NFO-235 (AV10735): US Farm Report: National Convention 1969

from Freedom Hall on the grounds of the Kentucky State Fair at Louisville Kentucky the 1969 National Convention of NFO that's the subject of today's u.s. farm report so stay tuned [music] this is convention 1969 democracy in action [music] a town meeting for all of rural America [music] [music] from all 48 of the continental United States 13,000 dedicated NFO members [music] traveled to Louisville Kentucky at their own expense as representatives of their [music] neighbors for these people the struggling 60s were ending they looked [music] forward to the possibility of a bright prosperity in the 70s [music] knowing that prosperity in the 70s was dependent upon NFO as the only hope of [music] American agriculture the dull gray December weather and Louisville failed [music] to dampen their zeal and their enthusiasm some arrived early for [music] committee meetings in a public information meeting a day before the [music] convention open NFO members shook hands all round and then listened to speaker [music] ed Wimmer sound the first clear notes of a call to battle [music] now why am i in this thing when I made speeches on saving the family farm small business and local bank for 37 years and only in the last two and a half or three years did an organization pop up out of nowhere that showed an interest in the family in the family farm small business in local banks as three units of a free enterprise society every time I talk to farm groups someplace I tell them about the independent version in the bank or they say listen we got enough trouble without bullet worrying about the grocer or worrying about the banker then I talked to the grocer's convention tonight tell them about the farmers they said listen we got all the problems in the world we don't need any of the farm problems to keep us going all of a sudden today the banker is waking up and the businessman is waking up and the farmer is waking up that they're either gonna have to win together or they're all going to lose together and this is what's gonna save the day [applause] now what is the definition been for the last 15 or 18 years of a farm a piece of acreage covered by a mortgage and I want to think as the family farm is a piece of democracy covered by earning families that are sending their kids to the churches and filling up the school buses and paying their taxes and buying the things that needs to put this American countryside back on its own feet again and I'll tell you right today that the American countryside is not on it its feet its feet it's somewheres else and I can't use the word on TV or radio if we don't save the family farm we don't save democracy and freedom and free enterprise and representative government in this country and that you as a unit of a free society that that society is only as free as the number of units that exist now when we get this across to the people we get it across to the congressmen that our American heritage and everything in the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution and the Bill of Rights depends on whether we saved the American countryside or not then we're going to get someplace and not until we do when I talk to a Rotary Club in up in Ohio and that was during the milk dumping day I was supposed not down under any conditions even say anything good about the family farm and I asked all those guys out in the audience how many of you are mad at those fellas that dump that tea in the ocean back over there near Boston some years ago nobody of course held up their hands or wasn't anybody mad I said they had to do something to get their case on the front pages than they did but the milk dumping days are over the hog shooting days are over and you all know it because now we've got a story that I believe that we can sell [applause] many other meetings were being held on the same day here a meeting of the Committee on rules and bylaws becomes the forum for a major issue NFO leaders seeking more money to expand and diversify services at all levels are asking for an increase in dues but true to democratic practice the issue will be put before member delegates and eventually to NFO's entire membership already in this meeting the question is being debated on Wednesday it is brought to the floor of the convention Wednesday this first day of the convention dawns cold and wet but inside Freedom Hall enthusiasm runs high [music] the main issues are brought to the floor so that the delegates may judge them on merits that afternoon national vice-president Erhard Pfingsten gives the delegates a stirring reminder of their responsibilities you are those people an awful lot you are leaders out there in the country so aint this on you it can't be won at this level it has to be out out there in the country you have to supply the leadership there the right kind of leadership all the way they elected you because they believed in you that's why you're here you are going to determine their welfare or its destruction you better think about it the powers out there in the country the production itself that's all the power there is in this battle there's no secret in bargaining it's having someone with something that someone else wants, has to have and can't get anywhere else we have it we have the food and i am as convinced as i am standing here right now that if every member were to participate to the fullest extent with their production in all fields and all commodities it would be all over right now [cheering] so prove it [unclear] depends on you what right does any man have to complain who has not participated in the marketing arrangement [cheering] he has actually put his production up against you think he's a member? or not a member it has to be brought together and you have supplied the leadership out there to do it and anybody who does not participate or demands or throws doubt on the people that do or on the people who are working hard to solve this problem he has in your pocket clear up to your shoulder [applause] in a surprise addition to the program national president Oren Lee Staley introduces Secretary of Agriculture Clifford Hardin in his introduction president's daily congratulates the secretary on his recent reversal of a decision which would have undermined rising milo prices by dumping grain onto the market so at this time it gives me great pleasure and privilege to introduce to you a very fine intelligent man that I have grown to respect in our acquaintance and as Secretary of Agriculture Clifford Hardin we're glad to have you with us secretary [applause] present staley members of the board delegates members yes of the National Farmers organization that's this annual convention I thank you mr. Staley for your very cordial to introduction and may I say that I hope I don't make very many mistakes to know which I have to reverse myself [laughing and applause] I want to say to you all so Mr. Staley that I very I'm very grateful to you for your rearranging your program so that I could be here this afternoon Mr. Staley invited me a couple of months ago and I had some difficulties with schedule which cleared up and I'm grateful for this opportunity to be here and pleased that you were able to provide me this time today as some of you will remember the president has announced two or three times they expect the Secretary of Agriculture to speak to him on behalf of farm producers and also to be the champion for in his speech secretary Hardin asks that farmers be patient asks that they give the administration more time to implement its farm programs delegates hear him out politely but it's evident that their patience is limited they are not willing to wait much longer this is nonpartisanship in the past as well as at this convention both Republicans and Democrats are heard by the delegates of the National Farmers Organization these are the faces of rural America this is the NFO concerned citizens who are working to build for the farmer his share in the high level of American prosperity from all across the country they have come here to ask that all be allowed to share in the wealth which they have helped to build they have traveled to Louisville and cars and buses and airplanes they have come in wheelchairs and with casts on their legs dedicated men and women of America ranging from the youngest of FFA members to the oldest man at the convention a 99 year old farmer from Missouri all through the afternoon leaders from national headquarters tell of the tremendous strides that have brought about unexpected price increases in many farm commodities through the past year delegates learn how these increases have come about they listen to add graphs report on progress and dairy commodities Ralph Kittleson reports on the grain program gene Potter on meat Don Liddle on specialty commodities Bob Manki on cattle bargaining and so the theme goes on vigorous leadership and dedicated members are making the NFO program succeed but today and in the future even greater efforts will be necessary to solidify present gains and to ensure further progress tomorrow on Wednesday evening the business of the convention pauses for delegates to hear the state of the organization's speech vice president Pfingsten introduces president Staley we heard a terrific terrific reports here this afternoon the gains that have been made the money that was put into the pockets of the American farmers and above all the members of the NFO and I think too often we just more or less accept this as something that is due to us yet I wonder how many of you people while you were hearing this and must surely have felt proud of the organization how many of you realized that except for one man you wouldn't have been here at all there have been no games to report we'd be sitting out there in the country see whether the Secretary of Agriculture going to get enough sold cheap enough though raise a lot more a lot cheaper [applause] so we'll hear tonight the state of the organization message from what I think is the most brilliant man that I have ever known the greatest benefactor for agriculture of all time your national president Oren Lee Staley [applause] Thank you mr. vice president fellow officers members of the National Board of Directors the leaders that have been elected as delegates to this convention I suppose that it would be a little chart of principle to say that I did not appreciate maybe the kind words the vice president said and others have said but I feel tonight that the methods that I'm going to try to bring and the thoughts that I'm going to try to get across are the toughest ive ever tried to get across to a group of people so I came to talk to you bringing all the experience that all of us can muster to try to pinpoint what really is behind the slogan of this convention and I wish that you would take a look at it here in the back because there's always a purpose of a slogan a theme for agriculture the struggling sixties are over the brightness of the new year 70 depends on the NFO there was tremendous thought that went into this theme for various reasons we went back in retrospect to what had happened in the years of the 60s and the one to us seemed to be ahead in the seventies the during his speech presidents daily reports that NFO's collective bargaining efforts have been successful he also notes that the job is not finished with the unexpected price increases that have come about but buying one year's time for the farmers does not fall a problem it only gives them a little more substance to lay over to another day to build the strength that can carry them to security the NFO in the past 12 months has accomplished a feat that never before has been accomplished in the history of agriculture the farmers through their own efforts have been able to substantially raise the prices on many commodities never before in the history of Agriculture has this beef been achieved unexpected price increases that have come about on many commodities have come about with very little change in the supply factor meaning that in the law of supply and demand theory the price increases cannot be justified that in some cases where we've had substantial price increases there has been supply increases on top of already burdensome supplies theoretically there has only been one new factor involved and that is a total bargaining structure of the NFO that have been able to put together collective bargaining program that's the only new factor [applause] and it's my job to recap briefly tonight the strategy and the principles and the theory behind these successes that to try to get across and understanding how these have come about but before I do that I want for you to reminisce a little with me we have been through the struggling 60s and what were they a time when many of your and my neighbors left the farm you have survived as farmers the greatest attrition and movement of people from rural America that we've ever witnessed but I asked you to think of your own farming operation I ask you to think of your own indebtedness and that of your neighbors how many of you would have been here tonight or would be able to go to the banker next spring and borrow the money to operate if you'd been selling your hogs at 16, 17 cents and it's the most possible optimistic figure that you could have thought it could have been predicted of 20 cents he asks the members for their backing and his plan to build an outstanding NFO staff at all levels he asks for the help of dedicated members in a gigantic organizational drive which will bring the NFO story to all the farmers of America in closing he extends a challenge and an invitation to all NFO members but the greatest thing this organization has is a county structure to the national level where you are elected at the county and come directly here where the delegates of every county every county have a part in making the total decision and it's debated out where there's better understanding and so I said about all that I'm going to say tonight I hope you will ask any questions you have but I want to close with a thought that a battle is only worth waging if you believe the battle is worthwhile and the battle only becomes worthwhile if you are convinced it's important and to me if you like that home that community that you live in and you want the protector then I say to you a full commitment to this economic cloud through the NFO is what you have to do thank you [applause] all through the convention our US farm report cameras roamed the floor surveying the action on Thursday during a floor debate we took a few moments away from the floor to talk with some NFO wives including an old friend of ours Jo Grimmer of Arbuckle California they tell me that the California contingent is really something that you all chartered a great big bird for Louisville how many people were aboard about a hundred and twenty-six I believe and we charted out of our office [unclear] office Jim Calvin our County president was in charge of all the arrangements and we were had a grand trip that gave us a chance to meet everybody and before we got to the convention Saturday have you enjoyed the convention so far extremely yeah tremendous to see people all across the nation listen you know this is not a bad kind of thing for the small community of Arbuckle to take on a big job like chartering an air plane to Louisville to convention for all of the state of California and I think several with us was our first trip in an airplane there right right George yeah what do you think well I wish I could see the ground and fog governor cloud cover all the way but I bet you enjoyed it a tremendous can't wait to fly back all day Thursday the democratic processes roll on the proposed dues increase is only one of the issues which is brought before the assembly debated and brought to a vote on this issue delegates finally recommended that all members vote for the dues increase in elections at the county level imagine this thirteen thousand delegates gathered twelve fifteen to twenty microphone situated throughout this massive auditorium making it possible for any one of those thirteen thousand delegates to go to a microphone have his opinion heard and have his opinion considered by the convention this indeed is democracy in action in the last major action of the convention delegates voted to re-elect Oren Lee Staley as NFO national president and Erhard Pfingsten as national vice-president their acceptance speeches were brief but stirring calls to action for all members and for all of rural America I'll do my part how about you will you do yours? [applause] and let's make plans to unite rural America into the greatest drive that we've ever seen organized in 48 states to let the Congress of this United States know that the Farm Bureau Federation is not speaking for the people in rural America and that they're out of step for the time that's going to be one of our jobs soon [applause] and number five and this is the key and this is this is what I imagined and this is what I want to get a pledge from I want you to make at least one day from now on till planting time a week one day a week NFO day to do the jobs that are necessary to be done in your county so we match the Corps of 30, 40, 50 people in every county to do those jobs and tie collective bargaining together so that we can continue to make the gains we made and be able to strive for the success we have worked for so hard and that's the question I'm going to ask will you do it [applause] this was convention 1969 the struggling 60s are over the brightness of the new era of the 70s depends upon NFO ahead lies a new challenge and a new promise from Freedom Hall in Louisville [music] NFO ahead lies a new challenge and a new promise from Freedom Hall in Louisville Kentucky this has been us farm report [music] [music]