The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1924-07-17
ILLINOIS MAN Will
LEAD FARM COUNCIL
FRANK w. MURPHY OF MINNIE
sofa REFUSES TO BE CAN
DIDATE
RATE FIGHT DEFEATED
ACTIVITIES LIMITED TO FIGHT
FOR PRINCIPLES OF THE NC.
NARY-HAUCEN BILL

bureau was elected president of the
American Council of Agriculture,
formed in St. Paul Saturday at the
closing session of the national con-
gress of farm organizations saws Sum
days Minneapolis Tribune.
He was elected by reclamation
when Frank w. Murphy of Wheatin
refused to run in opposition.
Other officers elected are Lieuten-
ant Governor Carl Gunderson of Nit
chell, S. D., representing the South
Dakota Wheat Growers association,
vice president; R. A. Cowles. Of
Bloomington, ILL.,, director of finance
and treasurer of the Illinois agricul-
tural association, secretary, and John
R. Mitchell, st. Paul banker, treasur-
err.
The conference adopted a constitu-
ton, bylaws and resolutions calling
for the formation of the council and
its restricted activities after lengthy
debate on the floor in which James.
Monahan, Equity Cooperative ex-,
change, pleaded for inclusion of
plank calling for a fight for reduc-
ton of freight rate. This proposal
was defeated by vote of So to 4 On.
roll-call after Mr.. Monahan had
threatened to withdraw from the con-
ference if his resolution was tabled.
AS adopted by the conference, the
new organization is to be called the
American Council of Agriculture and
is to work solely for the promotion
Of the principles of the McNary-
Haugen bill before Congress. Mem
bers of the conference tried to have
this restricted purpose broadened,
but George G. Jewett, chairman,
ruled that the call for the conference
was to form an organization to work
for the export bill principles only
and that anything else would be
scattering the fire. of the meeting.
Under resolution adopted, farm
ers are asked to reward those who
supported the McNary-Haugen bill
in Congress without the slightest re-
gard to party label" and candidates
for Congress are to be asked to sign
a pledge "to vote for and faithfully
support legislation that will give ag-
rlculture an equal chance with indus
try and labor and in line with the
spirit of the McNary-Haugen bill T."
AS passed at the final meeting, the
council is to be composed of five rep
resentatives chosen by each national
farm or commodity organization and
by one representative to be chosen by
each of all other agricultural COM
modify or cooperative associations
in the United States. The officers
are chairman, vice chairman, a secre-
tary and treasurer, and an executive
committee of Is which will have full
power to function as the council un-
til the annual meeting next July.
The subcommittee of the resolu-
tons committee first brought in
resolution indorsing Financial sup
port of cooperative grain elevators"
but after an earnest battle on the
floor of the full committee in which
such action was dubbed putting the
farmer into speculation" general re-
solutions commencing the forming
of cooperative marketing associa-
tons" were adopted and accepted by
the conference.
The steering committee of the
meeting declined to allow any other
purpose except furtherance of the
McNary Haugen bill principles creep
into the proceedings, although a de-
termined minority attempted to make
the scope of the council large enough
to make it possible for the organiza-
ton to represent farmers in, all parts
of the country and to function for
agriculture everywhere.