396 IOWA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



resentation in the American Federation Convention. In the 

 State many of the counties have reported a definite membership 

 and failed to pay dues on the number reported. This no doubt 

 is due to the fact that some of the members failed to pay their 

 dues, but in the majority of cases the trouble is due to ineffi- 

 ciency in the manner of collections. 



Recommend that the constitution be revised with regard to 

 our National directors. The President and Secretary should by 

 virtue of their offices be made National directors. It seems very 

 necessary that the men who are in direct touch with the work in 

 Iowa in an official capacity should be in a position to direct the 

 National representatives upon matters that have a direct bear- 

 ing on the Iowa Farm Bureau Federation. 



I would recommend that there be held one or more called meet- 

 ings of the directors in each congressional district to be called by 

 the Executive Committee member of the district in order that 

 there may be developed a closer relationship between the mem- 

 bers and the Executive Board of the Federation. At each district 

 meeting the question of an additional State meeting during the 

 year shall be submitted and if the majority of the districts are in 

 favor of such additional meeting, the same shall be called by the 

 President or Secretary. The expense of the directors to such 

 additional State conventions to be paid by the individual County 

 boards. 



We would again urge upon the Presidents of the County Farm 

 Bureaus that urgent need of appointing committees to study 

 closely the assessments on real estate for taxation purposes. This 

 committee should meet with the assessors and the township and 

 county boards and assist them in making their levies and equaliz- 

 ing property values. This is imperature. We called attention 

 to this matter six months ago. We hope it has not been neg- 

 lected. It is a question of great concern to every tax payer at 

 this time when farm lands are being valued highly for taxation 

 purposes, and on the other hand heavily discounted when the 

 farmer attempts to make his income pay a dividend on the value. 

 The greatest caution should govern both assessments and valu- 

 ations. 



The strength of your organization is not in your Executive 

 officers' ability as much as in the loyalty of the individual mem- 

 ber. Forces are constantly at work undermining the work of 

 your organization. No more pleasing thing has come to the at- 



