September 1, 1926 



The Illinoia Agricultural Association Record 



Pace 3 



3 

 I 





Sam Thompson Back 

 From 3,000 Mile Trip 

 Through Eight States 



"The Farm Bureau is taking hold 

 of the thinking people more than at 

 any other time 

 in its history," 

 said Sam 

 H. Thompson, 

 president of the 

 American Farm 

 Bureau Federa- 

 tion before the 

 recent Mid- 

 West Organiza- 

 tion Conference 

 at Saugatuck, 

 Mich. 



"I n talking 

 to thousands of 

 farmers and 

 business men 

 throughout the 

 western states 

 o f California, 

 Oregon, Washington, Wyoming, 

 Utah, Nevada, Kansas, and Mis- 

 souri, I am more convinced than 

 ever that farmers themselves as 

 well as business men are coming to 

 realize the needs of agriculture, and 

 the necessity for an effective policy 

 to bring back farm prosperity," 

 said Mr. Thompson. 



"And wherever 1 went, all in- 

 terests are looking to the farm 

 bureau as the great American agri- 

 cultural institution to lead the way 

 in securing the necessary aid," he 

 said. 



S. H. Thompson 



i: 



Sentiment for 



Amendment Grows 



(Continued from paire 1. col. 5) 



assessed at their true valuations, 

 the burden to industry would be 

 enormous. 



"The fact is that in some locali- 

 ties, tools, equipment, and tangible 

 property owned by manufacturers 

 is assessed at only around two per 

 cent of its true value. The work 

 of John C. Watson, statistician for 

 the I. A. A., has shown that indus- 

 trial properties in most counties are 

 assessed far below their value. 



Land and Home Owners Suffer 



"The farmers already are being 

 taxed off their farms, and home 

 owners are being taxed out of their 

 homes. The ownership of real es- 

 tate, and even homes, is no longer 

 considered desirable in many towns 

 and cities because of the tax bur- 

 den. 



"In the City of Chicago real es- 

 tate taxes are out of reason and 

 rents are so high in desirable neigh- 

 borhoods as to be almost prohibi- 

 tive to people in moderate circum- 

 stances. The farmer and the home 

 owner is the sufferer because he is 

 not in a position to dodge taxes. 



"No one wants to tax the manu- 

 facturer out of business, and more- 

 over legislatures do not do what no 

 one wants done. It is ridiculous to 

 say that the legislature will place 

 an undue burden on such interests." 



The argument has been advanced 

 that the amendment would give too 

 much power to the legislature, r The 

 revenue amendment will not 'give 

 the legislature any power it already 

 does not have except to adjust and 

 equalize taxes. 



The legislature under the present 

 constitation may impose an income 

 tax, but if this were done it would 

 serve merely as a double tax. It 

 would not alleviate the present in- 

 tolerable conditions. If the pro- 

 posed tax amendment is passed, 

 however, the legislature may re- 

 move some of the burden from farm 

 lands and real estate, pass an in- 

 come tax, and so equalize the load 

 between different classes of owners. 



If the amendment goes thffough, 

 a two-thirds vote of the legislature 

 will be necessary to pass any new 

 tax laws. The two-thirds rule will 

 safeguard against the passage of 

 legislation not for the people's in- 

 terests. If we can't trust one-third 

 of our representatives to give us 

 good laws, then we may as well 

 abandon democratic government. 



The state of New York adopted 

 a state income tax years ago of one, 

 two, and three per cent, depending 

 upon the amount of income, the 

 larger incomes being taxed more 

 than the smaller. In that state 

 there is no longer the intolerable 

 spectacle such as obtained in Illi- 

 nois where 37 per cent of the state's 

 wealth bears 85 per cent of the tax 

 burden. 



/. A. A. Collects 



$13,502 Claims For 

 Chicago Producers 



Twelve hundred and forty-six 

 loss and damage claims totaling 

 $40,012.90 have been filed for mem- 

 ber shippers of the Chicago Pro- 

 ducers Commission Association 

 since the I. A. A. transportation de- 

 partment began work for the Pro- 

 ducers a year ago. 



The total already collected 

 amounts to $13,502.45 while more 

 than $25,000 in claims are still out- 

 standing. 



The Chicago Producers through 

 an arrangement made a year ago 

 secured the aid of the Transporta- 

 tion Department of the Illinois Ag- 

 ricultural Association at a nominal 

 figure to help in settling claims and 

 overcharges. 



The work of our transportation 

 department for the Producers has 

 attracted wide attention and a let- 

 ter from the St. Paul Cooperative 

 Commission Co., received a short 

 time ago at the Producers office 

 here, requested information as to 

 how they were handling this work 

 with such effect. 



This department of the I. A. A. 

 has had six years of successful ex- 

 perience, has made contacts with 

 railroad officials and tariff bureaus 

 throughout the country, and has 

 saved thousands of dollars to the 

 farmers of Illinois through freight 

 rate reductions, and the collection 

 of overcharge and damage claims. 



Since starting work for the Pro- 

 ducers, the department has devoted 

 much attention to the improvement 

 of conditions at local shipping 

 points, has succeeded in getting new 

 stock yards built, has had yards re- 

 paired, water installed in them, 

 shade provided, while at countless 

 stations the scales have been re- 

 paired through their efforts. 



In addition the department has 

 secured transit privileges on cattle 

 and sheep from many western 

 points. Thus feeders have been en- 

 abled to unload their stock, feed 

 and fatten them at their farms, and 

 reship them to market at a substan- 

 tial saving in freight charges. This 

 amounts to as high as $40 a car in 

 some cases. 



All this service is handed on down 

 to customers of the Association 

 without additional charge. 



Lee County Board of 

 Review Reduces Farm 



Values $5,315,653 



The Illinois Agricultural Associa- 

 tion through the work of John C. 

 Watson, director of taxation, scored 

 another victory in Lee County re- 

 cently, when the county board of 

 review made an 18 per cent cut in 

 farm land valuations. 



The cut in land valuations came 

 following information revealed by 

 Mr. Watson in a survey comparing 

 the valuations of farm and city 

 property. Watson found that valu 

 ations on land were practically the 

 same as they were in the high times 

 of seven years ago. 



In making the reduction, the 

 board of review issued the follow- 

 ing statement: 



"The board of review now in ses- 

 sion in Lee County has seen fit to 

 make a reduction on all values upon 

 lands and so-called farm lands, in- 

 cluding tracts of 10 acres or more, 

 exclusive of buildings. 



"The total amount of values for 

 taxation purposes on farm lands in 

 Lee County is placed at $29,531,- 

 406 at the present time. The reduc- 

 tion placed by the board is 18 per 

 cent or a total amount of $5,315,- 

 653, which when deducted from the 

 above values leaves a total of 

 $24,215,753. 



"We as members of the board feel 

 justified in making this adjustment 

 since the above land values were 

 placed on these lands seven years 

 ago during high prices. As a result 

 of the deflation we believe farmers 

 are entitled to a substantial reduc- 

 tion. GEORGE FRUIN. 

 G. F. MALACH. 

 (Signed) W. F. AVERY. 



This splendid piece of work will 

 result in a saving of thousands^ of 

 dollars to farmers in Lee County. 



Farm Bureaus Help 

 Stop Chicken Thefts 

 Throughout Illinois 



Thousands of Dollars In Re- 

 wards Offered. Local and 

 County Protective Associa- 

 tions Offer Most Hope 



Divorce increased 14.4 per cent 

 in Ohio last year over 1924. There 

 was one divorce for every four mar- 

 riages. In Michigan the divorce in- 

 crease was 3.2 per cent with one 

 divorce for every five marriages. 



THOUSANDS of dollars in re- 

 wards to stop chicken stealing 

 and petty thievery in the rural dis- 

 tricts are being offered by county 

 farm bureaus throughout Illinois 

 according to word received from 

 the Illinois Agricultural Association 

 today. 



Many county farm bureau re- 

 wards of $50 to $100 for informa- 

 tion leading to the arrest and con- 

 viction of chicken thieves have been 

 in force from three to five years but 

 counties heretofore inactive in the 

 suppression of rural thievery have 

 come to the front recently with 

 county-wide campaigns which in- 

 clude the organization of local 

 vigilanti committees, detective as- 

 sociations, and posting of rewards 

 in bold, black type in prominent 

 places. 



Six fully organized townships out 

 of 13 in the county is the record 

 established by the Dewitt County 

 Farm Bureau. A reward of $50 is 

 paid by the association from which 

 property is stolen and an additional 

 reward of $10 is paid by each of 

 the other organized groups, making 

 a total reward of $110. 



Kendall county, according to 

 County Adviser Earl Price, fir.st 

 posted a reward of $125 in 1923, 

 but. subsequently changed the offer 

 to (fouble the value of the property 

 stolen up to $100. The reward is 

 paid only in case of conviction. 



The Adams County Farm Bureau 

 recently posted a reward of $100 

 for information leading to arrest 

 and. conviction of anyone stealing 

 from a member. 



"We are offering $100 reward 

 and our protective association is 

 open to anyone in the county." 

 writes Ed. Creighton of the White 

 County Farm Bureau. "Just before 

 we started our organization two 

 thieves were caught and plans 

 were already on foot to get them 

 paroled. But our association was 

 able to bring enough pressure to 

 prohibit this from being done, and 

 when these thieves are brought to 

 trial we plan to have at least 50 

 reliable citizens to see that these 

 men go to the penitentiary where 

 they belong." 



The St. Clair County Farm Bur- 

 eau enlisted in the fight to check 

 farm thievery lately when it posted 

 a reward of $100 for the arrest 

 and conviction of anyone caught 

 stealing from a member. 



"A year ago the Henry County 

 Farm Bureau paid Albert Schmidt 

 of Kewanee township $50 for catch- 

 ing a chicken thief," said J. W. 

 Wgisenand, farm adviser. "Schmidt 

 got up in the middle of the night, 

 shot one chicken thief in the back, 

 and captured his partner." 



The previous season Carl Doye 

 of Kewanee collected a $50 reward 

 when he and his wife caught two 

 boys raiding their hen roost. Rec- 

 ently the Geneseo Farm Bureau 

 Community Club in Henry county 

 organized a local protective asso- 

 ciation to cooperate with the local 

 authorities in the apprehension of 

 thieves. 



Following several convictions of 

 chicken thieves in Knox county the 

 farm bureau posted a $50 reward 

 for information leading to the ar- 

 rest and conviction of thieves stea'- 

 ing from members. 



"Our Bureau has a standing re 

 ward of $100 to protect our mem- 

 bers," writes Alfred Raut, of Madi- 

 son county. "In case of a jail sen- 

 tence this is increased 50 per cent. 

 We have a county-wide protective 

 association to prevent trespassing, 

 but the members are prepared to 

 take care of chicken stealing. They 

 have devised a system of markine: 

 poultry so that each member's poul- 

 try can be identified if found at 

 the St. Louis markets. 



"At intervals our men look over 

 the poultry bought by the dealers 

 This has been given wide publicity 

 and has served quite well in holding 

 down chicken stealing in this coun- 

 ty. In the past three years only 

 two of our members have lost poul- 

 try. About five poultry thieves 

 have been sent to jail from this 



Listen Iri^ 



The Illinois Agricu'ltnrel As. 

 sociation's half hour over radio 

 station WLS, Chicago, was in- 

 augurated at 12:30 p. m. on 

 Thursday, Aug. 26. 



The half hour over WLS is to 

 be a regular feature each week 

 at 12:30 standard time. News 

 and information of Interest to 

 farm bureau members through- 

 out the state will be featured. 



A. D. Lynch, director of dairy 

 marketing who recently com- 

 pleted a survey of milk market- 

 ing on several large eastern mar- 

 kets, will have the leading part 

 in the program, Thursday, Sept. 

 2. A feature of the half-hour 

 each week will be a dramatised 

 story of farm problems or ques- 

 tions of general interest. George 

 R. Wicker, who featured the pro. 

 gram last Thursday, told in dia- 

 logue some of the principles for 

 the successful operation of a 

 farmers' elevator. 



/. A. A. Elevator Plan 

 To Be Discussed In 

 Iroquois Co. Meeting 



Illinois Fanners' Grain Deal- 

 ers Assn. Expected to Show 

 Hand On Proposed Plan 

 For Strengthening Eleva- 

 tors ' 



county. Walter Gerling, Edward.'i- 

 ville, is secretary of our county pro- 

 tective association." 



The Kane County Protective As- 

 sociation organized by the farm 

 bureau offers a reward of $100 for 

 information leading to conviction 

 of persons stealing from members. 



In Bennington township^ Mar- 

 shall county, farmers have perfect- 

 ed a close organization to stop 

 chicken stealing, which they hope 

 to do first by offering a $50 reward. 

 As soon as thievery. is detected the 

 members are posted to surround the 

 territory where the thieves are 

 operating. Secret alarms are being 

 installed about their buildings. In 

 addition the Marshall-Putnam Farm 

 Bureau has posted a reward to 

 protect its members. 



Organized gangs have been stea'- 

 ing poultry from Lake county farm- 

 ers for years, according to County 

 Adviser Doerschuk. Two rece'- 

 raids which netted the thieves 160 

 choice standard bred chickens 

 valued at more than $300 led the 

 Lake County Farm Bureau and the 

 local protective association to post 

 rewards of $50 each. 



The Sugar Grove Detective As- 

 sociation composed of farmers of 

 Vance and Catlin townships in Ver- 

 milion county was formed recently 

 following wholesale raids by pro- 

 fessional gangs operating through 

 out .Eastern Illinois. The *'ork of 

 these gangs was exposed several 

 months ago in Prairie Farmer. 

 Aided by Otis Kercher, farm 

 'idviser. farmers about Fairmount 

 assembled and under the leadership 

 of C. H. Burton, president, per- 

 fected an organization of nearly 

 200 men to suppress lawlessness in 

 hat section. The Vermilion Coun- 

 ty Farm Bureau simultaneously 

 posted rewards of $25 each for the 

 first 10 thieves caught stealing from 

 members. 



Other county farm bureaus ac- 

 tively engaged in the fight to stop 

 the crime wave by posting rewards 

 and organizing protective groups 

 are Williamson county, Edwards. 

 Woodford, Mason, Hancock, Gal- 

 latin, Grundy, McLean, Greene, 

 Carroll, Morgan, Jackson, Dupage, 

 and Boone. 



"Thieves have stolen three plows, 

 several eveners, rolls of wire fence, 

 as well as chickens in this county," 

 writes C. W. Simpson, farm adviser 

 in Gallatin county. "Last week 

 they dug one-half an acre of pota- 

 toes by moonlight belonging to a 

 farm bureau member and carried 

 the loot away." 



Fred Trautvetter of Hancock 

 county collected a $50 farm bureau 

 reward when he discovered his 

 neighbor's chickens at the poultry 

 house in Warsaw. The two thieves, 

 Archie Neatrour and Carroll Nes- 

 bit. were apprehended as a result. 

 The Hancock County Farm Bureau 

 has placed no limit on the number 

 of $50 rewards offered. 



The Mason County Farm Bureau 

 recently broadened Its offer of 

 $100 to include automobile as well 

 as chicken thieves. "At present 

 we are organizing an Anti-Horse 

 Thief Association branch of the old 

 state association, in Manito town- 

 ship," said T. R. Isaacs, counVy ad- 

 viser. "Our reward was posted 

 more than a year ago." 



J' 



A COUNTY meeting to discuss 

 the merits of the Illinois Agri- 

 cultural Associa- 

 tion's plan for 

 the improvement 

 of farmens' el- 

 evators with rep- 

 resentatives of 

 the Illinois 

 Farmers' Grain 

 Dealers Assoria 

 tion and elevator 

 directors in Iro- 

 quois county wa.- 

 in prospect a s 

 this issue went ' 

 to press. 



The proposed C«or«« R. Wickmr 



plan for federating the management 

 under one head of eight Iroquois 

 county elevators whose audits have 

 been subject to the inspection of 

 the Illinois Agricultural Coopera- 

 tives Association, a subsidiary of 

 the I. A. A., met with almost 

 unanimous acclamation by the 

 l>oards of directors. But a small 

 minority who favor a thorough con- 

 sideration of the plan have held up 

 its initiation due it is thought to 

 influence coming from the head- 

 quarters of the Illinois Grain Deal- 

 ers' Association. 



The plan proposed some time ago 

 provides for the operation of the 

 elevators under one management 

 but with «ach individual elevator 

 maintaining its own identity as be- 

 fore. 



There would be no pooling of 

 profits or interests. All sales, how- 

 ever, as well as purchases would 

 be made through the central oper- 

 ating company and the prices to be 

 paid for grain at the various points 

 would be determined by the board 

 of directors. There is no provision 

 for the assumption of los.ses of one 

 elevator by another. 



The plan for coordinating the 

 management of elevator^ that those 

 most successful may hold out a help- 

 ing baijd to the less fortunate is the 

 outgrowth of the work of George 

 R. Wicker, cooperative marketing 

 expert and director of cooperative 

 accounting for the I. A. A., who re- 

 cently completed a detailed survey 

 of 65 farmers' elevators subject to 

 his audit. 



The figures showed clearly that 

 39 of the 65 companies had capital 

 and surplus whereas 17 showed the 

 original capital impaired. Nine of 

 the companies were insolvent. 



Insufficient working capital ne- 

 cessitating heax-y borrowings and 

 the subsequent ^payment of disas- 

 trous interest was found by Wicker 

 to be one of the chief causes of 

 los.ses. That combined with specu- 

 lative and bad account losses con- 

 tributed most heavily to the down- 

 fall of the unsuccessful companies. 



Mr. Wicker believes that knowl- 

 edge of the business by the directors 

 as well as the manager is essential 

 to a well regulated elevator. Poor 

 management was responsible for 

 more losses than from any other 

 cause. 



The proposed meeting in Iroquois 

 county suggested first by the Illin- 

 ois Farmers Grain Dealers Associa- 

 tion will probably be held the sec- 

 ond week in September. The Illinois 

 Agricultural Association welcomes 

 the opportunity to be represented 

 that the plan for strengthening the 

 elevator movement throughout the 

 state may have full explanation. 



Theft, Life and Auto 

 Insurance for Members 

 Under Study by I. A. A. 



Authorization has been given the 

 officers of the Illinois Agricultural 

 Association by the executive com- 

 mittee to investigate the advisability ' 

 of theft, life and automobile insur- ' 

 ance for its members in 92 Illinois % 

 counties. 



However, the association will not. 

 according to the executive commit- 

 tee's order, poach in the field of the 

 i farmers' mutual insurance com- 

 I panies, which are concerned chiefly 

 I with mutual insurance for farmen 

 for protection against loss from 

 I fire, lightning and windstorm. 



