I>rn 1, 1923 



U HEADS 

 H I.A.A.I 

 POUCIES 



For More 

 lunty Pres- 

 To Come 



jf all of the 

 eaus of the 

 come to Chi- 

 Monday in 

 ly conference 

 A. A. offices, 

 -wide nature 

 d. 



Ded for more 

 a meeting of 

 le opinions of 

 lious bureaus 

 ission of sub- 

 a common in- 

 he conferemce 

 hich some of 

 lid have to 

 3e it difficult 

 factory to all. 

 3, legislation, 

 jects were to 

 e conference. 



iter for 

 Progress 



>hn Acheson, 

 terlan Church 

 I County, nii- 

 3 farm bureau 

 f The Kecord. 

 t believers in 

 the State. In 

 ■ate and farm 

 also agricul- 

 Peoria Tran- 



the Rev. Mr. 



the greatest 



perative mea- 



April 1, 1923 



Tbe Illinois Agricnltoral AssodatioB Record 



-Lulu 6:3t. 



pted as a 

 passes it 

 thing tor 

 pagan in 

 ot apply, 

 ssence ctf 

 )st every 

 3 for the 



ng it un- 

 TNG into 

 next crop 

 1, shaken 



litre bred 

 ns up on 

 ill afford 

 mmer he 

 id at the 

 the mar- 

 measure, 



ity Farm 



a a little 

 pport bis 

 problems 



business 

 irmers in 

 ew years 

 ishments 



of their 

 >plication 

 things of 

 ou; good 

 ig over." 



Illinois Co-operative Markets 1,052 



Cars of Fruit to 24 States in 1922 



U 



■=V^; 



il. 



One thousand and fifty-two 

 carloads of Southern Illinois 

 fruit, representing an aggre- 

 gate market value of $600,000, 

 found their way to market in 

 at least 115 points in 24 states 

 knd four Canadian provinces 

 in 1922 as the result of the ac- 

 tivities of the Illinois Fruit 

 Exchange. 



The Illinois Fruit Exchange 

 was organized in 1921 by coun- 

 ty farm bureaus and the Illi. 

 nois Agricultural Association, 

 co-operating, 



Little fruit was handled during 

 the first season due to the failure 

 of the crop, but vastly Increased 

 growth and activity were manifest 

 last season. The exchange now 

 coqiprises 19 local organizations 

 in 10 counties ot Southern Illi- 

 nois, with 821 grower members. 

 This Is an increase of one-third 

 over the membership in the spring 

 of 1922. 



Conntles Organized 



Counties now having locals are: 

 Adams, St. Clair, Marion, Jeffer- 

 son, Clay, Jackson, Williamson, 

 Union, Johnson, and Pulaski. 



Peaches, apples, pears, and 

 strawberries were the fruits han- 

 dled by the Exchange during the 

 'year. Apples head the list with 

 501 cars shipped, closely followed 

 by peaches with 432 cars. Straw- 

 berry and pear shipments totalled 

 76 and 50 cars, respectively. In 

 addition, three mixed shipments 

 were made. 



Headqiuirt«rs at Centralia 



Headquarters of the organiza- 

 tion are at Centralia and it is 

 from that office that the work of 

 directing the car-lot sale and dis- 

 tribution to suitable markets 

 takes place. Qeneral manage- 

 ment of the Exchange is under 

 J. B. Leeper, formerly connected 

 with the Adams County Farm Bu- 

 reau and a man with considerable 

 practical business and banking 

 experience. 



Fruit growers who Join their re- 

 spective locals become members 

 of the central organization at the 

 same time and their entrance dues 

 go toward the support of both 

 bodies. Members must sign a 

 contract pledging thet all of their 

 fruit marketed will go to the co- 

 operative for a period of three 

 years, after which they have the 

 option of cancelling their con- 

 tracts If they see fit. 



IjocaIs Assemble Fruit 



The work of the local organiza- 

 tions consists of assembling the 

 fruit of their members in car-load 

 lots. The products are standard- 

 ized under the direction of the 

 Exchange and every precaution is 

 taken to see that all fruit is in- 

 spected and properly graded and 

 packed. A majority of the locals 

 have established packing houses 

 which include in their equipment, 

 modern sizing machinery. After 

 the car-load lots are ready for 

 shipment. It is the duty of the 

 central exchange to make the 

 sales and route the shipments. 



A national distributing organ- 

 ization was employedi by the ex- 

 change during the past year to 

 find markets for the fruit handled. 

 ■This concern was paid on a brok- 

 erage basis. The method was 

 found to be a better and cheaper 

 service than for the Exchange to 

 have established its own sales 

 connections, especially at such an 

 early period of its career. 

 ••niinl" Brand Respected 



Prior to 1922, Illinois fruit had 

 a rather poor reputation on mar- 



WHAT CO-OPERATION DOES 



THIS map ahows the 115 paints in tKe United States and Canada ' 

 to which the Illinois Fruit Exchange shipped carlots of fruit in 

 1922, the first year of active operation, as the result of co-operatio(i. 

 Prior to the organization of the exchange, most of the fruit was 

 dumped on the Chicago market. 



kets, ^largely due to poor grading 

 methods of the growers. Through 

 community packing houses, the 

 Exchange has brought about prog- 

 ress in standardizing the fruits. 

 Apples are graded and packed ac- 

 cording to Illinois regulations, 

 while other fruits are prepared 

 for market in accordance with 

 government standards. The "Illi- 

 ni" brand was stamped on the 

 crates and boxes containing the 

 best products, and Judging from 

 reports from the various markets, 

 the methods of the Elxchapge have 

 given Illinois fruits a high repu- 

 tation. 



One big reason why the Ex- 

 change succeeded so well was be- 

 cause of the wide distribution ot 

 ^products secured. Formerly it 

 was the practice of the majority 

 of the growers to consign to Chi- 

 cago, casing a flooding of that 

 market and Consequently low 

 prices. 



rin seeking the best markets for 

 its members, the Ehcchange dis- 

 tributed Its products over a large 

 section of the United States and 

 Oanada. The accompanying map 

 shows points to which one or 

 more cars ot "Illlnl" brand fruits 

 were sold. It is easy to see that 

 this wide distribution was respon- 

 sible for th^ good returns secured 

 for the members. The system 

 kept the fruit away from poor 

 and glutted markets and sent 

 them to the very best ones. 

 Higher Prices Received 



The result wjas that higher 

 prices were received by the or- 

 ganized growers than by their un- 

 organized neighbors. For exam- 

 ple, in one case the growers of 

 a community sold their strawber- 

 ries through the Exchange and 

 obtained a net average of $2.52 

 per crate, while a large grower 

 in the vicinity who did not ship 

 through the Ehcchange, received 

 $1.97% or 54% cents less per 

 crate. 



In the case of peaches, It was 

 found that the organized produc- 

 ers of one local received from 50 

 to 75 cents more per bushel on 

 the average for that commodity 

 than was the case with those 

 marketing through other channels. 

 Stabilized Markets 



Many men familiar with the sit- 



uation are of the opinion that the 

 work of the Illinois Fruit Ex- 

 change was directly reisponsible 

 tor the holding up of fruit prices 

 all over the state during 1922. By 

 not flooding the Chicago market, 

 that point was kept in better con- 

 dition. Thus prices were stabil- 

 ized throughout Illinois and mem- 

 bers as well as non-members 

 reaped the benefits of the Ex- 

 change. 



The growers of southern Illinois 

 are well satisfied with the 're- 

 sults of the past season. While 

 the profits were not large, they 

 believe more thoroughly than ever 

 in the co-operative idea and stand 

 ready to see the thing through. 



Growing to Increase, 



Illinois ranked fourth among the 

 states in car-lot shipments of 

 peaches in 1922. It is also one of 

 the leading early apple states. 

 With large plantings of peaches 

 and apples in recent years, the 

 state promises to occupy an Im- 

 portant place In the fruit indus- 

 try. The organization of the Elx- 

 change is therefore a timely mat- 

 ter In view of the improved mar- 

 keting conditions it will bring 

 about. 



It has been estimated that. In 

 five years the normal peach crop 

 of Illinois will total from 8.000 to 

 9,000 cars yearly. The apple pro- 

 duction gives promise of a pro- 

 portionate increase. 



According to Mr. Leeper, presfent 

 activities in southern Illinois indi- 

 cate that the Eixchange will in- 

 crease greatly In membership dur- 

 ing 1923. A strawberry growers' 

 local has recently been formed at 

 Metropolis, to be known as the 

 Massac BYuit Growers. Meetings 

 have been held and formation of 



ILLINOIS "CO-OPS" 



This is the first of a series 

 of articles to appear In the 

 I. A. A. Record on co-oper- 

 ative marketing organiza- 

 tions which have been start- 

 ed by the I. A. A., county 

 farm bureaus and allied or- 

 ganizations. The next will 

 be on the Peoria -Live Stock 

 Commission Association. 



/. A. A. Arranges 

 For Farm Bureau 

 Gatepost Signs 



"the I. A. A. has ' made arrange- 

 ments for the purchasing ot "Mem- 

 ber Farm Bureau" ~8lgns at the most 

 reasonable prices yet quoted and 

 counties who desire to furnish these 

 their members are asked to co-op- 

 erate by placing orders at once to 

 insure the lowest quotations on 

 qua^ntity orders. Communications 

 shMiId be addressed to J. D. Hari>- 

 er,' Office Secretary, c/o I. A. A. 



Tthere are two styles of signs, 

 a l^rge one with space for the mem- 

 bers nam^ and a smaller one with- 

 out space- for name. Both signs 

 are blue and white with a small 1. 

 A. ^. map and .A. F. B. F. map in 

 either corner with the words, 

 "Member Farm Bureau" promi- 

 nently displayed. 



rnnsBURGH puis" 



UP TO LEGISLATORS 

 IN WESTERN STATES 



Live Stock Men --,^ r -r- 

 Hold Conference 

 With the I. A. A. 



A meeting of representatives of 

 the Live Stock Marketing Depart- 

 ment of the I. A. A. and of the 

 Indianapolis, Peoria. Chicago and 

 East St. Louis Live Stock Pro- 

 ducer's Associations was held in 

 the I. A. A. offices recently to dis- 

 cuss the relations between local 

 live stock shipping associations and 

 the farm bureaus. 



While no definite action was 

 talien it was informally agreed that 

 the interests ot both could be best 

 served by closer working relations 

 between the shipping associations 

 and the farm bureaus. 



IW» 



Fake Freight Charge of Steel 

 Mills Brings Wave 

 of Protest ^ 



"Pittfebnrgh Plus," for some 

 time an: I. A. A. and farm bu- 

 reau issue in Illinois, is the sub- 

 ject of measures for appropria- 

 tions befing introduced before a 

 number; of state legislatures in 

 the mi(^le west, incloding Illi- 

 nois, j 



The term, "Pittsburgh Plus" 

 means nlerely the practice ot steel 

 manufacturers of making Pitts 

 burgh, penn., the base of their 

 prices f»r various products. For 

 Instaoeej a man might haul steel 

 from th0 mills at Gary with his 

 own trudc, yet he would be charged 

 the $6.Sf which would have been 

 the amount of freight from Pitts- 

 burgh to Gary, bad the steel been 

 made aQd sent from Pittsiburgh. 



This Imaginary freight charge, 

 ot course, goes Into the pockets of 

 the steel manufacturers. 



Since ithe farmer is one of the 

 largest consumers ot steel products 

 in the country — sometimes esti- 

 mated to be the largest — he is pay- 

 ing a lasge part of this extertlon. 



The I. A. A. has passed a reso- 

 lution against the "Pittsburgh 

 Plus" practice and has always uMl 

 Itsjinfluence against it. 



Farm Bureau At: Capital- 

 Is Making U. 5. History 



The Washington oflfice of the 

 American Farm Bureau Fed- 

 eration, almost for the first time 

 since it was installed, is having a 

 breathing spell, after the ad- 

 journment of Congress seteral 

 weeks ago. A breathing spell 

 at this office merely means, how- 

 ever, the planning for the next 

 session of Congress. 



It was only several years ago 

 that this office was opened in the 

 Munsey Building, with Gray, Sil- 

 ver, a West Virginia farmer. In 

 charge. It was but a one-room 

 office in those days: Mr. Sliver 

 and bis secretary. 



Other "Blocs" 



At that time Wall Street, the 

 manufacturers and other great 

 lines of Industry had and always 

 had their "blocs" in Congress. 

 The farmer had never been ad- 

 equately represented, in spite of 

 the fact that his Industry Is one 

 of the greatest in the country. 



more locals seems imminent at 

 Pulaski, Oblong, Newton, Walnnt 

 Hill, and Mt Carmel. 



Ofllcers Elected 



At the annual meeting of the 

 niiBois Fruit Exchan^ at Cen- 

 tralia, February 20, officers #ere 

 elected for 1923 as 'follows: Pres- 

 ident, W. ■ L. Cope, Marion coun- 

 ty, (reelected) ; vice-president, O, 

 V. ■ Cummins, Jetferson county; 

 secretary, Norman W. Casper, 

 Johtason county (re-elected) ; Er- 

 nest G. Kinsey, Marion county, 

 treasurer. 



These officers, together with R. 

 K. Loomis, Union countji; R. B. 

 Endicott^ Pulaski county; Frank 

 Lanter, St. Clair county; and E. 

 H. Barker, Union county, will 

 constitute the Board ot Directors 

 of the year. 



One evening, however, rfF»-eral 

 Congressmen met informally with 

 Mr. Silver in the A. F. B.'F. office. 

 There iTas nothing secret about 

 this meeting — - a few reporters 

 were present and Joined in the 

 discussion. 



It was agreed that the farmer 

 was desperately In need of cor- 

 rective legislation to improve his 

 condition- He had been made thp 

 "goat" of the ^nancial let-down 

 which fsUowed the war. 

 The "FWm Bloc" 



Thus Was the famous "agrient- 

 tural bloc" bom. 



For some time the name "farm 

 bloc" was used In derisioB and 

 protest. But the organization, 

 which Devei^ was political in its 

 lines, gnew amazingly fast. The 

 senators and representatives from 

 the farming -states learned 

 through information presented by 

 the American Farm Bureau Fed- 

 eration, ' the I. A. A. an<* 

 state federations, the desperate 

 conditio^ of the farmer. 



fResnIt b History 



The Result will go Into every 

 history of this . period ot Ameri- 

 can development: the passage of 

 more, legislation of benefit to 

 farmers in 1921 and 1922 than 

 had been passed in any like pe^ 

 riod since the first U. IS. Qoniiress. 



Some of these laws are: the 

 co-operative marketing act, the 

 anti-grata gambling act, the pack- 

 er and stockyards control act. the 

 tarmer-eimergency tariff, the >ct 

 giving farmers j^presentatlon on 

 the Fedpral Reserve Board, ,th« 

 act extending to agriculthre Ihe"^ 

 flnanciall aid of the War Finance 

 Corporation, the recent farm cred- 

 its act and other leeislatioa. 



And the Washington office of 

 the A. FV B. F: is still on the Job! 



eiDerate i 



1 





