial price adjust
ments, he said, asserting that such
action would lead to an unhealthy sit
uation in the business world and
cause reaction detrimental to the pro-
ducers.
Mr.. Reed pleaded for greater unity
in the cooperative marketing move
ment declaring that "a higher price
for farm products is obviously the
best solution from the farmers stand
point, and l am strongly of the opin-
ion that this solution must come
through the efforts of the farmers
themselves, not In the control of his
products, but in the directing of their
movement to markets and their sale"
Zone of the major difficulties in the
way of this program, however, Mr..
Reed continued, sis the farmer him
self and his inherited tendency to
yield nothing of what he considers
his inherent rights, nor do anything
that will accommodate himself or his
business to his neighbors' needs.
Organized Business Against It.
"Organized business, as now con-
Quoted, moves with mass effect against
the Development of group action in
agriculture and to the extent that
paid propagandists can fan the an
cient idea of isolation, independence
and self reliance of the farmer, pro-
ducers' efforts will fail"
Mr.. Reeds address, which came aft
er the talk of Governor Preus welcom-
ing the delegates and the response
by Governor N. E. Kendall of Iowa,
was followed by that of Harry H.
Owen, editor of Farm, Stock and
Home. Mr. Owen declared that pro
duction adapted to demand was the
step that should be taken to relieve
agricultural depression, and he laid
the blame for the present distress of
the farmer to lack of sound econom-
les.
He declared that agriculture sis
allowing price to control production
instead of making production control
price" and that agricultural produces
blindly without any regard to the
probable demand for its products"
The real work of the conference is
expected to come tomorrow on the
final day of the deliberations when
the committee on resolutions will
make it's report and such action as
the conference determines on will be
taken on them.