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The niinoit AgricultimJ A»»ocUtion Record 



Nor. 20, 1923 



I llinoi s Agrlcultjiral Asso ciatio n 



Published twice a month by the IlIlNola Affrlcuttural 

 Asflociatlon. 608 South Dearborn Street, Chicago. Illtnola. 

 Edited by News Publicity Department, B. U. BUI. Director. 



Entry as second class matter Oct. 10. 1921. at the post 

 olSce at Chicago, Illinois, under the act of March 3, 187>. 

 Acceptance for mailinflr at special rates of postage pro- 

 vided (or in Section llOJ. Act of October 3. 1917. author- 

 lied Oct. 31. 1921. 



The individual membership fee of the Illinois Agricul- 

 tural Association is five dollars a year. This fee Includes 

 payment of ten cents for subscription to the lUlnola Ag- 

 ricultural Association Record. 



OPFirERS 



I PrMidmt. S. H, TIWHpaoa, anlaey. 



I . Vlre-rre«Meat. A. O. Brkert, BeHerlUab 



TT«aa«rer. R. A. Cowles. BloosalBstoa. 

 geCTetary, Geo. A. Foa« Sye««s»y. 



EXECUTIVE COMMITTEB 

 By Congreaaiooal Districts 



11th Henry McGough, Maple Park 



12th Q. F. Tullock, Rockford 



13th C. E. Bamborough, Polo 



14th W. H. Moody, Port Byron 



1Sth...i h. E. Goembel, Hoopole 



16th D. G. Reder, Mendota 



17th rf.../. F. D. Barton, Cornell 



18th C. R. Finley, Hoopeston 



1$th D. J. Holterman, Sadorus 



20th Earl C. Smith, Detroit 



21st E. U Corbin, Carllnville 



22nd Stanley Castl«, Alton 



23rd. .rr; , Carlton Trimble, Trimble 



24th Curt Anderson, Xenia 



ZSth Vernon Lesaley, Sparta 



Directors ot Departmenta 

 I. A. A. OIBce 

 General Office and Aatlatant to Secretary, J. D. Harper; 

 Field Organization, J. C. Sailor; Organization Pub- 

 licity, Q. E. Metzger; New* Publicity, E. L. Bill; 

 Transportation, L. J. Quasey; Statistics, J. C. Watson; 

 Finance, R. A. Cowlea; Fruit and Vegetable Marketing, 

 A. B, Leeper; Live Stock Marketing, C A. Stewart; 

 Dairy Marketing, A. D. Lynch; Phosphate-Llmeatone, 

 J. R. Bent. Legal, Newton Jenkins. 



I THE REAL TAX PROBLEM 



Not a word from the State Tax Commission. 

 No answer to our letter asking what it has done, 

 why it has failed to act, or what it proposes to do. 



This is after the Commission agreed with us 

 that our contentions are correct. , This is after 

 the Madison County Board of Review admitted 

 to the Commission that farm land valuations are 

 higher than city real estate. It is after the Mont- 

 gomery Board of Review testified to the Commis- 

 sion that it could not reduce valuations on farm 

 land because it had an agreement with corpora- 

 tions of the county. The State Tax Commission 

 has not answered our letter after 23 days of wait- 

 ing, even though it promised us that it would 

 order reassessments in seven counties where there 

 are wide inequalities of assessments, if the county 

 Boards of Review did not correct the inequalities 

 of their own accord. 



The Commission, has not offered an argument 

 why it cannot do the thing it promised. It has 

 not offered an excuse. It has not refuted an 

 argument. 



That is where we are in this question of re- 

 assessments in seven counties, but the immediate 

 question begins to look like the small end of the 

 real problem facing Illinois farmers. With the 

 I. A. A. Tax Department on the job, and with 

 plenty of ammunition left, let us leave that ques- 

 tion for a moment to look at the big problem. 



The State Tax Commission is created to carry 

 out a state' law. The; members take an oath of 

 office, swearing they will do their duty. 



County farm bureaus and the Illinois Agricul- 

 tural Association have presented a problem to 

 this Commission. The farm bureau has spent 

 much time and money on getting facts and truth 

 to present to the Commission. The farm bureau 

 presented hard, cold facts to the Commission, not 

 bunk, not half truths. It has steered clear of 

 politics, wire-pulling and trickery to win its case. 

 It has played a clean, square game. It has not 

 had to back up on any point. And up to this 

 date the Commission created to carry out a state 

 law has not shown the courtesy of an answer. 



If this is the kind of treatment that organized 

 farmers will continue to get, the big problem is 

 not the reassessments in these seven counties. 



While we are on the subject, let ns not forget 



that it is organization that has made the whole 

 work on the problem of farm taxes possible. It 

 is not a mere "happen-so." It is self-help. 

 Illinois farmers are paying the bill through their 

 membership fees to county and state farm bu- 

 reaus. The tax work started three years ago. 

 This is the first year that the county tax prob- 

 lem has been tackled. 



If we are going on and solve the tax problem, 

 get the final answer to it, it will be accomplished 

 by self-help, by organization. Mere promises 

 will not solve the problem. The right kind of 

 laws may have a part in it, but the real answer 

 is organization. We are down the main highway 

 to another crossroad on the tax problem. 



CO-OPS AND FARM BUREAU 



What relation should the county farm bureau 

 have to co-operative marketing associations with- 

 in the county! That was one of the questions 

 up for discussion at the district confeirences. 

 Prom the evidence presented, not many county 

 farm bureaus have a very definite relation to 

 the marketing associations. The general trend 

 of thought leaned toward the idea that, the county 

 farm bureau must have some kind of interest in 

 marketing organizations if they foster their or- 

 ganization. Several times it was stated that a 

 few farm bureau members said they did not need 

 the farm bureau after the live stock shipping 

 association was organized. 



In this issue of the Record Farm Adviser Ey- 

 man tells how Jersey county has solved this prolv 

 lem. The Jersey county plan is working well 

 under the conditions of that county. 



Let's make the Record a clearing house of ex- 

 perience on this question the next several months. 

 Write us the experience you have had in your 

 county. Will the Jersey county plan work in 

 your county, and if not, why nott Should there 

 be a relation between farm bureau and marketing 

 associations t Send the Record your ideas. 



CLEAN MILk INCREASED DEMAND 



The experts say that a standard, quality prod- 

 uct is the first thing for cooperative marketing 

 organizations to strive for. Is it all theory and 

 bunk or is there some truth in it T 



Here are some cold facts bearing on the subject 

 that come from a year and half of exi>erience of 

 the Quincy Cooperative Milk Producers' Associa- 

 tion. 



In 1921 fifty-five milk dealers of Quincy were 

 charged with selling unsanitary milk. There was 

 more milk than there was demand for. 



The Quincy co-op produced a clean, standard 

 product and advertised it. Mjlk consumption has 

 increased 25 per cent in the past year and th» de- 

 mand is greater than can be supplied. The City 

 Health Department is a real friend and help to 

 the Quincy cooperative association. 



Quincy consumers used good judgment in not 

 drinking more milk when 55 dealers were charged 

 with selling unsanitary miUc. The wonder is that 

 they drank any milk. No, the idea o^ a standard 

 quality product is not theory or bunk. City folks 

 are not much different from farm folks. If we go 

 to town and get in a dirty restaurant, we don't 

 eat much, and we don't go back, and we warn our 

 friends to keep away from that place. 

 ' Ask your wife if she ever got a bad sack of 

 flour, and if she has, ask her if she still buys that 

 brand of flour. Her answer will be the answer to 

 the question of standard and quality in the prod- 

 uct that we sell through cooperative marketing 

 associations. 



A standard, quality milk produced by the Quin- 

 cy association has given city consumers faith and 

 confidence in milk, with the result that they buy 

 more. 



An increase of 29,099 paid up members is the 

 record of the American Farm Bureau Federation 

 for 1923 oyer last year. 



LIVE STOCK MARKETING 



During the week of November first, the saviilgs 

 of the East St. Louis Producers' Live Stock 

 Commission Company was 40 per cent of the total 

 commission charges. This is in the face of the 

 fact that the Producers' company has a commis- 

 sion rate 20 per cent lower than other commis- 

 sion companies at that yards. The Producers 

 handled 295 carloads of stock that week which 

 is 14 per cent of the business of that market. 



This is a fine showing and it denotes efficiency 

 but according to the things sftid at the district 

 conferences it is not the answer to the live stock 

 marketing problem. What do you fellows ex- 

 pect this live stock marketing plan to do for 

 you anyway! That was the Question put up to 

 the audiences at most of the meetings. The 

 unanimous answer was that it is expected to go 

 on and grow to the point that it will dominate 

 the market so that it( can be in a position to 

 stabilize prices. It is to stabilize prices, to cut 

 out gluts today and famine tomorrow, that the 

 live stock marketing plan is expected to accom- 

 plish. 



ORGANIZATION LESSONS 



The organization department points out three 

 significant findings in its work this year. 



Community organizations within the county 

 are a big help in organization work. Where the 

 shipping association is going good and is tied to 

 the farm bureau, there is little organization trou- 

 ble. A definite program mapped out and car- 

 ried out by the county farm bureau is a real 

 asset in organization work. 



All over the state there are cfbunty organiza- 

 tion chairmen, township and community chair- 

 men, farm advisers and others who have been 

 through organization work this year. You men 

 can add to this experience and all counties can 

 profit by it. 



The Record will hold some spaee opeb for your 

 letters on this question in the next several is- 

 sues. Come on with your organization experience. 



LIKE THE RECORD? 



At several of the district conferences it was 

 stated that there is need for more information 

 about what the I, A. A. is doing. The Record, 

 going to all members twice a month is our chief 

 means of telling you what is going on. 



How do you like the Record! Do you stop 

 everything to read it through when it arrives, 

 and do you know any more about what is going 

 on after you have read itt Do you find what 

 you want to know about the I. A. A. in the 

 Record! We would be very glad to have your 

 criticisms and suggestions. | ■ ,' » 



GOOD MANAGEMENT 

 How often does the board of directors of your 

 cooperative marketing association meet! At the 

 district confei«nces several members of shipping 

 association boards said that they did not meet 

 oftener than once a year. Others said they did 

 not meet more than two or three times a year. 

 One said the board was calle4 together when there 

 was trouble. 



Good management is held up as one of the es- 

 sentials of success in cooperative marketing asso- 

 ciations. Sure that means to have a good man- 

 ager, but doesn't the direction and responsibility 

 of management rest with the board! 



FOR FRUIT AND VEGETABLE. SHIPPERS 



There is a move on foot to increase freight rates 

 on Illinois fruits and vegetables. The Transpor- 

 tation Department of the I. A. A. is watching this i 

 problem and fighting to prevent an increase. 



The experience of the Cass County Faritt Bu- 

 reau points to the fact tjiat farmers must be 

 interested in how theii* tax money is spent as 

 well as in knowing that they are paying th^ 

 just share of taxey. 



