Page 8 



The niiBoU Agricultural A»»odation Record 



January 24, 1925 



BALANCE SHEET SHOWS I. A. A. SAVED $39,189.96; RESERVE $253,910.07 



"BEST MEETING IN 



HISTORY" IS CLAIM 



(Continued from page 1) 

 thereof." This was changed to 

 allow an additional delegate for 

 "eaeh 500 paid-up members, or 

 major fraction thereof." 



157 Delegates Oil Deck 



The meeting opened in the Au- 

 ditorium of the University of Illi- 

 nois on Thursday morning, Jan. 

 15, with 157 registered delegates 

 in attendance besides the Farm 

 Bureau presidents and farm advis 

 ers, from practically all of the 

 92 Farm Bureaus, the oCBcials, 

 and the executive committeemen, 

 in attendance. With an estimated 

 attendance of 1,200 at the Thurs- 

 day morning session, the 1925 

 convention goes on record as the 

 largest and most representative 

 annual meet In the ten years of 

 the Association's existence. 



H. W. Mumford, dean of the 

 College of Agriculture, in deliver- 

 ing the address of welcome urged 

 his hearers to be encouraged by 

 the accomplishments of farmers' 

 organizations rather than by their 

 mistakes. He stated that a revival 

 of the fighting spirit was one of 

 the most significant gains made by 

 farmers during the year Jest 

 ended. 

 Preeident Gives Anniul .Address 



"Our Sam" H. Thompson, in his 

 annual presidential address said, 

 among many other pertinent 

 things, that because of the present 

 day rapid transit facilities, the 

 wholesome community life of 

 farmers has diminished. "In the 

 old days, community life centered 

 around the home, the church, and 

 the school, and we all gathered 

 there regularly. 



"The heads of families, the 

 hired help, and practically the en- 

 tire neighborhood joined in home- 

 taleat programs entertainment. 

 This not only brought us together 

 with the strangers that moved into 

 the community, but it brought 

 about that personal touch that is 

 so necessary for the contentment 

 and happiness which goes a long 

 way toward keeping our boys and 

 girla on the farm." 



Need More Community life 



"People motor to larger centers 

 these days, where they get enter- 

 tainment that is commercialized 

 for the purpose of making money 

 rather than for upholding the high 

 standards of living that contribute 

 toward building up strong moral 

 character. 



"Every farmer should adopt bet- 

 ter methods of bookkeeping In or- 

 der to know just what his produc- 

 tion costs are in all operations," 

 was another of President Thomp- 

 son's points. He reminded the 

 delegates and all that "we have 

 arrived at a stage in the history 

 of American agriculture where we 

 can no longer expect to buy a farm 

 and look to an increase in the val- 

 ue of that farm from year to year 

 to compensate us for the loss sus- 

 tained in its operation." "Our 

 Bam" commended the College of 

 JAgritulture and Dean Mumford 

 lor the work it has done through 

 its extension department in co-op- 

 erating with the county Farm Bu- 

 Ireaus and the Illinois Agricultural 

 Association. He also pointed to 

 the need tor continued organiia- 

 jtion on the part of farmers. 

 Saved Another $2,000,000 



George A. Fox, executive secre- 

 tary, in his report of the estab- 

 lishment of the Illinois Agricnl- 

 tural Co-operatives Association, 

 the Auditing and business advisory 

 organization that functions as the 

 I. A. A. department of co-operative 

 accounting, as one of the outstand- 

 ing Bccompllshments of the past 

 yeari In speaking of the activities 

 of other departments, he said the 

 following: "The department of 

 taxation and statistics saved Illi- 

 nois : farmers over »2, 000.000 itf 

 taxe» in 1924 by bringing about 

 partilal equalization ■ between M- 

 sess^ valuations on city and couff- 

 try property. Our live stock, dairy, 

 and fruit and vegetable marheting 

 departments have assisted county 

 Farrii Bureaus in setting up Co- 

 operailve marketing organizations 

 Df al( kinds and in drawing up con- 

 tracts for them. The transporta- 

 tion department saves Illinois 

 farn^ers at least »370,000 i year 



in freight ijates by securing a re- 

 duction in the minimum carload 

 weight requirements on hogs as 

 well as changes in live stock mixed 

 car requirements. By pooling 

 limestone and phosphate orders, 

 the phosphate-limestone depart- 

 ment stabilized prices on these 

 minerals and gained a 10-cent dif- 

 ferential in favor of farm bureau 

 members. 



Poshed T. B. in 49 Conntles 



"The finance department ad- 

 vised and assisted county Farm 

 Bureaus and co-operatives In mat- 

 ters involving finance administra- 

 tion. The association further 

 helped to Establish area testing 

 for bovine tuberculosis in 49 coun- 

 ties. Estaplishing co-operative 

 poultry and egg marketing asso- 

 ciations, and advocating the pur- 

 chase of egis on a graded basis, 

 are the outstanding accomplish- 

 ments of the poultry marketing 

 department. Publication of the 

 I. A. A. REcbsn, information serv- 

 ice to the press, advertising and 

 publicity service to co-operative 

 marketing Associations, and ar- 

 rangement for radio talks make 

 up the workl of the department of 

 information.! The legal depart- 

 ment has uried the use of market- 

 ing contractj." 



It was brought out at the pieet- 

 Ing that th^re was an increase 

 In the state membership over the 

 past year, the figure today stand- 

 ing at 63,0((0 farmers. 



I. A. A. f^tiuuicially Strong 

 The favorable financial condi- 

 tion reflected by the association's 

 balance of J253,910.07 on Jan. 1, 

 1925, as pointed out by Treasurer 

 Cowles, meahs "an established in- 

 stitution, farmer-owned and farm- 

 er-controlledj, able and ready to 

 execute with effectiveness any 

 .worthwhile progress within rea- 

 sonable possibilities for the bene- 

 fit of the farmers of Illinois." 



George W^ Willett, principal of 

 Lyons Township high school at La 

 Grange, Ill.,j and director of the 

 I. A. A. scllool investigation, in 

 talking duriing the afternoon of 

 the first day on "Our Educational 

 System," reported the findings of 

 the school sirvey. The following 

 points, he said, were determined 

 by this survey: Farmers every- 

 where are taking unusual interest 

 in educational matters; practically 

 all intend to send their children 

 to high school: the majority are 

 opposed to consolidated schools un- 

 der existing conditions; a large 

 ma/orlty favor the continuance of 

 a one-room school; most farmers 

 want their children to remain on 

 the farm. "The little red school- 

 house," sai(] Willett, "is not so 

 bad as it haf often been pictured. 

 Much depends upon the quality of 

 the teacher in that school." 



Crerar SItli; Couldn't Come 



Events of the afternoon also in- 

 cluded an address on grain mar- 

 keting by R. A. Hoey, of Spring- 

 field, Manitoba, and a member of 

 the Canadian Parliament. He sub- 

 stituted for the announced speak- 

 er. Hon. T. A. Crefar, who was 

 detained because of physicians' ur- 

 gent orders. Hoey outlined the 

 successful operation of the recent- 

 ly organized Canadian wheat pool 

 serving three provinces with 36,- 

 000 share-holders. Through the 

 pool, he said. Dominion farmers 

 have been aple to get from 7 to 

 15 cents a bushel more than grow- 

 ers in the qnited States, for the 

 first time in history. 



In an ope^ discussion from the 

 floor on co-operative marketing, 

 S. H. Greeley of Berkeley, Calif, 

 for many yeftrs a member of the 

 Chicago board of trade, declared 

 in reference to the 126,000,000 

 grain merger, that no terminal co- 

 operative marketing agency could 

 succeed at the present time while 

 warehousing owners continue to 

 deal in grain. He stated that 

 farmers should use the terminal 

 warehouse to store grain and that 

 warehouses should not have any- 

 thing to do with the merchandis- 

 ing of grain, 



Following the annual associa- 

 tion banquet^ David KInley, presi- 

 dent of the University of Illinois, 

 t%ld the gathering of 660 Farm 

 Bureau folks that "it Is the rural 

 man and woman that tyi^ify the 

 best in American life. Agricul- 

 ture must remain prosperous be- 

 cause on Its success rests the wel- 

 fare of American lite." 



Hiram Gets Redeemed 



The playlet on "The Redemp- 

 tion of Hiram Homebrew" as pre- 

 sented after the banquet by the 

 Menard County Farm Bureau was 

 a slapstick comedy of rare quality, 

 bringing down the house time af- 

 ter time and at the same time 

 driving home farm bureau points. 

 G. E. Metzger, organization direc- 

 tor, reports as the Recobo goes to 

 press that he has received three 

 letters asking for copies of the 

 playlet. 



Charles J. Brand, consulting 

 specialist in marketing of the 

 United States Department of Ag- 

 riculture, then spoke on "The Ag 

 ricultural Situation, Past and 

 Present." While warning his au 

 dience that this year's Improved 

 situation in many lines of agricul 

 ture should not be regarded as 

 representing a permanent and pro- 

 nounced change for the better, he 

 nevertheless emphasized, with 

 some optimism as to the future, 

 the improved purchasing power 

 that has come to the producer 

 during the pdst six months. 



Farm Prosperity? — Nit! 



"The past three years have 

 shown," asserted Brand, "that 

 general prosperity does not neces- 

 sarily mean farm prosperity. Yet 

 it always tends in that direction 

 and if equality of opportunity ex- 

 ists, it finally ends in the farmers' 

 sharing with industry, business, 

 labor, and transportation in the 

 good or 111 that prevails in the 

 nation. 



"Four conditions should usually 

 be sought In appraising the future 

 outlook. They are sustained or 

 increasing production, good crops 

 at good prices In agriculture, sus- 

 tained or Increasing exports of 

 both agricultural and industrial 

 products, and adequate money or 

 credit at reasonable rates. 



"It Is desirable, from the stand- 

 point of the nation, that the Amer- 

 ican farmer attain such an econ- 

 omic position as will enable him, 

 when conditions warrant such a 

 course, to carry his crops and 

 products from the lower priced 

 to the higher priced seasons of the 

 year and also from a year of low 

 prices to later years of better 

 prices." 



Elect Four New Executives 



Following Brand's talk, election 

 of ofllcers and executive commit- 

 teemen took place. Executive 

 committeemen to represent the 

 odd-numbered Congressional dis- 

 tricts were elected to two-year 

 terms. They are: districts 10-11 

 (one representative allowed by 

 constitution) William Webb, Lock- 

 port, Will county; 13th district, 

 C. E. Bamborough, Polo, Ogle 

 county (re-elected); 15th district, 

 B. H. Taylor, Canton, Fulton coun- 

 ty; 17th district, Frank D. Barton, 

 Cornell, Livingston county (re- 

 elected); 19 th district, Jl L. Whis- 

 nand, Charleston, Coles county 

 (re-elected); 21st district, Samuel 

 Sorrells, Raymond, Montgomery 

 count (re-elected); 23rd district, 

 W. L. Cope. Tonti, Marlon county; 

 25th district, R. K. Loomis, Ma- 

 kanda, Union county. 



Taxes Hit Farmers Hardest 

 The morning of January 16 saw 

 everybody back In the Auditorium 

 to "finish the job." Walter F. 

 Dodd, Chicago, chairman of the 

 Conference on Revenue Amend- 

 meht, in introducing tils subject, 

 "The Problem of Revenue in Illi- 

 nois," said, "The farmer Is the one 

 person In Illinois Interested In the 

 fair distribution of the cost of gov- 

 ernment. Under present condi- 

 tions he is the hardest hit." 



Declaring that the tax system 

 should treat all classes of property 

 and income fairly and that the 

 present system fails to do so, Dodd 

 said that "it is questionable 

 whether much substantial im- 

 provement can be made under ex- 

 isting constitutional provisions. 

 Property is not all alike and the 

 problems of taxation in a growing 

 and changing world cannot be met 

 through, detailed provisions of a 

 substantially unchanging constitu- 

 tion, as framed In 1870. 

 Need Constltntional Amendment 

 "The natural solution is for all 

 interests to agree upon a consti- 

 tutional amendment untying the 

 hands of the legislature. We have 

 had e'nough experience with a leg- 

 islature forbidden to make im- 

 provements. 



ANNUAL REPORT OF TREASURER COWLES 

 SHOWS STRONG nNANCL4L STANDING; 

 OUTGROWTH OF RIGID BUDGET POLICY 



Certified Public Accountant's Statement Says: "3ooks and 

 Records Truthfully Show Financial Poaition of Assodatioa 

 at December 31, 1924." 



\ 



ILLINOIS AGRICULTURAL ASSOCIATION 

 Balance Sheet at December 31, 1924 

 ASSETS 

 Current Assets: 



Cash on Hand and In Bank 



Accounts Receivable: 



County Farm Bureaus for mem- 

 bership dues $14,588.04 



County Farm Bureaus for mis- 

 cellaneous items 1,772.40 



Phosphate Accounts 254.70 



Co-Operatlve Accounting Accts... 3.681.50 

 Others 8,997.91 ; * 



$ 36,901.51 



Total $29,294.55 



Less: Provision for bad debts 5,263.41 



Inventory of Signs 



Advances to employees for travel 



(bonded) 



Accrued Interest Receivable 



Illinois-Missouri Co-Operatlve Milk 



Producers Assn. (secured) 



U. S. Government Treasury Notes 



and Liberty Bonds 



Federal Land Bank Bonds 



Total Current Assets... 

 Long Term Loans: 

 Due from Agricultural Organizations 



for advances 38,204.15 



Less: Provision for Probable Loss. 33,700.00 



24,031.14 



167.85 



1,950.00 

 3,166.00 



14,168.21 



144,308.45 

 15,131.25 



$239,824.41 



4,504.15 



Fixed Assets: j . ."■ 



Oflice Furniture and Equipment... 26.341.78 ' ' 

 Less: Reserve for Depreciation 13,677.86 14,663.92 



Automobiles ,1,678.54 



Less: Reserve for Depreciation 701.18 977.38 



Total Fixed Assets 15,641.30 



Deferred Cliarges: j. -■■ 



Prepaid Rent 3.703.32 ] '■'- 



Inventory of Supplies 1.256.84 '. * 



Prepaid Insurance 404.43 | ■!,^ 5.364.59 



• ' I 'IK'^1, $265,334.45 



LIABILITIES 

 Current Liabilities: ' . 



Accounts Payable 10,256.31' -:. ' 



Baseball Fund Collections ' (Fm. , 



Bur) \ I 



Total Current Liabilities.. 10,321.91 



Unearned Membership Income 455.00 



Illinois Agricultural Co-Operative , ,_. 



Association Reserve j '' 647.47 



i ->-- T 



Total Liabilities $11,424.38 



General Fund Reserve: 



Balance at January 1, 1924 . 214,720.11 



Add : Excess of Income over Ex. I • " . 



penses for the year ended Decern- ' ' 

 ber 3l8t, 1924 (Exhibit il.) 39,189.96 . " .v'. 



BALANCE AT JANUARY 1, 1925 , r, 253,910.07 



1 •■■. 



$265,334.45 

 Note — A contingent liability exists revering a probable refnnd t(f 

 County Farm Bureaus for an amount not to exceed one-half of the serv- 

 ice charges In connection with their audits as made by the Illinois Agri- 

 cultural Co-Operatives Association and the Illinois Agricultural Associa- 

 tion This refund Is subject to the 'discretion of the Finance Committee 

 and If fully authorised will amount to $1,667.02. 



We have examined the boolcs of account of the above Association for 

 the year ending December 31. 1924. and hereby certify that. In our opin- 

 ion subject to the comments Included In -our report submitted herewith, 

 the above Balance Sheet and accompanying Statement of Income and Ex- 

 penses prepared from the books of account and records truthfully show 

 the financial position of the Association at December 31. 1924. 



John R. Bartlzal, SWANSON OGILVIE COMPANY, 



Certified Public Accountant By A. W. T. Ogilvlo, 



Chicago. Illinois, ..,.,. 



January 9. 1925. ^ ^. ^q^,^^ 



Treasurer. 



"An outline of a general plan 

 upon which all groups might agree 

 would permit classification of real 

 and personal property with exemp- 

 tions; Income taxation with classi- 

 fication as to amounts and classes 

 of income, and with exemptions; 

 the combination of classification 

 of property with Income taxes; 

 severance taxes and other plans 

 that the legislature may care to 

 adopt." 



"Insurance as Related to Farm- 

 ers" was the subject ot an address 

 by E. A. Myers, Chicago, insurance 

 counsellor. He stated it as his 

 opinion that the Illinois Agricul- 

 tural Association, In sponsoring 

 the recent movement to Improve 

 the situation among the farm mu- 

 tual insurance companies Itr Illi- 

 nois, "Is beginning one of the 

 most important activities In Its ex- 

 istence." 



The report of the resolutions 

 committee followed Myers' talk. 



AU of the seven resolutions pre- 

 sented by the committe were 

 adopted by the delegates after dis- 

 cussion and a slight change In one 

 resolution. 



Invited to Come Again 



The convention remained in ses- 

 sion through the noon hour on 

 Friday and finished all business 

 by 2. P. M. Thorough considera- 

 tion ot all matters, coupled with 

 rabid action at the right time, 

 marked the final session and made 

 for the early closing. ^ 



Both Dean Mumford and the 

 secretary of the local Association 

 of Commerce urged the convention 

 to come back to Champaign In 

 1926. This invitation will be con- 

 sidered by a committee later. 

 President Thompson states. All 

 committees tor 1925 will be ap- 

 pointed by President Thompson 

 within a few days. The first meet- 

 ing ot the executive committee will 

 be Feb. 6. 



