■i- 



'}' 



., I • 





1 





, •-] • .:'."Y'?>}!'* 



;»! 



Volume 5 



Issued Every Month for 63,000 Thinking Farmers — February, 1927 



No. 2 



ALL RECORDS BROKEN WHEN 2000 AHEND 12th PUAL CONVENTION 



Disloyalty To Middle West Is Charge 



Hurled At Colleagues By Congressman 

 Brand In Speech Before Crowd Of 1700 



Scores Opponents of Surplus Control Measure and Predicts 

 Issue Will Become Political Football Unless Solved By 

 Present Congress. 



G6NGRESSMAN Charles Brand of Ohio brought his 

 heavy artillery and ammunition into play against op- 

 ponents of surplus control legislation before 1,700 delegates 

 and visitors at the Friday luncheon during the I. A. A. con- 

 vention at Peoria last week. 



Before finishing his interesting two-hour address to the 

 greatest crowd ever assembled at an I. A. A. meeting, he 

 poured volley after volley into his fellow congressmen from 

 Chicago, St. Louis, Kansas City, Minneapolis, St. Paul, and 

 Milwaukee who voted against th e McNary Haugen measure. 



"These men are traitors to the 

 great Middle West which they are 

 supposed to represent," he said. 

 "If they had voted for agriculture, 

 the industry that supports these 

 cities, we lyo'^'d have had the 

 needed majority to pass this legis- 

 lation in the last congress." 



Traylor and Jardine Scored 



Melvin Traylor, president of the 

 American Bankers Association and 

 Secretary Jardine likewise came in 

 for a round of condemnation for 

 their opposition to the surplus con- 

 trol plan. 



"The bankers have their McNary 

 Haugen bill in the Federal Reserve 

 Act, the railroads have theirs in the 

 Transportation Act, and labor has 

 the Immigration Act," said Mr. 

 Brand. He commended labor, how- 

 ever, for its friendliness to the 

 farmers' cause, and John Walker, 

 president of the State Federation 

 of Labor, and an interested listener, 

 smilingly acknowledged the rec- 

 ognition. 



"The analogy between the Fed- 

 eral Reserve Act and the McNary 

 .Haugen plan is perfect," said the 

 speaker. "That Act stabilized 

 credit in this country." Then he 

 compared the two point by point 

 and showed how the member banks 

 pay 10 per cent of their deposits 

 and six per cent of their capital 

 into the Federal Reserve Bank. 



"It is unbecoming of bankers to 

 oppose this legislation for farmers 

 when the government did so much 

 for them," said the congressman. 

 "Mr. Traylor may be one of the 

 money changers in tEe temple." 



Farmers Lost 20 Billion. 



After showing how agriculture 

 had lost 20 billions of dollars be- 

 tween 1920 and 1925, the speaker 

 started an explanation of the sur- 

 plus control plan showing how it 

 might be used to stabilize prices of 

 such crops as cotton, wheat, corn, 

 and livestock. 



"The fear expressed by some op- 

 ponents that the price of food 

 would be raised is groundless," said 

 the speaker. Then to prove his 

 point he showed how bread had re- 

 mained at eight cents per pound for 

 the past eight years while wheat 

 varied from 80 cents to $1.85 per 

 bushel. "Cotton goods haven't 

 changed in price since the price of 

 cotton went so low," he continued. 

 "The only difference is that the cot- 

 ton planters of the South get less 

 while the manufacturers and spin- 

 ners get more." 



Before concluding his address the 

 congressman predicted that if the 

 surplus control plan is not adopted 



Congressman Charles Brand 



by the present Congress it would be 

 thrown into politics. 



"If that happens don't vote for 

 anyone who isn't your friend," was 

 the concluding word and directly 

 following it the vast audience arose 

 and cheered the speaker for fully 

 five minutes. It was the greatest 

 exhibition of enthusiasm and un- 

 animity of sentiment ever expressed 

 at a farm gathering in Illinois. 



Cooperatives Assn. to 



Indianapolis in 1927 



Definite plans to open a branch 

 office at Indianapolis in the coming 

 year were laid at the annual meet- 

 ing of the Illinois Agricultural Co- 

 operatives Association held at 

 Peoria on Wednesday, Jan. 26. 



Sixty-two counties were repre- 

 sented in the meeting which was the 

 largest held in the short history of 

 the Association. Among the organ- 

 izations represented were 24 county 

 farm bureaus, 15 farmers' eleva- 

 tors, five shipping associations, six 

 insurance companies, four farm 

 supply companies, three dairy or- 

 ganizations, one livestock terminal 

 comniission association, and three 

 seed and cotton cooperatives. 

 300 Members Coal. 



The goal for the coming year is 

 300 active member associations as 

 announced by George R. Wicker, 

 manager. Eighty-four more mem- 

 bers are required to reach this num- 

 ber. 



(Continued on col. 6, page 4.) 



Our Sam Asks For 

 Continued Support 

 To Relief Program 



More Than 1,200 Attend Ban- 

 quet On Thursday Night In 

 Shrine Temple Building. 



THE attitude which society takes 

 toward agriculture depends upon 

 farmers t h e m- 

 selves. If we 

 have the proper 

 respect for our- 

 selves and our 

 calling, with 

 faith enough to 

 stand together 

 through trials 

 and adversity, 

 we will write a 

 story that will be 

 the pride of our 

 children and 

 those to come 

 after them. We 

 canont fail if we _ „ _. 



. ^. . Sam H. Thompson 



do this. 



This is the sage advice Sam H 

 Thompson, president of the Amer- 

 ican Farm Bureau Federation, and 

 the pride of the Illinois Agricul 

 tural Association, handed out to his 

 fellow citizens and friends at the 

 annual banquet in Peoria on Thurs- 

 day, Jan. 27. 



TMlht PUialy. 

 Our Sam was talking to his home 

 folks and he talked plainly. The 

 home folks responded with a power- 

 ful ovation that threatened to raise 

 the roof off the Shrine Temple 

 building. 



After admonishing the great 

 audience of delegates and visitors, 

 many of whom he had worked side 

 by side with in building the I. A. 

 A. about the necessity for main 

 taining a strong organization and 

 a united front, Mr. Thompson 

 launched into a discussion of the 

 economic situation of agriculture 

 and the need for enabling legisla 

 tion so the farmer may help him- 

 self out. 



"Lack of stabilization is the 

 trouble with our business," said the 

 speaker, "and lack of bargaining 

 power on the part of farmers is the 

 root of all the evil." 



Answers Criticism 

 Answering the criticism of 

 "price-fixing" and "economically 

 unsound" both of which have been 

 used in describing the surplus con- 

 trol legislation asked by farmers, 

 Mr. Thompson stated that if this 

 were true, the same might be said 

 for the whole protective system as 

 applied to other groups. 



The last six years, the speaker 

 pointed out, have seen the steady 

 transfer of wealth from the farm 

 to the city because the farmer had 

 no way of securing for himself a 

 fair price for his product. Farmers 

 have lost while others have gained. 

 James Goddard of the Foreman 

 National Bank, Chicago led the 

 community singing and later sang 

 negro melodies which drew tremen- 

 dous applause. R. Bradley, "the 

 talkative tailor" from Peoria was 

 the humorist of the evening. 



THE greatest annual convention in the eleven years' his- 

 tory of the Illinois Agricultural Association is over. It 

 was greatest in attendance, in spirit, in enthusiasm, and in 

 the impression made upon those who saw this mighty exhibi- 

 tion of the strength and loyalty of the organized farmers of 

 Illinois. 



j Peoria, the metropolis of downstate Illinois, was taxed to 

 care for the crowd that exceeded all expectations. One thou- 

 sand was the number predicted, but more than 2,000 delegates, 

 visitors, and their wives came from the 93 organized counties 

 of the state to participate in the three-day program. 



Twenty newspaper, farm paper 



Congressman Brand's complete 

 speech as well as copies of "A Short 

 Story of the I. A. A. and Report for 

 1926" may be had by writing the 

 Department of Information, Illinois 

 Agricultural Association, 608 So. 

 Dearborn St., Chicago. They will 

 be sent free as long as they last. 



Earl C. Smith Unopposed for President 

 Is Elected by Unanimous Vote. Frank 

 Barton Wins Over W. C. McQueen 

 filir\ Vice-President. Four New 



Men on Executive Committee 



Congressman Charles Brand of Ohio Gets Glad Hand and 

 Vociferous Applause From 1700 Delegates and Visitors at 

 Friday Luncheon in Shrine Temple As He Flays Oppo- 

 nents of Farm Measure. 



Re-elected President 



Earl C. Smith 



McNARY l^ETAINED 



Senator Charles L. McNary who 

 was scheduled to speak at the Fri 

 day luncheon called by long dis- 

 tance telephone on Thursday to say 

 that it was imperative he stay in 

 Washington in the interest of the 

 McNary farm relief bill. 



A. A. Executive 

 Committee Votes 

 For "Bureau Farmer" 



The BUREAU FARMER, official 

 publication of the American Farm 

 Bureau Federation, will be sent to 

 all members of the I. A. A. accord- 

 ing to a unanimous decision reached 

 by the Executive Committee at its 

 regular meeting held on Jan. 7. 



The BUREAU FARMER which 

 appeared officially January 1, is a 

 32-page magazine issued once each 

 month. It is published by John 

 Wilding, Ft. Wayne, Indiana, who 

 signed a contract with the Ameri- 

 can Farm Bureau Federation by 

 which the former assumes all risk 

 and responsibility for advertising. 

 I. A. A. News Included. 



News of the Illinois Agricultural 

 Association and the county farm 

 bureaus will be included in a four 

 to eight page insert each month. 

 The magazine will appear the first 

 of the month. 



The Illinois Agricultural Associa- 



(Continued on ool. 3, page 4.) 



and press correspondents from Chi- 

 cago, Washington, D. C, Indiana, 

 and the downstate cities of lUinoir 

 who attended the convention broad- 

 cast its proceedings into every 

 state in the Union, It was a repre- 

 sentative gathering. 



Many Guest* Present. 



Mr. and Mrs. J. A. Miller drove 

 to the meeting frou Denver, Colo- 

 rado. 



John Walker, the vigorous presi- 

 dent of the Illinois State Federation 

 of Labor, Wm. H. Malone, chair- 

 man of the Illinois Tax Commission, 

 Mrs. H. C. Rodenhouser of the Illi- 

 nois Federation of Women's Clubs, 

 Mrs. Arthur Smith of the Illinois 

 League of Women Voters, R. C. 

 Moore, secretary of the Illinois 

 State Teachers' Association, H. E. 

 Young, secretary of the Illinois 

 Farmers' Institute, E. A. Eckert, of 

 the Illinois State Grange, and Jus- 

 tice of the supreme court of Illi- 

 nois, Clyde E. Stone were all guests 

 at the Friday luncheon. Telegrams 

 from eight Illinois congressmen, 

 who were unable to attend were 

 read by President Earl Smith. 



Herman Danforth, first president, 

 Howard Leonard, and Sam H. 

 Thompson, all past presidents of the 

 I. A. A. were other prominent 

 guests there to celebrate the twelfth 

 birthday of the organization which 

 they helped build. 



Beginning Tuesday afternoon, a 

 steady stream of delegates and vis- 

 itors poured into the city on the 

 banks of the Illinois, by train, trol- 

 ley, bus, and auto until by Thurs- 

 day all hotels were crowded to 

 capacity. It was the first large con- 

 vention held in the new Pere Mar- 

 quette hotel, but five of Peoria's 

 largest buildings were required to 

 hold all the sessions of the meeting. 



Smith Unopposed. 



Rumors regarding opposition to 

 President Smith for reelection which 

 were heard about the lobby prior to 

 the election never materialized. 

 When Frank Barton arose to nom- 

 inate Mr. Smith following the call 

 for candidates by A. C. Everingham, 

 President Smith's name was re- 

 ceived with loud acclaim. A few 

 minutes later the secretary was in- 

 structed by the voters to cast a 

 unanimous ballot for the popular 

 candidate. 



The \nce-presidential berth, held 

 last year by Chas. R. Finley was 

 (Continued on col. 2, page 4.) 



l.-J:vt- 



