The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1941-07-23
H. D. R0LPH TO
SPEAK ON NATL.
H00KUp SAT.
President of Montana Farm
ers Union and Vice President
of the Natl. F. u. to Speak
During the Farm and Home
Hour on NBC Hookup.

Hour on NBC Hookup.
Representing the National Farmers
Union, H. D. Rolph, Montana state
president of the organization and vice
president of the national organization
will broadcast from Denver on a ma
tional radio hook-up on Saturday
morning at $50 Mountain Standard
Time on the Farm and Home Hour,
monthly feature of the National
Broadcasting Company.
Mr.. Rolph's message, being of spe-
cial interest to the people Of Mon
tana, and an advance copy of his
speech having been received by The
Voice, it will be published in full in
two installments. The first install
ment follows:
Greetings Farmers Union friends
and radio audience. The National
Farmers Union Hour has again ar
rived to bring you our program over
the nationwide hook up. President
James G.. Patton has asked me to use
this time. I want to thank the Ma
tional Broadcasting company for the
many years of consideration they have
given our National Farmers Union or
ganization, allowing us to speak to our
many listeners. 1t is a courtesy that
our thousands of members appreciate
and look forward to each month.
The topic | shall discuss with you
is, "The Need for Farm Organiza-
tons" The farmers of this nation
represent about one-fourth of the ma
tional population but only receive
about 11% of the national income.
1870 of the farmers are doing all right,
they get half the agricultural income,
but the other half of that income
must be divided among 90% of the
farmers. This condition makes us
economically sick. I wish to speak to
the 5000 of the farmers this morning
who must retain their homes and
farms on an unequal economic basis.
Years ago, we started to get sick
Just small headache at first, but it
became worse and came oftener and
harder. Now the pains and aches are
all over the body. There have been
many doctors, nurses and hospitaliza-
ton plans in the past forty years to
take care of this economic sickness
among the one-fourth of the popula-
ton known as farmers. These doc
tors, nurses and disqualification plans
are in the forms of farm organiza- |
lions, political organizations, agricul- |
tural colleges with their many |
extension services, home |
clubs, All clubs, Smith
Hughes and experiment stations. All |
of them failed. The farmer continues
to get sicker Most of these programs
were the result of legislation in some
form or another.
About 30 years ago we started with
more direct legislation, mostly in the
form of loaning agencies to try to
care for the farmers ills. The pains
and aches of the farmer continued to
Increase. He became economically
worse. The other three-fourths of the
nations population were handling his
germ laden dollars. They also be-
come infected and in 1929 the plague
lit the entire nation. Since 1929 the
loctors and nurses have been busy
With remedies which have been COM
ng thick and fast, but with all these j.,
the farming class still re-
,eived only 11% of the national in
,ome.
We realize that gross income from
will be increased this year. |
What has brought it about? It isn't
BECAUSE the programs set up for the
asst 80 years have been a success, but
because few people have decided to
nforce their program of might must =
ule, and we have World war. No
ne should deceive themselves into !,
linking that our economic problems
repare ourselves so it will not hap
en- again. Let us change the causes
hat brought it about
If the farmers drift through this d
eriod of higher gross incomes, re-
lember l didn't say net incomes, and
u llOt DI6DdIt LUZ Tie SuOCh w Hell IL L.
J over they may find they need the
rather than doctor. This I
ould happen not only for farmers but
Dr. every one else in the nation. Our
rganization is set up with program
3r the small farmer. Eighty-five to
inety percent of the farmers of the
alton are in this class. Many of
lem are passing out of the farming /
ldustry.
According to figures from the de-
of agriculture there are 714,-
DO less farmers in the United States Il
/ 1910 than there were in 1884. Some b
Their industry had to absorb them.
/ 1910 the FSA was, in some form, e.
elping 1,11S,O0O farmers. AS you Il
now FSA is set up to help the farmer Il
no cannot get help from any other tt
nancial source. Where could we s.
nd a more worthy cause than help a
e one-fifth of the farmers of the al
alton, who cannot get help from any d
her source? This group of farmers,
they understood what had been W
me for them could give the answer D
, why there is a need for Farm m
EXAMINATIONS" The farmers with c;
lie larger income are able to take G
ire of themselves. In fact, so much p
} that they are continually buying II
ore land. This is one of the main nj
fuses for the decrease of farmers
this nation. Do you think that tt
ese farmers need the same financial 81
zip from the government as do the CT
Continued on Page Four)