Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1924-12-05
President Appeals Farmers Organize; Pledges Nations Aid

substitute for the haphazard and
wasteful distribution methods of the
past. The principle of cooperation in
producing, financing, buying and
marke ding must be encouraged to
the utmost practicable development.
We must help the farmer to reduce
his taxes. broaden his foreign market
and keep freight rates as low as pos
sible while keeping the railroads eff
flcient. This should be supplemented
by the development of navigation in
the Mississippi Valley and in the St.
Lawrence River. / can think of
nothing that will surely help the
farmer so much as economy, economy
in the local and National Govern
ments. This remedy Washington is
generously providing. T h e
remedies have been effective at last.
What we want now is the assurance
of stability and continuing prosperity.
1T cannot be that the problems of
the farmer are beyond solution. His
business and his welfare are all gov
erned by natural and inevitable laws.
What is necessary is an intensive
study in order to find out what these
laws are and provide for their ap-
plication and observance. It is not so
long ago that the financial and none
tary system of our Government was
maintained in an illogical and hap
hazard way. Sometimes there was a
great abundance of currency and
credit, al other times there was a
great stringency. After many re-
peated attempts at a remedy the
whole subject was surveyed, all the
facts assembled, the logical results
4 -,
be popular or not, and a Government
financial system adopted which was
strong enough to meet all the re-
quirements of the great war. With
out it disaster would have prevailed.
Problem Is Not Political.
Acting on a similar theory, ! have
intruSted what | believe to be thor
oughly representative and most ably
equipped conference with making an
analogous study of the farm prob
lens. The members Of this confer
ence will be entirely free from any
kind of political pressure in the con-
sideration of these questions. The
farm problem is not a political prob
lem it is an economic problem. 1t
must have an economic solution. The
conference can take q broad and in
CluSlNe Vie" Oh tue VIII ~ III
tural field, the production of fruits,
grains, herds and focks and all other
foods and materials that come from
the farm. Out of their consideration
| trust there may emerge plan
which will enable us to do for the
agriculture of the Nation something
like what has been done for the
finances of the Nation.
With some knowle edge and a broad
interest In all these activities, l have
been glad of opportunity to visit the
exposition this year. By doing so l
have strengthened my belief in the
necessity to maintain every proper
agency aiming to improve live stock
and to increase the rewards of the
industry. The faith and determine
ton of those who, have effected the
great Improvement in our live stock
since the beginning of this century
are deserving of all encouragement
and support and you may be sure
that these will be extended in every
proper manner by the National Gov
eminent. The Importance, indeed the
necessity. of such a policy is attested
by the statement that for the crop
year 1924 over SO per cent OF the
gross income of the Nation from agri-
cultural production came from live
stock.
over II per cent of the entire ma
tional income from all industry in
the Nation was from live stock and
live stock products. Finally, our
countrys pre-eminence in this branch
of agriculture is shown by the fact
that although we have only about
per cent of the worlds population,
we possess over IL per cent of It's
cattle, over 20 per cent of its swine
and nearly S per cent of its sheep.
We are the greatest meat-producing
and the greatest meat-conSuming ma
ton in the world.