NFO-279 (AV10778): National Convention

[Music] Churchill Downs Louisville Kentucky scene of the Kentucky Derby conjuring up visions of bluegrass of brilliant jockey silks of proud thoroughbreds arching their necks and gallops before the race the first race here was run in May of 1875 and since then more than 18,000 races have been run on this same track Louisville Kentucky scene of the 1970 National Convention of the National Farmers Organization Louisville Airport at which point the greater part of the some 12,500 convention delegates arrived hundreds by charter jet thousands by commercial jet and many in private aircraft [Music] from all over the nation they came to participate in the business of this three-day convention [Music] and the delegates came by automobile from fara near many bringing their families to combine convention with vacation [Music] find a hotel or motel room in this city during nfo convention week possible believe it or not because Louisville accommodations are geared to Derby week when this city experiences an influx of thousands who make up the more than 100,000 who gather here for the Derby on the first Saturday in May when FO delegates stayed in downtown hotels and outlying motels where as you saw Marquis bid them welcome [Music, no talking] although the national convention opened on a Wednesday preliminary meetings were scheduled on the preceding Monday and Tuesday by the meet grain dairy feeder cattle special commodities communications and field staff departments [Music, no talking] there were committee meetings rules and bylaws arrangements credentials and resolutions these preliminary meetings were scheduled and practically all of the downtown hotels [Music, no talking] WW butch Swain director of NMOS public information department featured at his meeting Phillip Wilkie son of the famous Wendell Willkie preceding Mr Wilkie at the rostrum was NF O's national vice president Earhart Pinkston playing his usual vital Convention role [Music] Pinkston was followed in the meeting by national president or unleash saline [Applause] Thank You mr. swales I see my good friend ed Willis delegates ANF oh thanks for convention to public information meeting I'm delighted to be here today and talking about the problems that I think are very serious I'm glad to be here because I know you're the most militant prioritization in the business [Applause] the easiest way to tell what's wrong with agriculture to get into your automobile and drive for two hours with this office or have response will be High River Bridge and in Washington Scott County Clark County Harrison County Harford County Indiana and you go by chicken farmer at the chicken farmer who built bigger barns because he was in purchases by the feed company who then proceeded to quit the chicken farmer fences himself in politics and you can do it in two hours in fact to see a tall thin old lesbian lady sputtered in the end of the day breakfast best minute I was in the papers last Friday that the itsp for that company has bought a third in Ostrovsky Aronica that means it's one of the biggest conglomerates have done all since your honor the big speech on this they've knocked out the chicken farmers the next thing they're going to do is knock out the hog farmers and then they're not going to knock out the candle burn and we've got to get the message across to their math lesson man that's the most dangerous thing that can happen is when the faith contrivance gets installed the production of all foodstuffs in this country and then he's really going to pay through the nose happening I was added in Texas the other day I grow from Amborella food to 76,000 cattle on one speed mark being one of our computers now the independent farmer is the greatest source of protection that the American working man's got that he's gonna get a square and Giovanni post price this is the message he's got to get over [Applause] and on the eve of the official opening of the 1970 convention Ken stopperich head of the field staff department mr. and mrs. Earhart Bengston this dailies Warren Lee and his lovely wife Ruth and mr. and mrs. Danza model he's head of the communications department joined several hundred others at have and co-hosted by the field staff and communications department [Music] during 1970 the communications department presented a traveling trophy to the top marketing area month by month or September the trophy went to the st. Paul marketing area jean-paul area chief received the trophy after a rainy beginning of convention week blue skies and sunshine greeted the delegates as they converged on Freedom Hall on the Kentucky State Fairgrounds for the when's the opening of the National Convention 1970 here they came some 13,000 strong from every part of the nation they would listen yes for three days and evenings to reports from nfo department heads to addresses by Senators a lieutenant governor the governor of the Farm Credit administration but they would talk to bringing to the convention from the floor of Freedom Hall an expression of the membership in their particular areas they would participate in an open convention where each of them would have the right to be heard and on the third day of convention they would elect the national president and a national vice president let us pray our Heavenly Father we thank you for another day of life another day of opportunity to serve you and to experience your love for us we're grateful in our lives our lives in the rural areas of this country where we daily witness your power in the power and the beauty of nature we acknowledge our dependence upon you and asked for your strength and blessings bless all these dedicated farmers who are devotedly working to improve their lot in life may your Holy Spirit be with us at this convention guide and rule over all of our plans deliberations and projects help us to gain in justice enlighten our mind so that we might more clearly see and solve our problems and we all we do these few days be done according to your holy will we ask your blessings through Jesus Christ our Lord amen please remain standing this time with a national anthem by Dottie West Brenda whopper Oh at this time it gives me great pleasure to introduce the one that is going to welcome the delegates from the various states throughout this nation to this annual convention Louisville Kentucky we're proud of our organization in the state of Kentucky and this has been the first time since the nfo has spread over such a wide area that we have returned to the same city for the second year in a row I think this is a tribute to the facilities but there's also a tribute to the fine hospitality that our delegates from the various states throughout the United States have had here and been very happy to be a part of while they were in Louisville Kentucky so at this time it gives me great pleasure to introduce to the delegate body the Honorable the tenant governor Wendell Ford the Frankfort Kentucky governor the old tires I am I did not milking early this morning because it standing up with birds president Staley officers delegates and members of the National Farmers Organization it is a distinct pleasure for me on behalf of the people of the Commonwealth of Kentucky to welcome you and your convention to this great state your organization we all know is an organization of by and for farmers I hope the first afternoon session of the convention was addressed by Agriculture's most eloquent spokesman vice president Earhart thinks them we're trying to get our job done of pricing farm production that a fair level before the family farm is destroyed and I feel that we have a little over a year left if that a year I do think we have but we're also bucking the economy up self if this nation should have its economy fail and plunge us into a depression it would have to be utter chaos at income which that I don't believe any of us could come out unscathed and I am very very afraid that if such a thing is allowed to happen in this nation that we may well lose the very system of government and all that we love so dearly about this nation we have to accomplish our job while the wheels of Industry are still turning and while the working men are still working if we don't beat that we can scream to high heaven after the collapse it'll do it no good we have to do it now while people still do have income in attendance at the convention were members of the Future Farmers of America the delegates to the convention heard from that organization's president something happened to me about two months ago 16 will probably change my life in many different ways it happened out in Kansas City in an auditorium I happened to be sitting in a group of 25 young men we were studying in the middle of an auditorium with 15,000 people around us and we had waited all morning we're going to read that list of officers and when the time came and they went through the list of six officers and named my name last I was very appreciative very inspired very excited I didn't know what to do whether it stand up sit down shake the hands that we're coming towards me but I kept walking toward stage because you see it's very difficult to believe that it really happened something like this usually happens to the fellow down the street the next dollar but it happened to me this year 1970 in 1971 with that feeling of great happiness I also had another feeling a feeling of great responsibility because I had just been handed the reins of an organization four hundred and thirty thousand members strong and also speaking for five fellow national officers young men who are truly dynamic so I knew my work was cut out for me but I was eager to accept all of it and because of my responsibilities I had to drop out of school you see I didn't want college to get in the way of my education and then I've proven that time and time again a first at the convention of 1970 country music played and sung by such stars as Stonewall Jackson Dottie West Lester Flatt Bob lumen and Clark King and president Orin Lee Staley made this observation about the music he said I feel there's nothing more appropriate for good country people than the best of country music country music is as much a part of rural America as Old Glory is of our great nation American history both past and present is recorded in our country song in times of peace and war depression and prosperity country music has brought comfort and inspiration into our lives it is sung and played at family gatherings in churches at fairs wherever people congregate and tells of the spirits hope faith and tragedies of people who love our land country music has withstood the battles of time the Thursday evening convention session heard and addressed by Democratic senator Howard Hughes from the state of Iowa our cities are already sinking the hard core of the cities are rotten and becoming rotten there as we move on and you cannot bail out a sinking ship if it has a hole in the bottom 80% of the nation's population already lives on 10% of our land suffering from innumerable pollutions personal tensions and deteriorating living conditions there are 11 acres of land for every man woman and child in this country but most people in this country exist on only a few square yards a recent Gallup poll showed that six of every ten people living in our metropolitan areas would rather live in the country but how can we reverse that flow unless as a nation we can save the livelihoods of those who are already living in our rural areas the working farmers and make their economic situation prosperous enough to keep young people from leaving the rural areas of America continuously we must we must work for the family farmer because we must save our rural areas in our cities but there is a deeper reason the reason that goes to the essential fiber of American life the basic question which we faced in the 1970s is whether individuals can retain control of the kind of life they wish to live any longer in this technological society the farmers forced off their land did not want to leave I have never seen a happy farmer boarding up his farm but the struggle is no letters than self-determination the right of each man to choose the kind of life he wishes to leave on the farm if that is his choice or in the city but only if that is his choice this is the challenge we face can we save America for America senator Hughes was followed by Republican senator Marlo Cooke whose home state of Kentucky of course was hosting the nfo convention ask the junior senator from Kentucky and there's an individual I welcome you to the Commonwealth indeed were honored that you have once more chosen the Bluegrass State for your annual national convention and while you're here I'd like to tell the delegates all over the United States that while the NF o stands for many of the things that I stand for and why do you stand for seed grains for the respective states throughout the Union you better hurry up and help the tobacco farmer along with it because he's in serious trouble in this country and when you talk about when you talk about the small farmer when you talk about the small productive a curry it was my side of the Commerce Committee that only lost two votes when they decided to take us off of radio and television and we only got two votes on the Democratic side of the conference committee and we need a little more help because you may talk about SSTs and I didn't vote for it either but the SST ask that we give them two hundred and ninety million dollars in this year and the tobacco farmer in the state of Kentucky is having the Congress of the United States play with a crop that presents to him over six hundred million dollars a year and it's his lifeblood and he's part of your organization you better accept him in my mind ladies and gentlemen the nfo is always been associated not only was the need of the farmer but the improvement of life for all men through the advancement of agriculture in the values of rural life the president of nfo Oren lease daily - along with vice-president Earhart fingsten was returned to office by acclamation spoke to the convention that you abide dealing and bargaining with companies and international in scope and just four or five of them with the best communications that you can possibly have almost as fast as I can walk out there and talk to you face to face and that's the type of economic strengths that we have to fight and it's a type of economic strength you can only fight with a total collective bargaining organization that can move production in any given area anywhere in the United States under a collective bargaining process that's the only way you can compete with I want to state very Curt for this before I say the next and I want to clear understood that I believe in the laws of this nation I know all the other leaders of the nfo and our policy is to follow all the laws of this nation we believe in this great country and the the type of government that we have and all we're trying to do is to protect private ownership and a free enterprise society instead of it going into the conglomerate corporate monopolistic Qatar therefore in that context I say to you that if if it's necessary to have peaceful demonstrations to focus attention on the farmers problems will heaven if it's necessary even though we'd have to honor all contracts who have a total holding action we'll have it are going to be spelled and they're going to be heard and they're going to have justice and they're going to do it with her economic strength to get the Paradis at the marketplace for the savage justice in the marketplace the determination unity solidarity and spirit of purpose exhibited at the nfo Conclave of 1970 his best shown by this demonstration that came as a fitting climax to the three day's proceedings these delegates had heard conclusive progress reports from various national commodity department heads in addition to future plans of the department's these delegates had heard president's daily say the MFO has the scope the experience and the blueprints for a successful collective bargaining for agriculture these delegates gave national president our unleash daily standing ovations sixteen times as the outlined the plans ahead for their organization among other things he said after January 1 the nfo will initiate a commodity lift in red meat grain and special commodities under the lift plan huge blocks of farm production will be lifted out of selected areas where the price pinch is great and transported for sale in other areas to create vacuums to start stair-stepping prices in addition president's daily said we will seek federal antitrust laws which prohibit sizeable companies from becoming involved in more than one sector of the food industry the nfo president said nfo will use every economic legislative and legal weapon at its command to claim justice at the marketplace for farmers and ranchers but underlying this demonstration must have been the dead serious realization expressed in the theme of this convention nfo the farmers only hope u.s. farm report has seen each week at this same time on this same station until we meet again so long everybody [music]