THE I. A. A. RECORD 





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I I 



Pofte Eleven ' 



■ 1 



Limestone-Phosphate 



Meetings Under Way 



\ SERIES of district conferences to 

 -'*- discuss contracts and policies re- 

 garding: the collective buying of phos- 

 phate and limestone opened recently 

 with the first in Chicago on Tuesday, 

 Feb. 7. Similar conferences have 

 been or will be held as follows: 



Dixon, Friday, Feb. 10, 1:00 p. m. 



Peoria, Monday, Feb. 13, 1:30 p. m. 



Champaign, Tuesday, Feb. 14, 1:00 

 p. m. 



Jacksonville, Thursday, Feb. 16, 

 1:00 p. m. 



Centralia, Tuesday, Feb. 21, 10:00 

 a. m. 



Carbondale, Wednesday, Feb. 22, 

 1:00 p. m. 



Farm advisers and Farm Bureau 

 presidents or representatives of the 

 various county organizations in each 

 section will meet with Illinois Agri- 

 cultural Association representatives 

 at these meetings to iron out any mis- 

 understandings regarding the program 

 of the I. A. A. phosphate-limestone 

 department. 



It Is hoped that these conferences 

 may lead to a uniform state-wide plan, 

 which will be most helpful and serv- 

 iceable in buying limestone and rock 

 phosphate for Farm Bureau members. 



The final state-wide delegate meet- 

 ing will be held in Chicago on Friday, 

 Feb. 24, at 10:00 a. m. 



Cut Tax Values 



In Southern Illinois 



REDUCTIONS ranging from 10 to 

 20 per cent were made recently in 

 land valuations for state tax purposes 

 in the counties of Bond, Clay, Cum- 

 berland, Edwards, Gallatin, Pulaski, 

 Randolph, Richland, Johnson, and Wa- 

 bash. The latter two counties each 

 received a reduction in land values of 

 20 per cent; the three preceding, 

 of 15 per cent, and the rest 10 per 

 cent. 



The order of the Commission fol- 

 lowed information brought to light by 

 the Illinois Agricultural Association 

 showing a wide discrepancy in valua- 

 tions in the Southern Illinois area 

 compared with other sections of the 

 state. 



Explaining the action of the Com- 

 mission Mr. Malone said: "An inves- 

 tigation of the Commission disclosed 

 the fact that farm lands in these 

 counties were carrying much more 

 than their share of the tax burden and 

 the reduction was ordered for the pur- 

 pose of equalization. The fanners in 

 general throughout the state are fac- 

 ing a condition demanding the atten- 

 tion of the Government. The purchas- 

 ing power of the farmers' dollar was 

 probably never lower than today, and 

 the price of his products certainly 

 does not compensate for the labor and 

 Copt of production." 



Wm. H. Malone 



Wm. H. Malone Says 



Farm Taxes Too High 



Compliments I. A. A. Officials On Farm 

 Radio Program 



<<1^ARMERS are carrying more 

 A than their just share of taxes." 



said William H. 



Malone, chairman 

 of the Illinois Tax 

 Commission, in a 

 radio address on 

 the Illinois Agri- 

 cultural Associa- 

 tion program, Fri- 

 day, Feb. 3. 



"In equalizing 

 taxes in the State 

 of Illinois we are 

 endeavoring to do 

 the right thing, 

 not the expedient 

 thing," he said. "Equalization is al- 

 ways a large problem. It has been so 

 in the past. It is doubtful if we ever 

 can please everyone. There is more 

 room and justification for a general 

 clean-up of the tax situation in Cook 

 county than in any other." He stated 

 that in this county the Board of Re- 

 view had failed to comply vrith the 

 law in publishing the tax lists of as- 

 sessments, and was ordered to do so 

 by the Commission. "Publicity will do 

 more than any other thing," he said, 

 "to correct the evils of tax assess- 

 ments." 



Mr. Malone paid a high tribute to 

 President Earl C. Smith. .John C. Wat- 

 son, and Donald Kirkpatriek for their 

 conscientious work in bringing to light 

 tax inequalities in behalf of the farm- 

 ers of Illinois. 



LaSalle County Seeks j 



Fair Tax Assessment 



''pHE LaSalle County Farm Bureau 

 ' and the Illinois Agricultural As- 

 sociation are cooperating to secure an 

 equalization of tax valuation in that 

 county. 



The LaSalle County Board of Re- 

 view's own figures show that farm 

 lands are assessed at 36.57 per rent 

 of their fair sales value, whereas val- 

 uations in the cities of LaSalle, Ogles- 

 by, Ottawa, Peru, and Streator range 

 from only 21.96 per cent to 28.14 per 

 cent of their fair sales value. 



To equalize valuations will require 

 an average increase of 50 per cent in 

 LaSalle, 30 per cent in Oglesby, 54.83 

 per cent in Ottawa, 66.53 per cent in 

 Peru, and 46.39 per cent in Streator. 



Valuations in Mendota, Marseilles, 

 and the villages of the county, on the 

 other hand, were even higher tl)gn 

 the average for farm lands. To 

 equalize in these cities will require a 

 reduction of 7.93 per cent in Mar- 

 seilles, 4.79 per cent in Mendota, and 

 15.87 per cent in the villagesof the 

 county. 



It is hoped that the Board of Re- 

 view will take the necessary action 

 so it will be unnecessary to appeal to 

 the Illinoifi Tai CommiMion. 



I. A. A. Represented At j 



Freight Rate Hearing 



A LIVESTOCK freight rate, hearing 

 •before the Interstate Commerce 

 Commission provided under the Hoch- 

 Smith Resolution has been in progress 

 in Chicago for the past two weeks. 



The Hoch-Smith Resolution provides 

 that there shall be no increase in rates 

 during the agricultural depression. The 

 hearing is being held by the Commis- 

 sion in compliance with the law to de- 

 termine what changes if any are justi- 

 fied according to the present economic 

 status of agriculture. 



The carriers have been putting in 

 evidence to show that livestock farmers 

 are now making money, hence that 

 rates on livestock should be increased. 

 Successful cattle growers from the west 

 have been testifying to the effect that 

 they made money in 1927. A promi- 

 nent cattle man, A. J. Abbott, from 

 the Sand Hills of Nebraska testified 

 that he had made money in 1927. al- 

 though he admitted most of his neigh- 

 bors had not done so well as he. 



The American Farm Bureau Federa- 

 tion representatives and L. J. Qua.^ey, 

 director of transportation, for the I. 

 A. A. are attending the hearing in the 

 interest of members in this section. 

 Evidence will be introduced later, if 

 necessary, to show the true condition 

 of the industry. The proposed rate 

 increases would affect livestock growers 

 in Northwestern Illinois. 



79 Delegates Attend 



Annual I.A.C.A. Meet 



CEVENTY-NINE officially accred- 

 ^ ited delegates and representa- 

 tives estimated at 125 attended the 

 annual convention of the Illinois Agri- 

 cultural Co-operatives Association 

 held on Jan. 18 at Rock Island. 



The program consisted of an open 

 discussion on three topics, as follows: 

 Natural fiscal ye.ars, uniform account- 

 ing systems, and control of credits. 



The majority of elevator representa- 

 tives present favored closing their 

 operating year at the close of the nat- 

 ural crop or marketing year. 



A number of delegates familiar 

 with accounting problems of their 

 companies stated that their boards of 

 directors were being furnished with 

 information currently and that they 

 were able to keep in much closer 

 touch with the operating problems of 

 their companies than previously. 



Manager Geo. R. Wicker explained 

 the practices of the Association in 

 making a detailed classified list of ac- 

 counts receivable which would enable 

 the directors to maintain a proper 

 control over the extension of credits 

 both as to time and amount; also the 

 manner in which the managers could 

 supplement this practice by furnishing 

 similar information at the close of 

 each month. 



ScJme took the position that co-oper- 

 ative associations should adopt a cash 

 basis while others held for a short 

 time approved credit plan. 



.Wrt/: ..-v^-: :_'. 



