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The Illinois Agrictiltural Association Record 



lUinoi* Agricaltnral Association 



RECORD 



PukUshe^l twice a month b^ the 

 iHtnwls ARriOultural Associ&tton, 

 608 3«uth Dearborn- Street. Chiraiyo. 

 IlUn«i.«. Kdited by News Publicity 

 department, l* J. Montross. Director. 



Entry as second claas matter Oct. 

 !•. 1921, at the post office at Chi- 

 cag:o, Illinois, under the act of 

 March 3. 187». 



The Individual membership fee of 

 the Illinois Agricultural Associii- 

 tlon is five dollars a year. This 

 fee Includes payment of ten- cents 

 for subflcriplion to the Illlnots Ag- 

 ricultural Association Itecord. 



OFFICEItS 



Presidents "iJ. H. Thompson. Quincy 



Vice-President, A. O. Eckert. Ii.il.- 

 ville. 



Secretary. <leo. A. Fox. Sycamore. 



Treasurer, R. A. Cowles. Blooming- 

 ton. 



EXECV'TI\'E COM.MITTKE 

 By Gongr«ssiona| Districts 



11th— ^Henry McGough, Map\e Park- 

 12th — <J. F. TuUock, Rockford. 

 13th — O. E. Bam'jorough. Polo, 

 nth — W. H. Moody. Port Byron. 

 15th — H. E. Goembel. Hoopole. 

 16th — G. E. Redfr. Mendota. 

 17th — F. D. Barton. Cornell. 

 18th — C. R. Finley. Hoopeston. 

 19th— ^D. J. Holterman. Sadorus. 

 20th— Earl J. Smith. Detroit. 

 2l8t — HI L. Corbin. Carlinville. 

 22nd — Fred Baumberger. Heno. 

 23rd — t^arlton Tvimble. Trimble. 

 24ih — Curt Andf raon, Xenia. 

 25th — Vernon Ljssley. Sparta. 



IMreci<H^ of Departments, 



~ , I. A. A. Office 



General Offlca and Assistant to Ses- 

 relary, J. D. Harper; Field Organiz- 

 ation. J. C. Sailor: Organization Pub- 

 licity. O. K. Metzger; News lljblic- 

 .ity. L*. J. Montross; Transportation, 

 L. J. Quasey: Statistics. J. C. Wat- 

 aon; Finance. R. A. Cowles; Fruit 

 and Vegetable Marketing. C. B. 

 Durst: Live Stock Marketing. C. A. 

 Stewart: Dairy Mark^lng. A. D. 

 Lynch; Phosphate Limestone, J. R. 

 Bent. 



U.S.G.G. DIRECTORS 

 APPOINT OFFICERS, 

 DISCUSSJEW PLAN 



'^ (Continued from Page,!) 

 F armers' Elevators 



In general, . the plan aims to 

 make good on the grain market- 

 ing program and. to tbat en3, to 

 bring into proper relationship to 

 one anothsf the existing' torces, 

 including the local farmers' ele- 

 vators, on the one hand, and 

 the single commodity marketing 

 organizations on the other. 



The executive committee ot the 

 organization is, of the opinion 

 that the local farmers' elevators 

 must b<- the basis upon which 

 to build a grain selling organiza- 

 'tion. including ownership and 

 control in ierminal elevators and 

 All handling facilities. 



Orderly .Marketing 



At the same time the commit- 

 tee recognizes the need for special 

 commodity organizations to direct 

 Intelligently the flow of grain 

 through these facilities and there- 

 by effect orderly and orgaiizcd 

 marketing. If modifications are 

 necessary in the present plan of 

 the U. S. Grain Growers, Inc., to 

 brine this about, the Board of 

 Directors will not hesitate to take 

 the responsibility for making 

 them. 



The present administration of 

 the U. S. ^Grain Growers, Inc., is 

 adopting the policy of making no 

 forecasts as to wliat is to be 

 done, button the contrary trying 

 to go ahead slowly and steadily 

 on a firm basis to work out the 

 problem of the co-operative mar- 

 keting of Vie farmer's grain. 



> The executive board of the 

 Canadian Council of Agriculture 

 recently visited the American 

 Farm Bureau Federation in Chi- 

 cago for the purpose of studying 

 the farm bureau movement from 

 top to bottom. Organized farm- 

 ers in. Canada are planning to 

 model some of ^heir work after 

 American accomplishments. 



Here's a Story of Facts and Figures: 

 Hhe Statistical Sefvice of the L A. A. 



Figures and statistics make dry reading — sometimes. But 

 there aire exceptions : it was largely due to the figures and sta- 

 ti,stics dug up by the I. A. A. and county. farm bureaus that 

 farmers of Illinois read last January that they had realized a 

 .saving of more than half a million dollars in 1922 ta.\es for state 

 piH-pases, That wasn't drj- reading! 



The Statistical Service of the I, A. A., or, rather. John C, Watson, 

 Statistician, furnishes the tacts and figures which must generally be 

 had before a further step can be taken in many phases of taxation, 

 legislatlbn and marketing. It is no Job for an amateur: it is highly 

 specialized .work which demands training and experience. 



In 1920, for example, the farmer knew that in many instances he 

 was paying too much taxes. But he couldn't prove it! Other business 

 men could. They had their statisticians. They were able to come 

 before the Tax Commission with th^ facts and figures. 



But in 1921 the I. A. A. and the 

 county farm bureaus started after 

 the statistics and figures. They 

 spent two years in research. They 

 found that for twenty years the 

 Illlnots farmer had been bearing 

 an unduly large part of the state 

 tax burden. 



Having of $300,000 

 . In 1921 and 1922 the I. A. A. 

 and county farm bureaus appeared 

 before the Illinois Tax Commis- 

 sion with a ,plea tor lower farm 

 land tates. The result was the 

 prevention of one-half of the con- 

 templated raise in 192l'and a re- 

 duction In state valuations in 1922 

 which m^ant a saving of 1550,000 

 in state land taxes for 1922 alone. 



But the work of the I. A. A. 

 in taxes is by no means ended with 

 this. The Statistical Ser\'ice is 

 making taxation its big project 

 for 1923, 



Itevaluation in 192» 



The revaluation of real estate 

 which comes every four years falls 

 this time in the spring of 192 3.' 

 Investigations of the Statistical 

 Service show that in nearly half 

 of the individual counties and in 

 the state as a whole, land is now 

 assessed at its highest point — in 

 spite of the well-known decrease 

 in actual values during the last 

 few years. The same investiga- 

 tions show that in many counties 

 average valuations of town and 

 city lots are lower than they were 

 twenty years ago in spite ot the 

 well-known raise in actual values 

 during the last few years. 



Land has lost since 1920 from 

 20 to 50 per cent of its sales val- 

 ue. Town and city lots have ad- 

 vanced enormously in sales value. 

 Yet — land is assessed at its high- 

 est, point, and eighty per cent of 

 lots at their average pre-war val- 

 ue. Obviously the farmer is pay- 

 ing more than his share of the 

 cost of .state government. 

 Pacts and Figures 



Under a plan proposed by the 

 Statistical Service, investigations 

 are now .being made in 20 to 30 

 Illinois epunties to determine the 

 exact relationship of land to- lots. 

 It has }>eep found in one ot the 

 counties, ot chiefly town and city 

 population, having one of the 

 largest cities outside of Chicago, 

 that land is assessed at 58.88 per 

 cent of its sales value, lots at 

 42.80 per cent. 



Translated into cold cash, 

 land owners in this county are 

 paying about $50,000 more than 

 their share. In another county 

 land owners are paying about 

 $150,000 a year more for county 

 and state taxes alone than they 

 would pay if land was cissessed 

 on the stme basis as town and city 

 1»U. ^ i 



The Tenant, Too 

 ■ The tarmer who doesn't own 

 land is also being looked after by 

 the Statistical Service in his taxes. 

 Records have been secured of sales 

 which show that live stock and 

 other farm personal property is 



NEXT TIME 



Next time — the story of the 

 bairy Products Marketing 

 Department of the I, A. A. 

 This department Is one of 

 the oldest of I. , A. A. 

 marketing departments. It 

 has aided producers in the 

 formation of ifiarketlng asso- 

 ciations in almost every cof^ 

 ner of the State. The ac- 

 count of its work and of what 

 it can do for dairymen in the 

 farm bureau will Interest you. 

 Watch for it— In the next is- 

 sue. 



JOHN C, WATSON 

 John C. Watson, of the 1. A, A. 

 Statistical Service, has been in the 

 employ of the association for three 

 years. His life training has t>een 

 such as to fit him for his investi- 

 gations In statistics on behalf of 

 Illinois farmers. He is, In addition, 

 a farmer and farm land owner of 

 Champaign County and knows 

 just how it feels to send in the 

 annual check to cover farm land 

 taxes. 



in some instances being burdened 

 with a full assessed valuation ot 

 froni one-halt to three-fourths 

 and more of its total sales value. 



How Atmot it? 



How do things stand in YOUR 

 county? It you think you are 

 pdjing more than your share, get 

 In touch with your county farm 

 bureau and suggest an investiga- 

 tion in co-operation with the I. A, 

 A. Statistical Service, This is one 

 of the greatest pieces of work the 

 I. A. A. can do for your county in 

 1923. 



This investigation must be con- 

 ducted Before next summer, how- 

 ever, or it may be too late. After 

 the County Boards of Review act 

 this summer, it will be difficult fo 

 get changes in valuations ot real 

 estate. 



How, It's Spent 



Another service to your county 

 which the I. A. A. Statistical Ser- 

 vice plans tor 1923 is the start ot 

 an investigation to find what your 

 local and county tax money goes 

 for. 



The Statistical Service hopes to 

 suggest and outline a plan where- 

 by, without too much expense, an 

 analysis of local and county ex- 

 penditures can be made — not at 

 all with the idea of seeking out 

 passible carelessness and dishon- 

 esty of officials, but to leave to 

 your judgment whether or not 



your tax money has been spent 

 economically and wisely. You 

 should know. 



This isn't all 



These two great projects do not 

 in any sense constitute the entire 

 work ot the Statistical Service. 

 Many other sorts of statistical in- 

 vestigation — in soy bean produc- 

 tion, in the tariff, in various 

 phases of marketing and legisla- 

 tioi)— have been made during the 

 last two years and will be made in 

 the future. 



But during 19? 3 the I. A. 

 A. Statistical Service will devote 

 the greater portion ot its time and 

 effort to the two taxation projects 

 outlined in this article. They are 

 huge projects. They are probably 

 too huge to be finished in one year 

 or 'n several years. But their 

 accomplishment, even in part, will 

 not only let the Illinois farmer 

 know — for the first, time — Just 

 where he stands on taxes, but it 

 shi^uld also save him an amount a 

 great deal more in most cases 

 than the dues he payt for any one 

 year. 



Watch the statistics — they're 

 important! 



Aprfl IS, 1923 



CO-OP" MARKETING 

 ACT IS PASSED BY 

 V0TE0F34T03 



(Continued from Pagre One) 

 limiting them to ten years. This 

 amendment ' is of little impor- 

 tance, however, as contracts sel- 

 dorj run even as long as tea 

 years. 



Chicago Hupport 



Not only were two-thlrUs of 

 the Chicago senatorsin favor of 

 the measure, but the two most 

 prominent newspapers in Chicago 

 have given the co-operative mar- 

 keting bill their editorial backing. 

 F. B. Rwmlntion 



A resolution, which is printed 

 in full on page four of this issue, 

 in favor ot the co-operative mar- 

 keting bill and the bill to allow 

 farmers' organizations a seat on 

 grain exchanges was presented to 

 every member of the Illinois leg- 

 islature on the day before the 

 hearing on the bill. This resolu- 

 tion ■'was passed by the farm 

 bureau presidents of the state at 

 their recent meeting with the I. 

 A, A. in Chicago. 



$25,000 for Cook 

 County Station 

 Passes Senate 



A delegation from the Cook 

 County Farm Bureau appeared at 

 Springfield recently on behalf of 

 an appropriation from the legis- 

 lature for $25,000 tor a truck 

 crop experiment station in the 

 county. The Semite appropria- 

 tions committee put its O. K. on 

 the project. 



Cook County is one of the most 

 extensive producers of truck crops 

 in the United SUtes. 



* A FARM BUREAU CREED % 



I am the Farm Bureau. I believe in the happiness, pros- 

 perity, and general well-being of the followers of agriculture 

 — the world's basic industry. 1 am an exponent of all Just 

 methods which will enable the American farmer to obtain 

 that happiness and prosperity which are so essential to the 

 ', welfare of this great nation. . , 



I am the Farm Bureau, Formed a few years ago, my fol- 

 lowers now number over a million tillers ot the soil in all 

 parts of America. In my short existence I have made the or- 

 ganized farmer a power that is respected throughout the 

 length and breadth ot our land. My influence is felt in the 

 halls of legislation, the centers of finance, and the nation's 

 iharkets. I stand for fair legislation, for alleviation ot the 

 farmers' financial burdens, and for efficient marketing through 

 co-operation, I strive for the economic betterment ot Amer- 

 ican farming — a factor necessary to the development of all 

 American industries, 



I am the Farm Bureau. I believe' in the sanctity of the 

 soil, the basis of all prosperity, I hope to see the day when 

 all men will regard the upkeep of the fertility of the soil as a 

 sacred trust. I believe in improved methods of farming, bet- 

 ter crops, purebred live stock — all of which stand for com- 

 mon sense and efficiency. I have faith in the boys and girls 

 ot the farm and through my program I am making them 

 better able to meet the problems of tomorrow. I desire an 

 organized community life — a place where farmers may work, 

 play, and worship together. I stand for better rural schools 

 — institutions where the children ot the farm w^ll have priv- 

 ileges equal to those ot the city. 



I am the Farm Bureau. I have a constructive program for 

 the farmers of America — a program that cannotl be accom- 

 plished in a day or a year, but which will be daveloped as 

 the result ot experience, education, co-operation,! a\id hard 

 work. My basis is sound. My principles are trustworthy. 

 My leaders are honorable and caffable-^men chosen| fripm the 

 farms of America. 1 



I r ■ \ \ 



I am the Farm Bureau — the hope of the Americap farmer. 



