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January 24, 1925 



The niinoU Agricultural A««ociation Record 



Page 3 



ANNUAL REPORTS ON PROJECTS SUMMARIZED FOR ALL MEMBERS 



POULTRY DEPARTMENT 



URGES EGG GRADING 



AS MARKETING MOVE 



i^fovie Film and Bulletin to Be 

 Used in Bringing Work of 

 the I. A. A. to the Fore 



Illinois' egg marketing system 

 is on the up-grade. Developments 

 during 19 2 4 

 point to it, ac- 

 cording to F. A. 

 Gougler, I.A.A. 

 poultry and egg 

 marketing di- 

 rector. His pre- 

 decessor, J. D. 

 Harper, early in 

 the year out- 

 lined a platform 

 consisting o f 

 the following 

 planks: 



1. Get all egg 

 F. A. GonslcT buyers to pur- 

 chase on a 

 graded basis. 



2. Help Farm Bureaus to set up 

 co-operative poultry and egg mar- 

 keting associations where volume 

 of business and demand warrant 

 it. 



3. Conduct a survey through 

 the state to get at poultry and 

 egg figures. 



4. Promote the Illinois Ac- 

 credited Hatchery plan. 



5. Co-operate with the Uni- 

 versity of Illinois on flock stand- 

 ardization. 



Practical Plans Suggested 



Careful study of the graded- 

 egg-buying system has brought 

 the department to the conclusion 

 that there are two practical ways 

 of making egg-trading more pop- 

 ular — (1) Law enactment; (2) or- 

 ganize to market eggs co-opera- 

 tively and provide for their grad- 

 ing. The latter system is be- 

 lieved by far the more practi- 

 cable, and it is felt that the 

 farmers can handle the grading 

 problem effectively themselves, 

 once the start is made. 



Gougler has studied co-opera- 

 tive egg marketing in the Middle 

 West in an effort to adopt a 

 policy devoted to the best Inter- 

 ests of the Illinois poultryman. 

 Surveys are being continued in 

 the country, in towns, and in 

 terminal markets. Educational 

 work leading, up to organization 

 also is on the program, in two 

 plans. One is a two-reel film 

 which shows every detail of a 

 co-operative egg marketing asso- 

 ciation at work and the other is 

 in the form of a bulletin for use 

 in organization work. 



In co-operation with the State 

 Department of Agriculture and 

 the University of Illinois, the de- 

 partment of poultry and egg mar- 

 keting succeeded in getting the 

 accredited hatchery work during 

 the year. 



Adopt Plans tor 1925 



Here's the 1925 program: 



1. Assist counties desiring co- 

 operative marketing agencies, by 

 finding out whether conditions 

 warrant it. 



2. Then help in forming such 

 organization. 



3. Investigate poultry and egg 

 marketing at our terminal mar- 

 kets. ^ 



4. Co-operate with present mar- 

 keting agencies in Insisting on 

 more and more purchases of eggs 

 on graded basis. 



B. Work for legislation favor- 

 able to the industry. 



6. Improve farm flock condi- 

 tions. 



7. Select 15 to 20 farm men 

 and women from the district con- 

 cerned and school them in mar* 

 keting methods. 



Revenue, Gas Tax, 



T. B. Eradication: ^ 

 I. A. A. Projects 



Investigating and outlining pol- 

 icies for the coming year have 

 taken up the time of the I. A. A. 

 Legislative Committee, consist- 

 ing of F. D. Barton, A. C. Ever- 

 ingham, and H. E. Goembel. 

 The committee also devoted its 

 entire strength In co-operating 

 with other farm organizations in 

 an effort to secure the enactment 

 of the McNary-Haugen Bill by 

 Congress. Though the effort 

 failed, it nevertheless brought 

 the Inequality of agriculture be- 

 fore the mind of the public. 



Revenue, a gasoline tax, and 

 continuation and expansion of 

 the effort toward eradicating bo- 

 vine tuberculosis, are the three 

 major projects upon which the 

 committee will center its efforts 

 for legislation during the next 

 session Of the state General As- 

 sembly. 



The committee seeks legisla- 

 tion designed to repeal the closed 

 season on rabbits and to secure 

 the greatest possible protection 

 on quail and other game birds 

 beneficial to farmers. 



Revenue reform, the committee 

 believes jointly with the educa- 

 tional committee, is essential be- 

 fore permanent solution of the 

 school question can be made. 

 The committee will favor meas- 

 ures of interest to the public 

 generally and farmers particu- 

 larly. It will oppose legislation 

 against the welfare of agricul- 

 ture. Ratification of the child 

 labor amendment will be opposed. 



I. A. A. NOW A FORCE 

 SQUARING AGAINST 

 STATE INTERESTS 



Organization Director Point* 

 Out That Businesa World 

 Now Listens to the I.A.A. 



BOOKS REVEAL SAFE 

 TREASURY BALANCE 

 FOR ASSOCIATION 



State Farm Bureau Strength 

 Due to Recognition of Need 

 for Funds to Carry on Work 



Apply Science to Business 



That Illinois farmers are apply- 

 ing science to their business is 

 borne out by a report of Illinois 

 Farm Bureau Serum Association 

 at its second annual meeting at 

 Champaign, Jan. 14, when it was 

 stated that 15,000.000 cubic cen- 

 timeters of serum for hog vac- 

 cination were bought and used in 

 nine months of 1924 by members 

 through 35 county farm bureaus, 

 which purchased the serum co- 

 operatively through the associa- 

 tion. 



The serum association is a sub- 

 sidiary of the Illinois Agricultural 

 Association. O.B.Goble of Chariest- 

 ton was elected president for 1925. 



"It is reassuring to note," re- 

 ports R. A. Cowles, treasurer of 

 the-I. A. A. and 

 director of the 



finance depart- 



I ^^^^H m e n t, "that 



\ J^^^^ during the past 

 ^~ year the income 



of the associa- 

 tion has been 

 well up to esti- 

 mates and that 

 expenditures for 

 all accounts 

 have been with- 

 in current in- 

 come. This evi- 

 R. A. Cowie« dences the con- 

 tinuing healthy 

 financial condition of your insti- 

 tution, and of the Farm Bureau 

 in Illinois. 



"During the year, added inter- 

 est and activity among our Farm 

 Bureaus in the business-like at- 

 tention given to securing liquida- 

 tion of current and past due joint 

 membership accounts, has become 

 general. Substantial additions to 

 income have resulted In every 

 case. It is a pleasure to report 

 that the activity has been initiated 

 within the Farm Bureaus, and the 

 director of this department with 

 the co-operation of the legal de- 

 partment, as required, has only 

 been called upon to give counsel 

 and advice and has given personal 

 service where requested. 



"The worthwhile program of 

 work of the Farm Bureau requires 

 funds in hand and dependable In- 

 come to assure Its accomplish- 

 ment. We have early come to 

 recognize and accept this fact In 

 Illinois, which may account In 

 great part for the strength of the 

 Farm Bureau movement In our 

 state. Compared to Its program 

 of work, financial program and 

 business practices are of secondary 

 importance. They are, however, 

 the solid foundation upon which 

 the superstructure must rest and 

 relative importance be recognized. 

 The Farm Bureau, with an eBtab- 

 lished sound business program, 

 becomes a permanent super farm 

 organization that need fear no 

 competition In its field." 



The Illinois Agricultural Asso- 

 ciation and the Farm Bureaus are 

 now well estab- 

 lished in the 

 minds of the 

 farmers and 

 have a ranking 

 place among the 

 business inter- 

 ests of state 

 and county. G. 

 E. Metzger, di- 

 rector of orga- 

 nization, says 

 so. This recog- 

 nition, he de- 

 clares, has done 

 much to main- 

 tain and in- G.E.Me«»«« 

 crease membership In many coun- 

 ties where organization campaigns 

 were carried on over a year ago. 

 Seven counties were re-organized. 



The department has gathered 

 much information of a general na- 

 ture for the benefit of the field- 

 men. County Farm Bureaus, too, 

 were helped with summaries of 

 tiie general accomplishments of 

 the I. A. A., In cases where these 

 counties contemplated publishing 

 special bulletins. 



The organization department in 

 1924 helped to put several mar- 

 keting movements on their feet. 

 The director co-operated with a 

 group of cotton men in Pulaski, 

 Johnson, and Union counties in 

 making a survey organization and 

 setting up a co-operative market- 

 ing organization for handling Illi- 

 nois cotton. 



Co-operated With Other 

 Departments 



The dairy marketing, poultry 

 and egg marketing, and the live 

 stock departments have enlisted 

 the co-operation of the organiza- 

 tion department on various occa- 

 sions. The Illinois Fruit Growers' 

 Exchange, now in the midst of re- 

 organization, has been given much 

 assistance through our fruit and 

 vegetable marketing department. 



The craving for a real Farm 

 Bureau sport last season grew into 

 a demand for baseball. The Mar- 

 shall-Putnam Farm Bureau had 

 the championship team and won 

 the trophy awarded by the I. A. 

 A. 

 To Stress Conuninilty Organization 



Metzger counts community or- 

 ganization an increasingly im- 

 portant project. He pledges more 

 attention to it in his program of 

 work for 1925. A start has al- 

 ready been made, however. Sev- 

 eral counties have taken up com- 

 munity organization as a minor 

 project. 



The Homestead Films Company 

 is making a new two-reel picture 

 for the organization department. 

 This film Is designed especially for 

 use in re-organlzatlon campaigns 

 during the next three-year period. 

 The picture dwells on the general 

 work of the association and the 

 county Farm Bureaus. 



In co-operation with the de- 

 partment of information, an ex- 

 hibit was designed to set forth 

 the I. A. A. services to co-op- 

 erative marketing organizations, 

 county Farm Bureaus, and the in- 

 dividual farm bureau member. 

 About 190,000 people saw the ex- 

 hibit displayed at the Aurora fair, 

 State fair, annual picnic of the I. 

 A. A. at Lincoln and Illinois Prod- 

 ucts Exposition at Chicago. The 

 department' also engineered the 

 annual picnic, held August 26. 



Furnish Speakers 



The Speakers' Bureau has been 

 active in locating m'en to address 

 district conference meetings and 

 has supplied speakers to county 

 Farm Bureaus for gatherings and 

 conventions, both business and 

 social. Demand for this type of 

 service Is increasing. 



The coming year calls for the 

 re-organization of 40 county Farm 

 Bureaus. 



American farmers should not 

 be content to be the packhorses 

 of the American civilization. — R. 

 A. Hoey, at I. A. A. annual meet* 

 Ing. 



Grain Committee 



Refused to Endorse 



Old-Line Merger 



None of the various proposals 

 for tiie marketing of grain, as 

 presented by the many outside 

 forces, have been endorsed as 

 practicable by the grain market- 

 ing committecj which has consid- 

 ered all plans carefully. It also 

 was deemed best not to employ 

 a regular grain marketing di- 

 rector. 



The Illinois Agricultural Asso- 

 ciation authorized an investiga- 

 tion of the Grain Marketing Com- 

 pany as to the following: 



1. National public policy. A 

 statement of the legal require- 

 ments to be met for federal ap- 

 proval; a statement of the legal 

 steps for the approval of this 

 merger by the authorities of the 

 state of Illinois. 



2. The place of the merger in 

 the cycle of grain marketing. Re- 

 lations of facilities of merger to 

 marketing facilities in Chicago, 

 Kansas City, Omaha,, and other 

 cities; statement of relationship 

 of merger to farmers' co-opera- 

 tive elevators in territory served. 



3. Valuation and earning ca- 

 pacity. Values Indicated by audit 

 reports of each company in the 

 combine; statement of properties 

 secured and alienated by each of 

 the companies in last five years; 

 statement of earnings 6f each of 

 the companies in last five years; 



4. Investigation of proposed 

 economies. 



5. Investigation of proposed 

 plan. Analysis of legal features 

 of proposed by-laws and contract; 

 analysis of experience, reliability, 

 and cost of management personnel 

 to be taken over from the former 

 companies. 



The I. A. A. considers the 

 method of grower-control set up 

 by the Grain Marketing Company 

 in part illegal and .Impracticable. 



44,000 PIECES CAME 

 INTOOmCE; 28,392 

 LETTERS SENT IN '24 



I. A. A. Has a Real Business 

 Office Handling Business of 

 Members; Office Manager a 

 Busy Man 



FOX TRACES CONTROL 

 OF L A. A. TO SHOW 

 MEMBER'S CONTAaS 



District Meetings a Good Thing 

 and Should Be Continued; 

 No Place for Petty Jealousy 



Gr*. A. F*z 



Employment and supervision of 

 office employes, purchase and 

 proper account- 

 ing for supplies 

 used by the var- 

 i u s depart- 

 ments, provid- 

 ing for efllcient 

 filing, mail, and 

 telephone serv- 

 ice, and direct- 

 ing the office 

 routine work 

 generally, make 

 up the work 

 falling to J. H. 

 Kelker, assist- 

 ant to the exec- ■•• «- Keik.r 

 utlve secretary. 



Any Farm Bureau member won- 

 dering how much business is car- 

 ried on by his state organization 

 should drop in on the I. A. A. 

 general offices in Chicago and see 

 the mail and correspondence re- 

 ceived and sent out. Last year 

 the office received a total of 44,- 

 000 pieces of mall and itself 

 mailed no less than 2S,392 type- 

 written letters, to say nothing of 

 nearly a quarter million sheets 

 mimeographed for the use of the 

 various departments in the year's 

 activities. 



The departmeiit has effected 

 considerable savings in the pur- 

 chase of paper and other supplies, 

 for those Farm Bureaus wishing 

 to avail themselves of the buying 

 power of the I. A. A. 



Here is a list of the more par- 

 ticular activities of the director: 



Auditing of all bills presented. 

 • Preparation of monthly finan- 

 cial statements for use of the ex- 

 ecutive committee in estimating 

 budget income and expenditures. 



Assistance of I. A. A. exhibit at 

 fairs and expositions. 



Arrangements tor the annual 

 meeting. 



Entertainment of the Illinois 

 boys' and girls' club members at 

 the International Live Stock Ex- 

 position at Chicago. 



Arrangements for the Presi- 

 dent's Conference. 



Handilng ot misoellaneous cor- 

 respondence and claims. 



"Let me sketch the contact of 

 the individual member of the Illi- 

 nois Agrlcultur- 

 a 1 Association 

 for the purpose 

 o f determining 

 what activities 

 shall be under- 

 taken and bow 

 prosecnt ed," 

 said Geo. A. Fox 

 at the conclu- 

 sion of his an- 

 nual secpetary's 

 report to the 

 delegates at the 

 annual meeting. 



the gist of which is contained in 

 the summarized reports printed 

 herewith. "The members of the Il- 

 linois Agricultural Association are 

 all members of county Farm Bu- 

 reaus. These county Farm Bu- 

 reaus co-operating with the Illinois 

 -Agricultural Association select del- 

 egates to the annual meeting, who. 

 in turn, select from each Congres- 

 sional district an executive oommit- 

 teeman to constitute an executive 

 committee. The delegates as a 

 whole select your president and 

 vice-president. 



"The member speaks first 

 through his Farm Bureau in se- 

 lecting the delegates. Through 

 the Farm Bureau and delegates he 

 speaks to his executive committee- 

 man and his president. This is 

 orderly procedure and in the past 

 five years has worked fairly well 

 to give expression to the individ- 

 ual member. It has not worked 

 perfectly but it has realized for 

 you a certain stability and 

 achieved some worthwhile results. 



"Last year you recognized the 

 need for closer contact between 

 members. Farm Bureaus and your 

 executive committeemen. You 

 conducted district conferences to 

 form a contact with your repre- 

 sentative on the executive com- 

 mittee of the state association. 

 These conferences have been a 

 good thing. They offer possibili- 

 ties of an even closer contact. I 

 hope in the coming year we shall 

 develop these district conferences 

 to a larger degree of usefulness. 

 It must be obvious to everyone 

 that with over 60.000 members 

 scattered over the state that only 

 in this orderly way can individ- 

 ual members express their needs. 



I. A. A. Works nith Groaps 



"It is just as true that to render 

 the best service to the members, 

 the state association must work 

 with organized groups. Through 

 county Farm Bureaus, co-opera- 

 tive service can and should l>e 

 made available to other farm 

 groups, such as shipping associa- 

 tions, elevators, dairy organiza- 

 tions, fanners mutual fire insur- 

 ance companies, community clubs, 

 etc. Wherever county, district or 

 state associations are functioning 

 for any of those other local 

 groups, co-operation and affilia- 

 tion is desirable and should be 

 sought. 



No Place for Petty JeaJonsy 



There Is no place in the farmer 

 family for petty jealousy, selfish 

 ambition or personal aggrandize- 

 ment. Only through co-ordinated 

 efforts on the part of individual 

 farmers and groups of farmers can 

 the most effective service l>e ren- 

 dered to the agriculture of this 

 state. 



The Illinois Agricultural Asso- 

 ciation was organized to serve the 

 farmers of Illinois. It must never 

 lose sight of this fact. However, 

 a full realization of service to its 

 members can only be had br co- 

 operation with similar groups in 

 other states and with national 

 units. A friendly and proper re- 

 lationship must be maintained if 

 the state association is to meet 

 the needs of its members in the so- 

 lution of the wUer than state 

 problems. 



