Page Two 



THE I. A. A. RECORD 



Ceo. E. Metzger 



Indi£Eereiice Is Bar to 



Better Farm Life 



Sec. Metzger Speaks Before American 

 Country Life Conference 



i i' I ■'HE greatest problem which confronts a 

 -^ farm organization in the maintenance of 

 membership is indifference. Too many do not 

 appreciate the value of organization. Individual- 

 istic habits of living and the failure of many 

 individuals to recognize 

 their relations and duty 

 toward otljer people 

 contribute largely to 

 this attitude of mind 

 which I characterize as 

 indifference" Secretary 

 George E. Metzger told 

 the recent conference of 

 the America^ Country 

 Life Association at 

 Ames, Iowa. Metzger 

 spoke on the subject 

 "Jobs that Confront 

 a State Farm Organiza- 

 tion." 

 "Some of our farm folks have little or no 

 confidence in their fellow farmers," he said. 

 "Jealousy and prejudice are too common. There 

 still exists some prejudice against salaried men 

 and so one of our big problems is to maintain, 

 trained men whom agricultural organizations 

 seriously need. [ 



Members Read, Think 



"Generally speaking the Farm Bureau has the 

 more intelligent, progressive farm people who 

 read and think. They are the ones responsible 

 lor any progress made in the industry and so 

 one of our great difficulties is to deal with the 

 farm family that is not informed. 



"I asked one of my field men who v»s work- 

 ing in one of the best agricultural counties in 

 Illinois to select and travel down some high- 

 way and call on 10 non-Farm Bureau members 

 just as he came to them, and make inquiry con- 

 cerning a certain publication of a d^ily paper 

 that had been issued in that county and sent 

 to every farmer. This paper carried an eight- 

 page insert on agricultural matters, featuring, 

 of course, the Farm ,Bureau movement. It was 

 one of the best pieces of publicity of its kind 

 that I ha~ve ever seen. 



"The first question the solicitor asked was 

 whether or not the paper was received. All 

 had received it. The feature article in this paper 

 had to do with the new Federal Marketing Act 

 and the Federal Farm Board. i 



Lacit of Information 



"The second question the solicitor asked was 

 what they thought of the new marketing act. 

 Eight out of the 10 men did not know that 

 such an act had been passed by congress. After 

 some explanation he asked the third question, 

 'What do you think of the new Federal Farm 

 Board and the pos'ibilities of some relief to the 

 farmer?' Six out of the 10 of them stated they 

 had no confidence in the Farm Board whatever, 

 that it would eat up all of the five hundred 

 million dollars appropriation in salaries and that 

 no relief would come to the farmer. What can 

 wt expect of people having such meager knowl- 

 edge of current events, affecting their own inter- 

 ests. 



"The only way such people can be reached is 

 through word-of-mouth publicity. If mem- 

 bership organizations are to grow in size and 

 prestige, we must begin at once to prepare the 

 non-member for membership. This prepara- 



tion must largely take place through the men 

 and women who already are affiliated with mem- 

 bership organizations. Our members must 

 accept the responsibility of cultivating the non- 

 member. 



Friendliness Helpful 



"In marketing activities the farmers' business 

 is largely held through friendliness. Support 

 til a membership organization can be gained in 

 the same way. The member must sympathize 

 with the non-member. He must recognize his 

 problems intimately, and above all, he must be 

 able to show Mr. Non-member that the organi- 

 zation has a helpful program. Any other 

 method of cultivating and preparing the non- 

 member is decidedly costly. 



"The next question is, how can we prepare 

 this non-member. Our experience is that mem- 

 bership is difficult to maintain on educational 

 projects alone. Farmers, like most groups of 

 businessmen, want to see a money return. There- 

 fore, it seems to be essential that state farm 

 membership organizations list in their programs 

 certain projects which will lend themselves to 

 a money return large enough, so that it will 

 completely offset the membership fee. Whatever 

 can be added over and above the membership 

 fee adds considerably to the sales material which 

 a solicitor may have to offer. 



"The non-member must be fully informed on 

 the importance of legislation to the agricultural 

 industry. He must know to what length in- 

 dustry and labor go in securing favorable legis- 

 lation. He must be shown how a legislative 

 project will benefit him individually — for after 

 all, sales are usually made when the prospect 

 is convinced that the commodity is going to 

 contribute to his own personal comfort. 



Teach Marketing 



"In preparing the prosepect for membership, 

 we must teach marketing. It must be taught 

 in its broader sense. The non-member must 

 see the relation of co-operative marketing to 

 personal income. Most farmers at the present 

 time are inclined to look at the local assembling 

 unit as their market. In other words, the local 

 livestock shipping association, the farmers' eleva- 

 tor or the local creamery is looked upon as the 

 ultimate end in their marketing operations. 



"Such is not the case. The market for live- 

 stock is the individual or the concern that finally 

 processes that stock and prepares it for the con- 

 sumer. The same is true with most other farm 

 commodities. A commission agency is not the 

 market. It is farther removed from the pro- 

 ducer than that. 



Not Co-operative Marketing 



"The state of Iowa boasts that a large per 

 cent of its livestock last year moved through 

 co-operative channels, yet the fact remains 

 that less than five per cent of this livestock 

 was sold in the terminal markets through any 

 one marketing agency. This represents co- 

 operative assembling but not concentrated selling 

 in large volume by a single agency, which 

 promises to bring to the producer his proper 

 share of bargaining power. 



"Thirdly, in preparing the non-member, we 

 must point out to him that our program in- 

 volves reduction in the cost of production. Such 

 accomplishments as tax reduction, which has 

 been a big item in our state, automobile in- 

 surance on a mutual basis, now a project of most 

 state Farm Bureau organizations, transportation 

 activities and practically the entire production 

 program of the county units which come under 

 this general head, should be brought to his at- 

 tention. There are other matters of common 



interest and knowledge among organized groups 

 of farmers that can be advantageously taught. 

 "These items have a money-saving angle to 

 them. Helpful economic legislation, and co- 

 operative marketing increase the farmers' income. 

 Cutting expenses reduces the outgo. Combined, 

 the result is more money for the farmer. But, 

 what is he to do with this increased money at 

 his command. He must spend it wisely. The 

 farmer's standard of living must be placed on a 

 higher level. To do so costs money. The farm 

 is his chief source of income. It must be made 

 profitable. Now let's see for what he should 

 spend it. Should it be for a larger and more 

 costly automobile? I should not oppose that 

 movement, but I have something more deep- 

 seated in mind. I am thinking particularly of 

 the modern conveniences which have become 

 necessities in most of the homes of the cities. 



Only 42 Per Cent | 



"I doubt seriously if you could rent a resi- 

 dence property in this town not equipped with 

 electric lights, running water and a modern 

 heating plant. Yet, a survey made in our state 

 discloses that only 42 per cent of the farm 

 homes in Illinois have so much as a cistern 

 pump and a sink toward a running water system. 

 The percentage having electric lights and heating 

 systems is much lower than this figure. 



"I looked further into the school system. I 

 find that in most cities of 5,000 population and 

 up, the school term ranges from 180 to 200 days 

 per year; while in many of our one-room coun- 

 try schools, the session does not represent more 

 than 120 to 140 days per year. I find that, as 

 a general rule, the more highly paid teachers, 

 the better trained teachers and the better equip- 

 ment are to be found in the city schools. The 

 thing that I wonder about is whether or not 

 these boys and girls comiilg out of these one- 

 room country schools, with all the handicaps 

 which they undergo in their training, can com- 

 pete favorably at the age of 2 5 to 30 years 

 with those youngsters coming out of the better 

 schools in the cities. . _ 



I . ■* ■■ 



May Lead to Peasantry 



"I am just wondering if there may not fcc 

 some tendency on the part of these country boys 

 and girls to consider themselves inferior to the 

 better trained youngsters from the cities, and 

 eventually be satisfied to content themselves with 

 a lower standard of living than is going to pe 

 demanded by their city cousin. If so, I aim 

 forced to believe agriculture will go into peas- 

 antry. 



"Thirdly, in this matter of a standard of 

 living, I look to the church institutions. As I 

 sec it, one of the biggest problems confronting 

 the churches today is the economic problem. 

 Yet, the church is a part of an adequate stand- 

 ard of living. Very few individuals, whether 

 they go to church or not, will be satisfied to live 

 in a community without the influence of the 

 church. Here is another place that I would 

 recommend that some of this increased income 

 be expended. 



More Play Needed I S 



"Fourthly, in this standard of living, I would 

 recommend that more time of the American 

 farmer be used for play. I note in most of our 

 larger cities that people enjoy a Saturday half 

 holiday. In fact, in most of our county seat 

 towns, the weekly half-day holiday is becoming 

 prevalent. I maintain that if it is right for 

 those groups of people and their income is such 

 that they can afford it, that it should be right 

 for the American farmer." 



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