Page Ten 



'^I^HE most enthusiastic baseball gatherinig in 

 -*- the history of the Farm Bureau League 

 ,* describes the get-together banquet of baseball 

 leaders, managers, players, and fans in division 

 VJ held at Jacksonville, Thursday night, Nov. 

 7. Nearly 100 representatives from Morgan, 

 Cass, Menard, and Sangamon counties includ- 

 ing Farm Bureau presidents, and farm advisers 

 gathered for the post-season good-will dinner. 

 Conflicting dates prevented Greene county from 

 participating. 



Credit for arranging the banquet and promot- 

 ing sportsmanship and good will between the 

 baseball officials and players goes to Charles 

 Black, baseball director and dictator for this 

 division. 



Speakers included the president and secretary 

 of the State League, L. R. Welk and George 

 Thiem, respectively, T. H. Brockman of Jack- 

 sonville, former University of Illinois athlete 

 who later) played professional ball with , the 

 Denver team of the Western League, also With 

 the Cleveland Indians, farm advisers and team 

 managers. Umpires Kenneth Beerup and Roy 

 Nichols, Farm Bureau presidents and others. 

 Guy Husted, Cass county farm adviser, led (Com- 

 munity singing. 



All-star Team 



The following all- 

 star team for the dis- 

 trict was chosen by the 

 team managers and re- 

 ported by Farm Ad- 

 viser Forest Fisher: 

 Catcher R. Heatoii of 

 Morgan; Pitcher E. 

 Keithley of Cass; 1st 

 bajf R. Stilz of 

 Menard; 2nd base Frank 

 Fisher of Sangamon; 

 3rd base E. Webster of 

 Morgan; short stop E. 

 Roegge of Cass; right 

 field R. Fanning of Cass; left field A. Beard of 

 Menard; center field C. Jacobs of Sangamon; 

 all-star manager Bill Witte of Cass; Umpire 

 (in the box) Kenneth Beerup; base umpire Roy 

 Nichols. 



The selection was enthusiastically received and 

 endorsed by the audience. I 



Umpire Beerup commented on the fine sports- 

 manship displayed by the Farm Bureau teams. 

 "I have umpired for and against many teams," 

 he said, "but the Farm Bureau teams have been 

 exceptionally mannerly and courteous." 



"Beerup is the first umpire I ever heard admit 

 that he umpired 'for and against'," commented 

 I. A. Madden of Springfield, amidst the cheers 

 of the fans and players. 



Chas. Black 



McLEAN county's state championship Farm 

 Bureau baseball players and their wives 

 and sweethearts were banqueted by the McLean 

 County Farm Bureau on the night of Nov. 6 

 at Bloomington. W. H. Coultas who served as 

 toastmaster was praised by members of the 

 team for his help in bringing them through a 



successful season. Approximately SO people 

 attended the dinner. 



Harrison Fahrnkopf, who organized the team 

 three years ago, spoke briefly complimenting 

 the team on its good work and sportsmanship 

 displayed during the past three seasons. Sec- 

 retary George Thiem of the State League pre- 

 sented the silver trophy awarded annually by 

 the I. A. A. 



The trophy is a beautiful silver design of a 

 baseball player in action just after he has hit 

 the ball. 



A male quartet from Illinois Wesleyan fur- 

 nished entertainment. Manager Fitzgerald, Mc- 

 Lean's heavy-hitting first baseman, received the 

 trophy and expressed thanks on behalf of his 

 team-mates. McLean is the third county to win 

 a state championship. Marshall-Putnam won the 

 title three times, and Tazewell twice. Geo. L. 

 Clarke, member of the state arbitration com- 

 mittee, and Mrs. Clarke were other guests. 



^ I ^HE change in the attitude of influential 

 -■- newspapers toward agriculture and its 

 problems in recent years is worthy of comment. 

 Today many of the country's most powerful 

 dailies are consistent and aggressive supporters 

 of organized agriculture. That farmers ob- 

 tained such recognition from the federal govern- 

 ment as they now have is due in no small part 

 to their help in moulding public opinion. 



The best newspapers are independent and fair. 

 1 hey will give their aid to a worthy cause 

 when those behind it are sincere and construc- 

 tive. And so when organized farmers pleaded 

 their case, many fine newspapers sensing the 

 importance of farm prosperity, came to the 

 front as champions of "equality for agriculture." 



Naturally, our middle western newspapers 

 have shown most interest in the farm relief 

 movement. By hammering away they have 

 assisted niaterially in influencing public opinion 

 in the east toward a more reasonable and friend- 

 ly feeling for agriculture. More important, 

 by giving support to farmers' efforts in reestab- 

 lishing themselves economically, they smoothed 

 the way for political parties to pledge agricul- 

 tural aid, and politicians to vote for helpful 

 legislation. 



A politically-minded person is most sensitive 

 to publicity. Many politicians are controlled 

 entirely by their fears. They fear to take a 

 bold step, to embrace a reform no matter how 

 right or necessary, because it is human to oppose 

 the new. Few politicians are courageous enough 

 to fight for an issue or principle against odds. 

 The few who do become famous and often win 

 the- highest honors in political life. Since news- 

 papers mould public opinion they smooth the 

 path for the office holder who invariably votes 

 with the majority. 



The Minneapolis Tribune has come around to 

 see agriculture in its true light. In a recent 

 editorial it made these significant statements: 



"A literal fufillment of the Republican par- 

 ty's pledges would mean a substantial increase 



in the buying power of the agricultural area 

 of the United States. 



"The present income enjoyed by agricultural 

 America is approximately 12 billion dollars. 



"Were agriculture enjoying the same propor- 

 tionate income that tht rest of the United 

 States is enjoying that income would be 18 

 billion dollars. 



" 'Parity' for agriculture means just that: an 

 added annual income of roughly 6 billion dol- 

 lars. 



"Were this ideal realized, who would get the 

 additional 6 billion dollars — agriculture or in- 

 dustry? . .,, . 



"Obviously, both. . \ ■ ■' ; 



"Agriculture would promptly turn over tlie 

 bulk of the sum to industry, m exchange for 

 the products which industry has to sell. 



"Industry would profit by the increased buy- 

 ing power of American agriculture just a» it 

 has already profited by the increased buying 

 power of American labor. 



" 'Parity' for agriculture means nothing more 

 and nothing less than enormously increased 

 sales for industry. 



"Why, then, shouldn't industry exert all the 

 vast influence it has at its command to hold the 

 t:'riff revision to the purposes outlined by Presi- 

 dent Hoover?" 



11 



Here is a newspaper exerting its great in- 

 fluence to gain a square deal for the farmer. 

 When the power of the press is brought to bear 

 on a wrong to correct it, something usually 

 happens. Had farmers not organized and pre- 

 sented their case through chosen leaders such 

 might never have been forthcoming. Organized 

 farmers fought against peasantry and by so 

 doing developed an army of loyal supporters. 

 — E. G. T. 



Farmers* Institute Hires 

 Chas, Durst 



i^HARLES E. DURST of Wheaton was recently 

 ^-^ employed to succeed H. E. Young as sec- 

 retary of the Illinois Farmers' Institute. Durst 

 will move to Springfield where he can be close 

 to his new headquarters in the state capitol. 

 Mr. Durst has un- 

 usual qualifications for 

 his new work. He is 

 well acquainted with 

 farm leaders through- 

 out Illinois, having 

 served as the first farm 

 adviser both in Union 

 and Cook counties, and 

 later as director of fruit 

 and vegetable market- 

 ing for the Illinois 

 Agricultural Associa- 

 tion. 



Subsequently Durst 

 became editor of the American Fruit Grower 

 during which he built up a national acquaint- 

 ance among horticultural leaders and growers. 

 At present he is serving as secretary of the 

 National Horticultural Council. 



Durst was chosen from among some 30 ap- 

 plicants for secretary of the Farmers' Institute. 

 Wm. Webb of Lockport, president of the state 

 organization, formerly served on the executive 

 committee of the I. A. A. •, j ' • ' 



Harold Allison, vocational agricultural teacher 



at the Oblong high school, has been employed 



as county adviser ^^y the Crawford County 

 Farm Bureau. 



C. E. Durst 



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