THE I. A. A. RECORD 



Page Three 



W. H. Moody 



14th Dist. Meeting 



O. K.'s Surplus Bill 



Largest Diatrict Meeting of the Year 

 Is Held at Monmouth Not. 23 



ONE of the best I. A. A. district 

 meetings of the year was held at 

 Monmouth in the 14th district on Nov. 

 23. W. H. Moody, 

 who represents 1|he 

 district on the J. 

 A. A. executive 

 committee, called 

 the meeting to or- 

 der. M. L. Hunt 

 of McD o n o u g h 

 couijty was elected 

 chairman and J. 

 H. Lloyd of Han- 

 cock county secre- 

 tary. 



"From the stand- 

 point of accom- 

 plishment, this has 

 been the greatest year of my expe- 

 rience on the executive committee," 

 said Mr. Moody.- He commended the 

 good work of special I. A. A. commit- 

 tees and President Earl C. Smith. 



Represented at the meeting were 

 delegations from Mercer, Warren, 

 Henderson, McDonough, Hancock, and 

 Rock Island. 



The 14th district has its own public 

 relations committee composed of C. W. 

 Cooper, A. G. Bridgford, and John 

 Schwartz who reported on the political 

 candidates in the district and their 

 stand on various legislation of interest 

 to farmers. ^ 



Resolutions Passed 

 Resolutions were passed supporting 

 the principles of the McNary-Haugen 

 bill, approving the recommendations of 

 the recent St. Louis Farm Conference, 

 advocating coverage in the 111. Agr. 

 Mutual Insurance policy of collisions 

 with immovable objects, recommenjd- 

 ing a plan of life insurance to be 

 worked into the mutual insurance pro- 

 gram, praising the work of the I. A. 

 A. executive committee, staff, and 

 President Smith during the past year, 

 pledging support to presidential and 

 local candidates who are friendly 

 to the principles involved in the Mc- 

 Nary-Haugen bill, and pledging large 

 delegations from each county to at- 

 tend the annual meeting of the I. A. 

 A. at Rock Island, Jan. 19-20, 1928. 

 Dave L. Swanson, manager of the 

 Chicago Producers, who spoke on the 

 subject of livestock marketing , showed 

 how it would be possible for the Pro- 

 ducers' organizations to stabilize the 

 market and save farmers millions of 

 dollars if they can secure a large 

 enough percentage of the receipts. 

 ' The question of the direct purchas« 

 of hogs by packers was considered. It 

 was pointed out that if farmers mar- 

 ket direct to packers they should see 

 to it that they get at least a part of 

 the savings thus effected. 



J. H. Lloyd moved that the program 

 committee be held intact and be in- 

 structed to arrange for the first dis- 

 trict meeting following the annual 

 meeting of the I. A. A. Carried. 



The I. A, A. In 1927 



Response by President Earl C. Smith, to the Roll Call of States, in Re- 

 porting Accomplishments of the I. A. A. at the Annual Meeting of the Amer- 

 ican Farm Bureau Federation, Chicago, Dec. 6, 1927. i . 



1AM pleased to report among the many accomplishments of the I. A. A. 

 during 1927 the following: 



Our full support and cooperation with the A. F. B. F. and other affiliated 

 farm and cooperative organizations in securing the passage of the McNary- 

 Haugen Bill by the Second Session of the 69th Congress. We authored, 

 sponsored, and secured the passage of a constructive gasoline tax law in our 

 State which properly recognizes a secondary system of roads giving direct 

 recognition and service to rural Illinois. 



We authored and sponsored an income tax bill during the same session 

 of our Legislature and although did not secure its passage, succeeded dur- 

 ing its consideration in imprinting upon the minds of our legislators, the 

 inequities that exist under the present laws, as to cause the passage of a 

 resolution providing for a committee with proper appropriations chargred 

 with the responsibility of reporting and recommending a fair practical tax 

 revision program to the next General Assembly. 



Several other bills we supported became laws and many we opposed were 

 defeated. 



Operating through ten service departments and four subsidiary organiza- 

 tions and in full cooperation with 94 County Farm Bureaus in our State, 

 the following may be reported as outstanding achievements: 



1. Secured reduction in full valuation of farm lands for state and county 

 taxing purposes since 1920 amounting to six hundred million dollars. Since 

 1922, a reduction of four hundred million dollars for county and local taxing 

 purposes. The net result accruing a saving of from two to two and one-half 

 million dollars per year in farmers taxes since 1923. Further readjustment 

 since 1927 will make possible a net saving to the farmers of our State at the 

 next taxable period approximating four million dollars. 



2. Represented our people before State and Interstate Commerce Commis- 

 sions wherever their interests might be affected. In one instance, prevented 

 a proposed increase in freight rates on fruits and vegetables which would have 

 amounted to $115,000 annually. Collected $25,500 in railroad claims for our 

 members. 



3. Very active in promoting the cooperative selling of live stock. Forty- 

 eight and seven tenths per cent of the total receipts of the Producer Agencies 

 on the Chicago, East St. Louis, Peoria and Indianapolis markets emanated 

 from Illinois farms. Handled 35,565,000 cc of anti-hog cholera serum, and 

 virus, saving users practically $250,000. 



4. Encouraged and promoted the cooperative handling and selling of 

 dairy products. Managed and sold for 10,235 members their milk and cream 

 showing increased earnings of $1,428,200. 



5. Executed contractual relations with four rock phosphate and 25 lime- 

 stone companies whereby the interests of our members as to the quality and 

 price are carefully safeguarded. More than one-fourth of all limestone and 

 two-thirds of all ground rock phosphate used in the United States has been 

 used by Illinois farmers. 



6. Furnished a highly specialized audit and business advisory service to 

 224 cooperative organizations with a total membership of approximately 120,000. 



7. Farmers Mutual Reinsurance Company has written during the year, 

 $2,058,655 fire insurance, $3,980,000 farm crop hail insurance and $656,337 

 fruit and garden truck hail insurance. 



8. During the year -organized the Illinois Farm Supply Company which 

 is controlled by and operated for our members. Although only seven months 

 old, have purchased 2,000,000 gallons of gasoline, 1,250,000 gallons of kero- 

 sene and 150,000 gallons of lubricating oils, comprising about 440 cars of 

 petroleum products, representing a sales value of over $600,000 and a saving 

 in the form of patronage refunds to consumers of about $48,000. 



9. During the year, organized the Illinois Agricultural Mutual Insurance 

 Company, which provides ample automobile insurance protection at a cost 

 considerably lower than is obtainable on the open insurance market. This 

 Company which is exclusively owned by and operated for Farm Bureau mem- 



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