Evening star., 1925-12-07

ana storage facilities were anorueu
the President believes. The leaders
In the cooperative movement have
with the advice of the Secretary OF
Agriculture, prepared bill embodylng
these principles which will be present
ed to the Congress for enactment ano
which he will support.
In explanation of this bill, which
he said he thought was adequate tt
meet the situation, the President said
the farmers would have the active
and energetic assistance of the Gov
ernment in meeting the surplus pro
duction problem Through CONSUL
tation and conference the best eX
perts of the country would be en-
ployed as the needs require and meth
DDS of storage, credit and marketing
devised" he said. The agencies Gre
ated would have at their disposal the
active cooperation of the great or
ganizations of the departments of
Agriculture, Commerce and Federal
banking. Their representatives at
home and abroad would be engaged
In locating and supplying domestic
and foreign markets. The funda-
mental soundness of this proposal
rests on the principle that it is help
ing the farmer to help himself
That, in brief, was taken as the
Presidents program for so-called
farm relief legislation. While he be,
lieves it would be a great mistake to
underestimate the difficulties under
which the farmers labor and the hard
times many of them had had, he feels
that the future of agriculture in this
country looks exceedingly bright and
secure.
Praise of Farmers.
In this heart-to- heart talk with
such a large gathering of real agri-
culturists the President did not con-
fine himself to the ills of this indus
try or to an expression of his opin-
ions as to the best means of extend
ing relief. He was loud in his praise
for the farmers of the Nation. He
reminded those about him that in
America the farm has long since
ceased to be associated with a mode
OF life that could be called rustic. He
said that farming has become a great
industrial enterprise, requiring a
broad knowledge in its management
a technical skill in it's labor, intricate
machinery in its processes and
trained merchandising in it's market
ing.
Agriculture in America" Mr.. Cool
idge said, has been raised to the rank
of a profession. 1t does not draw any
artificial support from industry or
from the Government. 1t rests
sQuarely on a foundation of it's own.
1t is independent. 1t is our farm life
that is particularly representative of
the true nobility of this country and
of our high standard of citizenship"
Service of Farmers
In tracing the development of agri-
culture in the United States he said
that it was the people OF the stamp
and character of those found upon
our farms who were mainly inStru-
mental in founding American inStitu-
tions. He said it was the loyalty and
perseverance bred of the home life of
the American farmer that supported
George Washington through seven
years of conflict; that helped Lincoln
save the Union, and which gave SO
generously of manhood and woman.
hood and money and materials in the
World War.
Touching upon the great growth OF
agriculture in this country the PreSi
dent recalled the increasing inter.
change of population between the city
and the country, which he said has
been brought about principally by the
growth of the automobile. For the
past 10 years urban population has
been increasing" he said, while farm
population and the number of farms
have slightly decreased"
Increase i'm Production.
The real question though. in his
opinion, is not the numbers employed
but the amount of production. Ac.
cording to figures supplied by him. in
the last As years, which, he said, marks
our great industrial development, the
index number of production rose from
100 to 237, while that for population
is estimated to be but 226, showing
that production has outrun population.
Also, while the number of farms and
people engaged in farming was slight
ly less in 1924 than in 1910, produc-
ton in 1928 and 1924 was Is per cent
greater than in 1910. Admitting that
price is just as important as produc-
ton, the President continued in his
quoting of statistics to show that the
value of the farm produce for 1924
excluding crops fed to animals, was
about $12, ,136, ,000,0 900; that the eSti
mates for the present year are about
the same. In 1900 the amount was
S3,549, 900, 900. In 1924 the number OF
people on farms was about 10 per
cent greater than in 1900, while the
amount of money received for farm
products was about $50 per cent
greater. But as the general price
level Of all commodities had greatly
advanced, measured in purchasing
power the amount received was only
about go per cent greater.
The President then referred to the
inflated prices for agricultural prod
acts and the depression that followed
the slump in 1921. and the heroic eff
forts on the part of the American
farmers to pull through.
In conclusion, the President declared
that the real wealth of our country,
its productive capacity, it's great
manufacturing plants, its far-reaching
railroad system it's mighty commerce
and it's agriculture did not come into
being all at once, but as the result of
a vast multitude of small increments
brought about by long. slow and la
boriouS toll. In our economic discus
sions," he said. I'VE must remember
that we cannot stop with the mere ac-
uuisition of wealth. The ultimate re
suit to be desired is not the making of
money, but the making Of people. In
tiustry, thrift and self-control are not
sought because they create wealth. but
because they create character. These
are the prime products of the farm. -
Text of Address.
The President spoke as follows:
NO one can travel across the vast
area that lies between the Alleghenies
and the Rockies without being thor
Oughly impressed with the enormous
expansion of American agriculture
Other sections of our country, acre
for acre, are just as important and
just as productive, but it is in this
region that the cultivation of the land
holds it's most dominant position. 1t
IS to serve the farmers of this great
open country that teeming cities have
arisen, great stretches Of navigation
have been opened, a mighty network
of railways has been constructed, a