Page 4 



The lllinou AgricultunJ Awociation Record 



January 24, 1925 



I. A. A. REPEATS $2,000,000 TAX SAVING FOR FARMERS IN 1924 



CREDITS COUNTY 

 FARM BUREAUS FOR 

 CLEAN-HERD DRIVE 



Both Farm and City DweDer* 

 Need to be Sold on PurfMise 

 of Work, Petersen Declares 



ITo foster and encourage the tu- 

 befculin testing of cattle In Illi- 

 nois; to help 

 owners o f tu- 

 berculosis - free 

 herds keep their 

 herds clean; to 

 improve our re- 

 1 a t i o n s with 

 other states ; 

 and to co-oper- 

 ate with the 

 State and Fed- 

 eral Depart- 

 ments of Agri- 

 culture in aerr- 

 ing the best In- 

 M. H. r*trn«i terests of t h e 

 greatest number 

 of I our members — these are the 

 purposes to which the tuberculosis 

 eradication project of the Illinois 

 Agricultural Association is dedi- 

 cated. M. H. Petersen, special 

 representative on the work, de- 

 clares that "this has been made 

 possible through the sincere ef- 

 forts of the directing department 

 heads, A. D. Lynch of the dairy 

 maiketing department, C. A. Stew- 

 art of the live stock marketing- 

 department and his successor, 

 Wm. E. Hedgcock, and the advis- 

 ory committees under whose su- 

 petvislon the work has been car- 

 ried on." 



The county Farm Bureaus are 

 responsible for most of the work 

 done in bringing the need for a 

 systematic T. B. clean-up home 

 to the herd owners ' throughout 

 the state. And men in charge of 

 the work in the state declare that 

 the rapid increase in Ijoth the 

 number of counties doing area 

 testing and the number of cattle 

 tested is due largely to the ef- 

 forts of the Illinois Agricultural 

 Association. Petersen helped to 

 prepare the way for area testing 

 in 49 counties in 1924. Today 

 Illinois claims one-fifth of all the 

 counties conducting area testing 

 ^n the United States, with 6 3 coun- 



- ties having appropriations. 



I Pabllcity Essential 

 Favorable public opinion, the 

 department believes, must be 

 moulded by a properly planned 

 campaign of publicity. Accord- 

 ingly, two objects have been kept 

 in view in releasing information 

 bearing on the importance of 

 eradicating the bovine plague. 

 Testing must be popularized 



- among farmers as well as city 

 dwellers, as both parties are vi- 

 tally concerned. Farmers, breed- 

 ers, and officials in other states 

 must be kept informed as to the 

 reaJ condition of the health of lUi- 

 nolB cattle. The aim is to "tell 

 the world" of the strides made in 

 cleaning up Illinois herds, so that 

 by the time we have become a cat- 

 tle-selling state, prospects will be 

 sold on the desirability and safety 

 of buying cattle in Illinois. 



It was realized early in 1924 

 that, the cattle buyer needs a con- 

 tract for full protection. Accord- 

 ingly, a contract which fixes the 

 responsibility in cattle purchases 

 was drawn up with the help of the 

 legal department and has been 

 successfully used for the past 

 eight months. 



Milk Ordinances Demanded 



More and more towns want help 

 in drawing up ordinances regulat- 

 ing the production and sale of 

 milk. A number of these ordi- 

 nances have been formulated with 

 thQ help of the I. A. A., the most 



- important phase being a require- 

 ment that all milk come from cat- 

 tle under state and federal super- 

 visjon for tuberculosis. 



Local stock yards in 89 coun- 

 ties have been surveyed as to sani- 

 tary conditions, especially with re- 

 spect tb sources of T. B. infection. 

 The transportation department is 

 taking action where necessary to 

 impiyve existing conditions. 



TBe I. A. A. secured indemnity 

 totaling {9,440 on 124 claims 

 made by farmers who failed to re- 

 ceive such indemnity for reactors. 

 Denuuid Slxty-dajr Retest 



Public sentiment now demands 

 that cattle coming Into our state 



be retested. The 60-day rule 

 therefore applies on all cattle 

 brought over the line. Illegal 

 traffic in untested cattle from 

 other states has largely been 

 curbed, due to the efficient efforts 

 of vigilance committees, co-oper- 

 ating with Petersen. 



Much of the routine educational 

 program connected with the work, 

 it was felt, should properly be 

 handled by the State Department 

 of Agriculture. The I. A. A. has 

 successfully prevailed upon the 

 State Secretary of Agriculture to 

 purchase and distribute the mo- 

 tion films Explaining tuberculosis 

 eradication, and to publish pamph- 

 lets and posters showing the needs 

 and benefits of cleaning up T. B. 

 in cattle. 



To stimulate favorable senti- 

 ment, much time was spent in ad- 

 dressing civic and commercial or- 

 ganizations, women's clubs, medi- 

 cal and bankers' associations, and 

 rel/gious societies, as well as farm- 

 er^' organizations. 



~ Future Full of Work 



The I. A. A.'s T. B. eradication 

 project in the coming year is ex- 

 pected to see a continuance of ed- 

 ucational work; an expanded field 

 of operation; publicity concerning 

 progress made throughout Illinois; 

 an Increase in the field service 

 given In locating sources of sup- 

 ply of healthy cattle; and special 

 Emphasis upon keeping clean herds 

 clean. 



RE-ADJUSTMENTS IN 

 FREIGHT RATES, AIM 

 OF TRANSPORTATION 



I.A.A. Curbs Rate Advances 

 and Looks Into Road Prob- 

 lem; Opposes P. P. Increase 



L. J. (^naaer 



Illinois farmers shall not pay 

 more than| their fair share of 

 transportation 

 costs; and they 

 must have effi- 

 cient transpor- 

 tation service. 

 These are the 

 things forwhich 

 the transporta- 

 tion depart- 

 ment, under the 

 direction of L. 

 J. Q u a s e y, 

 stands and 

 works. 



The depart- 

 ment has taken 

 an active part 

 in 10 hearings before several 

 freight association and railroad 

 rate committees, concerning the 

 adjustment of rates on agricul- 

 tural products. tFifty-seven con- 

 ferences were heia throughout the 

 year concerning various matters 

 — mostly with Individual railroads 

 or railroad committees. 



The department co-operated 

 with the University of Illinois, 

 which held a series of nine live 

 stock shippdng association schools 

 at various points throughout the 

 state. Information was given by 

 the I. A. A. department concern- 

 ing the many transportation prob- 

 lems encountered in the every- 

 day business of a shipping associa- 

 tion, from the ordering of cars 

 down to the filing of claims for 

 loss, damage, or overcharge. 



The department took steps in 

 opposing the proposed increase in 

 parcel post rates. 



Extensive work was done, in 

 co-operation with the department 

 of taxation and statistics, in the 

 investigaticin of the state bard 

 road construction program, and 

 report madje of the findings. 



Re-adJus^ments of freight rates 

 have been i proposed by the rail- 

 roads In territory both to the east 

 and to the farest of Illinois. These 

 re-adjustments are for the most 

 part in the hature of Increases and 

 although lire stock and grain rates 

 and export and import rates are 

 not now directly involved, it is 

 reasonable to assume that an ef- 

 fort will be made to increase them 

 at some later time. Other farm 

 products will be affected by the 

 proposed changes. The depart- 

 ment believes that a re-adjust- 

 ment downward should be made of 

 rates on all farm products and It 

 will endeavtor to work to that end 

 during the coming year. 



SLUM KIDDIES ENJOY 

 FARM BUREAU HOMES 



Two hundred six boys and girls 

 from the slums of Chicago were 

 given free two-weeks' outings in 

 the homes of Illinois farm bureau 

 members during the summer of 

 1924. In this project the I. A. 

 A. co-operated with civic and 

 semi-public organizations to make 

 it successful. 1924 was the 

 fourth year in which the project 

 has beens run, and about 1,400 

 children have thus had a chance 

 to see real farm life with Us in- 

 vigorating atmosphere — through 

 Farm Bureau effort. 



Miss Grace Schecter, secretary 

 to Mr. Fox, served as Outing Sec- 

 retary last year. 



J. R. Bent 



DROP OLD PLAN OF 

 BUYING PHOSPHATE; 

 SERVICE STRESSED 



Soil Fertility and ProfiUble 

 Agricultuial Production Are 

 the Aims o f Department 



Much progress In standardizing 

 methods of buying limestone for 

 Farm Bureau 

 members; clos- 

 er business re- 

 lationship b e- 

 tween limestone 

 producers and 

 Farm Bureaus; 

 and extensive 

 changes in the 

 department's re- 

 lation to the 

 phosphate sup- 

 ply — these are 

 the outstanding 

 features of the 

 phosphate-lime- 

 stone depart- 

 ment, of which J. R. Bent is di- 

 rector, for the year 1924. 



The functions of the depart- 

 ment are: 



1. Investigation of factors in- 

 fluencing the present and future 

 supplies of agricultural limestone 

 and crude ground rock prosphate. 



2. Acting as a bureau of infor- 

 mation concerning the trade, for 

 the county Farm Bureaus. 



3. Acting as representative for 

 the county Farm Bureaus and in- 

 dividual members in negotiating 

 with the commercial producers of 

 limestone and phosphate in gen- 

 eral trade and in correcting abuses. 



4. Giving specific advice to lo- 

 cal units as to advisability of de- 

 veloping farmer-owned limestone 

 plants or storage facilities. 



5. Assisting where most advan- 

 tageous in the collective purchas- 

 ing of crude materials. 



6. Keeping public officials and 

 other necessary agencies correctly 

 informed about all movements 

 aimed at better maintenance of 

 soil fertility and profitable agri- 

 cultural production. 



Need Bureau for Greatest 

 Limestone Use 



District conferences conducted 

 by the department throughout Illi- 

 nois revealed the fact that the 

 Farm Bureaus have been and 

 must be in the future, the most 

 effective agency for the promo- 

 tion of limestone use on Illinois 

 farms. In view of the fact that 

 a large proportion of the fertilizer 

 business is pooled through the 

 Farm Bureau, many of the con- 

 tracting companies have agreed 

 to furnish Farm Bureau purchas- 

 ers with limestone at special 

 prices, amounting to a maximum 

 of 10 cents per ton. The new 

 plan has proved popular and has 

 helped to increase the ranks of 

 Farm Bureau members in the 

 state. 



'New Phosphate Basis 



Radical departures were made 

 in the phosphate purchasing pol- 

 icy. The plan of collective bar- 

 gaining as used in the four years 

 from 1920 to 1923 was abandoned, 

 and companies were left to do 

 their own soliciting of business 

 among the farmers of the state. 

 At the same time, the depart- 

 ment's function in supervising the 

 quality and service rendered by 

 the producing companies, formerly 

 limited to but a few companies, 

 was extended to cover all of the 

 producing plants and companies 

 now operating In the Tennessee 

 field. Bent counts this a distinct 

 step in advance, although 1924 



was a subnormal year In the 

 amount of crude ground rock 

 phosphate used in Illinois. 

 ^linois, Indiana, and Iowa lime- 

 stone fields were visited by the di- 

 rector from time to time. Quarry 

 conditions and methods of hand- 

 ling the fertilizer were Inspected, 

 and records kept. Limestone de- 

 posits in Illinois and phosphate 

 deposits in Tennessee also have 

 been investigated as to available 

 sources for future supplies. 



The Future 



Marked improvements in trans- 

 portation facilities. Insuring 

 prompt shipments of fertilizer dur- 

 ing 1924, have rendered the stor- 

 age problem a minor one. Bent 

 points out. It Is becoming more 

 and more evident, however, that 

 as time goes on, provision must 

 be made for distribution of ship- 

 ments over a wider period of 

 time. If production is to be made 

 efficient and economical. 



Though it carries its fresh prob- 

 lems, the outlook for 1925 is 

 promising. Continued friendly re- 

 lations, co-operation, and stan- 

 dardized business methods are nec- 

 essary to stabilize the traffic in 

 limestone and phosphate. 



CLEARING HOUSE ON 

 BAR DECISIONS, AIM 

 OF LEGAL COUNSEL 



Service to Marketing Depart- 

 ments and Farm Bureaus Is 

 Work Falling to Kirkpatrick 



Service to the interests of organ- 

 ized agriculture in Illinois has 

 been the watch- 

 word of this de- 

 partmentin 

 1924, operating 

 under the direc- 

 tion of Donald 

 Kirkpatrick, I. ^^^H'f^ 

 A. A. legal ^^^H^ 

 counsel. The 

 Grain Market- 

 1 n g Company 

 was examined 

 as to articles ot 

 i n c orporation, 

 by - laws, and 

 contracts, and a d. Kirkpatrick 

 report was 



made to the I. A. A. grain com- 

 mittee. 



In investigating the Co-opera- 

 tive Marketing Act passed by the 

 Illinois Legislature in 1923, the 

 department discovered that the 

 act carries certain provisions of 

 power which co-operatives might 

 misuse to their later disadvant- 

 age. On this basis, recommenda- 

 tions will be made to the legisla^ 

 tive committee. 

 Helped Marketing Departments 



In co-operation with the live- 

 stock, dairy, and fruit and vege- 

 table marketing departments, the 

 legal department has urged the 

 use of marketing contracts for all 

 co-operatives except live stock 

 shipping associations. Uniformity 

 of contracts where possible has 

 been insisted upon, and uniform- 

 ity of provision has been advo- 

 cated. 



Incorporation of a co-operative 

 with or without capital stock is 

 allowable under the Illinois Co- 

 operative Marketing Act of 1923, 

 belief to the contrary notwith- 

 standing. The legal department 

 therefore has advised the issuance 

 of preferred stock, limited to the 

 right parties, where substantial 

 capital is needed. 



Co-ops Need Legal Advice 



The legal department points 

 out that frequent advice on local 

 legal matters is essential if the 

 co-operative Is to function prop- 

 erly. The department accordingly 

 advises all co-operatives to have 

 and use legal advisers of their 

 own, locally speaking. Co-opera- 

 tive buying enterprises are not 

 encouraged, as the first function 

 of the local is to market Its stock 

 successfully. The department be- 

 lieves in strict adherence to the 

 commodity marketing basis. 



Helps County Farm Bureaus 



The legal department will con- 

 tinue to give legal counsel to the 

 association in matters pertaining 

 to the association's business. And 

 it wants to serve as a clearing 

 house for all new decisions hand- 

 ed down in the courts ot the state, 

 so as to advise all co-operatives 

 under its Jurisdiction. 



ILUNOIS FARMERS 

 LAST YEAR SAVED 

 2 MILUON IN TAXES 



More Uniform Assessments 

 of Real Estate Secured; 

 Need of Tax Reform Seen 



Problems ot taxation, including 

 the closely related analysis of pub- 

 lic finances, 

 took up the ma- 

 jor portion of 

 time for the de- 

 partmentof 

 taxation and 

 statistics, head- 

 ed by J. C. Wat- ^^: 

 son, director. 



Efforts to S6- ■ /; 

 cure substantial 

 uniformity i n 

 assessments of ^^^■•.w 

 real estate in ^^^BAS'. -j 



certain counties . ^ 



were continued •'■C.w«t.«« 

 from the previ- 

 ous year. The investigations dis- 

 closed that in many counties, farm 

 lands were assessed at a higher 

 percentage of their selling value 

 than was true of town and city 

 lots. Reduction in valuations of 

 farm lands was effected in several 

 .counties. Watson declares that 

 "there can be no doubt that, on 

 the whole, the two classes ot real 

 estate are now more nearly on a 

 uniform basis of valuations than 

 has existed since the great fall in 

 prices of farm products and farm 

 lands began in 1920." 



Effected Reduction in Taxes 



Farmers were saved $2,000,000 

 in taxes in 1924 over what they 

 would have been charged if as- 

 sessments had been based on 1922 

 valuations. The department be- 

 lieves that "nearly all the saving 

 in taxes last year is likely to be 

 repeated this year." 



Illinois' tax system is antiquat- 

 ed and inequitable, says Watson. 

 Substantial progress has been 

 made by the association, however. 

 In bringing together representa- 

 tives of all important organiza- 

 tions in a common effort to 'im- 

 prove the system. 



The Illinois Educational Com- 

 mission last summer appointed ^n 

 Advisory Council of 19 persons 

 representing various organization^ 

 of the state. The director of the 

 taxation department, and J. L. 

 Whisnand, executive committee- 

 man from the 19th district, also 

 chairman of the school commis- 

 sion of the I. A. A., were appoint- 

 ed to the Council to represent the 

 association. 



Constitution Needs Amendment 



Conferences brought out the be- 

 lief of practically all parties con- 

 cerned that amendment of the 

 revenue sections ot the state con- 

 stitution is necessary before any 

 great improvement can be made 

 in the revenue system of the state. 

 Discussions will continue until the 

 larger number of organizations in 

 the state will concur with the 

 Commission in its campaign to im- 

 prove the state tax system through 

 legislative action. 



The director of the department 

 also presented the problems of 

 taxation before a number of meet- 

 ings and conferences, including 

 the annual Farmers' Week, the 

 Trl-State Development Congress 

 at Duluth, and the annual conven- 

 tion of the Ohio Farm Bureau 

 Federation at Columbus. He also 

 gave a radio talk on taxation over 

 WLS Chicago. 



Announces Future Program 



The department proposes to con- 

 tinue its efforts to discover the 

 facts and to secure equalization 

 of values in any counties having 

 serious inequalities. It proposes 

 to continue its analysis of taxes 

 extended on lands. It will under- 

 take a limited amount of work in 

 Farm Bureau counties where de- 

 sired. And it proposes to give 

 much of its time to a considera- 

 tion of legislative matters, and 

 more especially to work with the 

 committee of which Watson, rep- 

 resenting the I. A. A. is a mem- 

 ber, concerning recommendations 

 relating to an amendment of the 

 revenue sections of the State Con- 

 stitution. 



