S, 1924 



FdmMiT 5. 1924 



The minoU AgriaJtairal Awociation Record 



PagaS 



Community Organization Puts the 



Pep in the Macoupin Farm Bureau 



Farm bureau members from 

 North Otter township were giv- 

 en the reserved seats on the plat- 

 form at the Macoupin County- 

 Farm Bureau annual meeting 

 and rally day at Carlinville 

 last November 24, it was re- 

 TeeJed after aU noses were 

 counted. Nearly 100 members 

 with their wives were present 

 from that township, whose cen- 

 ter is approximately 30 miles 

 from Carlinville. 



Bat that's not halt the storr- 

 Exactly 1261 bapP7 farm folk 

 dined that day 

 at the expense 

 o{ the Macoup- 

 In County 

 Farm Bureau, 

 and they were 

 all (arm bu- 

 reau members 

 or their wlTes, 

 "Altogether it 

 was an impres- 

 'sire meeting 

 and we felt 

 that it was the 

 outgrowth of our community or- 

 ganization work," says "Farmer" 

 Rusk, farm adviser. 



"We had with us that day. Sec- 

 retary John Coverdale of the 

 American Farm Bureau, and J. C. 

 Spltler, assistant state leader from 

 the University of Illinois, and 

 both stated publicly that they had 

 never attended a farm bureau 

 meeting of its kind before where 

 the right sort of farm bureau 

 spirit wtis so evident. We call 

 it the Macoupin County Farm 

 Bureau spirit. 

 Ckimmimity Organization Did It 



"In making a sort of an inven- 

 tory of the work done during the 

 past three years, we have simply 

 come to the conclusion that after 

 all this thing we call the Macou- 

 pin County Farm Bureau spirit is 

 the one thing of greatest impor- 

 tance to all organizations," de- 

 clares Mr. Rusk. "We believe 

 very strongly that our success 

 thus far in this direction has 

 been due primarily to our con- 

 scientious, insistent, consistent, 

 continuous community organiza- 

 tion work." 



The community organizations 

 are the most important cog in the 

 farm bureau machinery in Macou- 

 pin county, Mr. Rusk says. The 

 idea was not bom with the organ- 

 ization of the bureau but came 

 as the need developed for a better 

 means of contact with the mem- 

 bership. The plan of community 

 organization was developed after 

 the farm bureau was three years 

 old. The constant working of the 

 bureau through its many branches 

 has been the chief cause of the 

 development of the splendid Ma- 

 coupin County Farm. Bureau spir- 

 it existing throughout the organ- 

 ization today. 



Bureau Organized In 1917 



The farm bureau was organized 

 In the "State of Macoupin" in the 

 fall of 1917 and for two years 

 the membership was 330. Then 

 in the fall of 1919, the big drive 

 was put on and even the farm 

 hands were signed until the num- 

 ber reached upwards of the 1600 

 mark. 

 Start to Organize Commnnlties 



When "Farmer" Rusk got on 

 the ]ob on January 15th, 1921, 

 there were ]ust three community 

 organizations fnnetiontng in Ma- 

 coupin county. By the middle of 

 February, H. W. Rice, then pres- 

 ident of the bureau, bad, with the 



Macoupin Is Doing It! 



We vrould all like to «ee 

 the farm bureau so well or- 

 ganized that It reaches right 

 down to the everyday life of 

 the Individual member. That 

 means not only the county 

 unit but the township or 

 community unit as well. 

 Down In tHfc "SUte of Ma- 

 coupin" they've got 36 com- 

 munity organizations and 

 they call them the moat Im- 

 portant cogs In the farm bu- 

 reau machinery of the coun- 

 ty. The accompanying story 

 tells how they do It. 



approval of his executive commit- 

 tee, appointed 22 community 

 chairmen over the county and 

 community meetings were started. 



How to get the farm folks out 

 to "meetin' " was the next big 

 problem. H. J. Shultz, now pres- 

 ident and at that time a member 

 of the executive committee, sug- 

 gested "eats", as the best means. 

 "H. J." was right, it seems, for 

 from that day to this and for all 

 time to come, Macoupin county 

 farm folks are strongly in favor 

 of "eats." 



How They Connected Up 



So they began getting in neigh- 

 borly community groups at the va- 

 rious community centers over the 

 county. In each of these groups 

 they bad their community leader 

 who was marshal of the day on 

 these occasions and who at all 

 times was the connecting link be- 

 tween the local community farm 

 bureau group, the executive com- 

 mittee and the county farm bureau 

 offlce. 



"And It came to pass that the 

 bureau looked upon its creation 

 and was pleased," says "Farmer" 

 Rusk. "Indeed the results of the 

 work were gratifying. The coun- 

 ty is large with 500,000 big acres 

 within its confines. There was 

 need for more and more commu- 

 nity organizations and as this 

 need was recognized, more were 

 created until by the middle of the 

 year 1923 there was a total of 

 36 community organizations mak- 

 ing up the most important part 

 of the Macoupin County Farm 

 Bureau machinery." 



Attendance Always Good 



The attendance and interest in 

 the community farm bureau meet- 

 ings in Macoupin county have al- 

 ways been encouraging. During 

 1922, especially, many summer 

 evening meetings were held on 

 farm lawns with moving pictures 

 shown on the side of the house 

 or bam for a part of the enter- 

 tainment. Often ice cream and 

 cake were served. 



Attendance at meetings ranging 

 from 150 to 1000 made these 

 meetings full of enthusiasm and 

 enjoyment. In 1921, the farm 

 bureau held 145 such community 

 meetings. In 1922, the number 

 was boosted to the total of 151 

 and during 1923. the total was 

 111, aside from 23 demonstration 

 meetings held during the year. 



What "Parmer" Says 

 What does the Macoupin Coun- 

 ty Farm Bureau feel has been 

 gained by three years of commu- 

 nity organization activity? "Farm- 

 er" Rusk sums It up as follows: 



"The Maeonpin County Farm 

 Bureau believes that greater suc- 

 cess Is attained In the solving of 

 farm problems, big and Uttle, 



through community effort than in 

 any other way, for it has devel- 

 oped that chief among the bjg 

 jobs of the farm bureau is the Job 

 of keeping up the organization 

 and to keep in close touch with its 

 membership in order that the will 

 of the members may be carried 

 out and that the members may 

 keep informed concerning the ac- 

 tivities of the organization. 

 Offers Best Means 



"Community and demonstration 

 meetings offer the best means of 

 carrying out this Job. More and 

 more the farm bureau is taking 

 on the form of a business-like or- 

 ganization operating as a big ex- 

 tension concern, not for the mu- 

 tual advantage of its membership 

 alone, but in cooperation with oth- 

 er legitimate organizations for the 

 benefit of agriculture and society 

 in general. 



"The farm adviser Is not looked 

 upon so much as a hired hand as 

 in the past but more and more as 

 a general manager under the dl- 



ADVISERS 



Here are the Macoupin county 

 farm adviser*, "Cracker" Johnson, 

 assistant, at the left and "Farmer" 

 Rusk, adviser, at the right. They 

 help keep the community work go- 

 ing in Macoupin county. 



rectlon of a board of directors of 

 a concern of consequence in the 

 county and state and in which all 

 members must needs interest 

 themselves. 



That Macoopln Spirit 

 "Thus the Macoupin County 

 Farm Bureau spirit Is being de- 

 veloped, the sort of a feeling in- 

 side of folks that kindles the la- 

 tent Interest in one another — a 

 genuine feeling of hospitality, if 

 you please." 



Gov't Must Deal 

 With Organi%ed 

 Bodies — Dickinson 



"No government function can 

 go out and deal with the Individ- 

 ual direct," said L. J. Dickinson. 

 Congressman from Iowa and 

 House farm bloc leader, at the 

 I. A. A. meeting. "Every plan de- 

 vised by Congress thus far tor 

 farm relief implies that it will 

 work through cooperative bodies." 



This makes the need for farm 

 organization more imperative, he 

 said. Only by cooperation can the 

 farmer hope to survive financially. 



Congressman Dickinson stated 

 that he believed that corn growers 

 of Iowa and Illinois can control 

 the price of corn by the farmers' 

 elevators uniting together and 

 selling through a single selling 

 agency. 



He also gave his indorsement of 

 the Wallace plan for control of 

 export wheat. 



V. 



Water and Rail 

 Rate Comparison 

 Made By Newton 



Railroads themselves acknowl- 

 edge that water transportation is 

 practicable and that it is cheaper 

 than by rail by the rates which 

 they establish between water 

 points, declared Congressman 

 Cleveland A. Newton of Missouri 

 at the I. A. A. meeting, arguing 

 for completion of the river pro- 

 jects in the Mississippi Talley. 



"The rail rate from St. Louis 

 to New Orleans, a distance of 718 

 miles, on 100 pounds of first-class 

 freight Is J 1.7 3^4 because the 

 Mississippi river flows between 

 these points," he said, "while the 

 rail rate on 100 pounds from Ft. 

 Smith, Ark., to New Orleans, 494 

 miles, but where no water compe- 

 tition exists, U $1.94 Vi. The rail 

 rate on 100 pounds of first-class 

 freight from Dallas, Texas, to New 

 Orleans, SIS miles, is }2.0gH. 



"From Minneapolis to SL Louis, 

 586 miles, the freight rate is 96 

 cents because there is a possibility 

 of water competition between 

 these points while the rail rate 

 on the same freight from Minne- 

 apolis to Kansas City. 86 miles 

 less distance and over a more 

 level haul, is $1.29 V.,." 



Mr. Newton stressed the need 

 of farmers uniting with other or- 

 ganizations for the improvement 

 and navigation of inland rivers. 



ENDORSES FARM 

 RELIEF MEASURE 



(Continued from P&gre One) 

 modities for the years 1905 to 

 1914 inclusive, shall be compared 

 with the price of all other com- 

 modities for the same time. The 

 ratio between any one agricultural 

 commodity and all other commod- 

 ities is used for comparison with 

 current prices. 



Conunisslon Directs Selling 



The commission makes a study 

 of current prices of farm commod- 

 ities with relation to the current 

 prices of all other commodities. 

 When the current price of a farm 

 commodity is below the ratio of 

 pre-war prices, it makes recom 

 mendations to the corporation for 

 purchasing and selling, and It is 

 the duty of the corporation to 

 carry out the recommendations of 

 the commission. When the cur- 

 rent price of a farm commodity 

 is more than 10 per cent lower 

 than the pre-war price, the com- 

 mission shall make recommenda- 

 tion to the corporation to purchase 

 such amounts so as to raise the 

 domestic price to the level of the 

 pre-war ratio price. It can also 

 direct the corporation to sell in 

 the domestic market, but at not 

 less than the ratio price. 

 Prodncers Pay Cost 



In order that the producers of 

 each agricultural product may pay 

 their share of the expenses of the 

 corporation, and their share, of 

 losses sustained by selling surplus 

 in foreign markets, the corpora- 

 tion keeps part of the price paid 

 for an equalization fee and it is- 

 sues script or a certificate of in- 

 debtedness for the amount kept 

 back. Thus the producer of the 

 commodity bears all expenses of 

 the corporation. 



The heart of the bill lies in the 

 fact that when the current iprice 

 of a commodity goes 10 per* pent 

 below the pre-war ratio, the cor- 

 poration buys to the extent, at the 

 pre-war ratio price, that domestic 

 prices will Vaiae to the pre-war 

 ratio price. 



CO-OP CREAMERY 

 AT ML CARROLL 

 HAS^OD YEAR 



Sales Over $115,000; Seven Per 



Cent Dividend a^d 1-2 Cent 



Lb. Refund Declared 



The Mt. Carroll Cooperative 

 Creamery Company closed its sec- 

 ond year's business on December 

 31, with toUl sales of $115,307.16 

 in butter, poultry and e^gs accord- 

 ing to the report of Secretary H. P. 

 Hostetter at the stockholders' an- 

 nual meetlpg, January |6. This Is 

 an increase of nearly $}0,000 over 

 gross sale« of the same products 

 last year. 



A dividend of 7 per cent was de- 

 clared on all stock and In addition, 

 a patronage dividend bf one-half 

 cent per pound was voted for all 

 butterfat delivered to the cream- 

 ery in 1923, toUlllOg 160.225 

 pounds. The company added 

 14,260 worth of new equipment 

 during the year. 



The lowest price pal4 for butter., 

 fat was 40 cents per pound and 

 the highest was 50 ceats, with an 

 average of 46.8 cents. "This cer- 

 tainly emphasizes the tact that the 

 creamery is making a [fine market 

 for our dairymen," states Farm 

 Adviser Bliss, Carroll county. "It 

 also points out bow foolish the 

 farmers of this vicinity are who 

 have been bringing this eream to 

 the stations and selling itifor four 

 or five cents per pound Ikes than 

 the creamery is paying. 



"Even they, however, have prof- 

 ited by the creamer}- being here, 

 as the stations would probably 

 have paid on the average of four 

 cents per pound less than they 

 have been paying, bad there been 

 no creamery. We piosHiv'eTy" know 

 this to be true from ipast experi- 

 ence. We hare the pecOtds back 

 for six years." 



Ely Cites Somt 

 Startling Facts 

 On Tax Situation 



"If the present movement of 

 taxatfon on farm land continues 

 unchecked, taxes will absorb farm 

 land values and the farmers' land 

 will be confiscated by the state and 

 our farmers will bedame tenants 

 of the state," declared Richard T. 

 Ely, Ptofessor of Economics at the 

 University of Wisconsin before the 

 annual meeting. 



The speaker showM ebarti to 

 prove his statements. He showed 

 how the total per capita taxes in 

 the United States bad increased 

 from about $23 in,j 1112-13 to 

 around 180 in 1923. The under- 

 lying cause of increased and in- 

 creasing public expenditures, be 

 said, is found in the development 

 of the state and nation as coop- 

 erative institutions ffr promotins 

 the public welfare. 



His remedy was for more indi- 

 rect taxation to supplement direct 

 taxes. 



Fruit Exchange To 

 Hold Annual Meet 

 On February 19th 



The annual meetinjg of the Illi- 

 nois Fruit Exchange will be held 

 in Centralla, February 1$, at 

 which time the plan, of reorgani- 

 zation will be fully explained and 

 definite action taken toward t^e 

 campaign. It is expected that in- 

 corporation papers will be in the 

 hands of the officers by that time. 

 The reorganized Exchange is to 

 be incorporated as the "Illinois 

 Fruit Growers' Exchange." 



