Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 43, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 28 February 1918 — GRAIN DEALERS CONVENTION [ARTICLE]

GRAIN DEALERS CONVENTION

THIRD ANNUAL MEETING OF STATE ORGANIZATION HELD IN LAFAYETTE. 1 With a large and enthusiastic attendance of members the Farmers’ Grain Dealers’ association assembled for its third annual convention in the Fowler hotel Wednesday morning, and will continue in its work Thursday. The association is made up of the farmers’ elevator operators throughout the state, x including memberships in New Carlisle, South Wanatah, Rensselaer, Francesyille, LaCrosse, Winamac, Monticello, Wolcott, Remington, Lochiel, Boswell, Oxford, Otterbein, Thorntown, Chalmers, Colfax, Honey Creek, Frankton and Wheatland.

The association was organized in Lafayette two years, ago, and the annual conventions have been held here. The object of the association is to promote the best interests of the grain growers, and to secure reforms in the marketing of their products. The meeting yesterday was in charge of President J. C. Minch, of Chalmers, who made a stirring appeal to the farmers in his opening address yesterday morning. His talk was characterized by a strong plea for a more thorough organization and was permeated by a profound spirit of patriotic feeling. In part*Mr. Minch said:

“If we are to win this war in which we are engaged, it is necessary that all industries co-operate with the one big end in view. Never in the history of the United States has such responsibility rested upon the farmer as*at present. We not only are called upon to furnish a good per cent of our men to fight in the trench at a great sacrifice of our labor, but we also are called upon to increase our crop production over former years.” In conclusion he urged that the members inspire each other with loyalty and patriotism, and to make a renewed and stronger determination to make their farms produce more than ever before. President Minch’s address received the sincere eridorsement of the members present.

At the afternoon sessiofi Mayor George Durgan delivered the address of welcome to the members of the organization, after which a short business session was held, in which resolutions were passed and nominations of committees were made. The afternoon session was marked by two splendid addresses, one by Secretary E. G. McCollum, on the subject, “Excess Profits,” and the other by Mrs. Charles Sewell on “Farm Women and the Food Emergency.”

Mr. McCollum discussed the war tax as it affects the stock and co-op-erative companies and brought out a great number of points that were both interesting and instructive. Mrs. Sewell has given a great deal of attention to the ..subject upon which she spoke, and gave some valuable information on how to make a farm a successful co-oper-ating center for the community. * The principal address of the evening session was delivered by J. W. Shorthill, secretary of the National Council of the Farmers’ Co-oper-ative state associations. Mr. Shorthill has recognized the organized farmers at Washington since before the outbreak of the war, and is in hearty sympathy with what they are doing, in the way of contributing to the successful carrying on of the war. His subject “The Organized Farmer at Washington,” was full of information as to what is being done by the- fanners, and showed the benefits of systematic organization by what they have accomplished.