The Durant news. (Durant, Miss.) 1882-1985, 1952-12-11
congressman Speaks
To Farm Bureau
Group At HJC Mondoy

'S~sAoii, Isep. jamie l.. Written
ot charleston, told a group Of
Holmes county farm leaders at a
meeting held at Holmes Junior
College Monday night.
The meeting was in the form
OF victory celebration ternin.
ating successful membership
campaign for the Holmes County
Farm Bureau which saw 512 mem
bers enrolled for the New Year.
The county quota had been plac-
ed at 472.
Following a dinner meeting in
the dining hall the group assem-
bled in the auditorium to hear
an address by Rep. Written and
a number Of other Farm Bureau
workers and officials speak.
Presiding was President ]. E.
Chisolm who introduced the Hon.
Eph Cresswell Of Durant who
introduced the speaker for the
evening" Mr.. Written.
Mr.. cresswsll
Mr.. Cresswell paid tribute to
the Farm Bureau and said it
speaks for the progressive farm
ers of Mississippi. He gave a few
highlights Of the splendid car.
eer of Mr.. Written. He related
that he had been principal of a
school in 1882 in Tallahatchie
county where he was born ard
reared when he ran for the legis-
lature in 1882. From 1888 until
l941 he had served as district
attorney before being elected to
Congress in 1941 where he has
since served with distinction"
being member now If the DOW
erful appropriations committee
and chairman of the sub-commit
tee on agriculture.
Mr.. Written said he was taking
every opportunity possible to
speak to farmers and their lead
ers because Mississippi is depen.
dent upon the welfare of agri.
culture regardless of what par.
Of the state we live in or what our
occupation is.
unfortunately, we are getting
short-sighted and are interested
only in what directly affects us
But we must realize that we have
20 look upon the nations welfare
as a whole" he said.
Fully IS per cent of the raw
materials in manufacturing come
from the soil, the remainder he
ing iron ore, coal and other ma
terlals, he reminded the group.
Thus the job of conserving the
soil and making the most of it af-
fects not only the farmer but ev-
cry industrial worker equally.
Mr.. Written then recited facts
known to every history student.
He told of how in the 1905 pro-
tective tariffs were passed by
the Congress keeping cheap goods
out OF America and thus protect
ing American industry. He re-
lated the further march of indus
trial progress in the early leO0's
when the minimum wage laws
were passed.
up until about 20 years a.ro
agriculture had to take what il
could get for its products. 1t had
to buy, at the same time. on q
protected market" he said. Bv
forcing the farmer to sell his pro.
ducts on an unprotected market
farm prices were forced so low
that generally understood that
the farmer could not make
enough to keep his house painted
and in. repair, or to send bis
children to college or do any Of
the things other families do"
The farmer in the past has
not been able to get enough fol-
his products to take care of the
land and the sad fact is that 40l
per cent or 200 million acres CT
the land is gone-which will re-
suit in great harm to the whole
nation.
Mr.. Written then discussed
firm price supports and said they
were nothing more than a mini
mum guarantee of what the farm
er could get for his products. He
defined the basic parity period
as being from l909-l914 and said
that parity prices were designed
to equalize the farmers purchas-
ing power and give him fair
share of the national income.
We as a nation have an in
-erest in agriculture and we must
see that the job of bringing the
and back is done-it doesn't help
% fix the responsibilities for neg
Getting it in the past. What we
are concerned with is the future"
le said.
1--WE VIII have % years from
low 100 million people in the