THE I. A. A. RECORD 



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Page Seven' 



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assume a helpful attitude toward secur- 

 ing economic equality for agriculture. 

 Here are 27,000,000 consumers who 

 know the value of American made 

 products. No changes in packages, in 

 credit facilities, or in sales departments 

 of industry is needed. The increase in 

 purchasing power of the farmer will 

 mean enlarging markets and continued 

 industrial expansion. Economic equal- 

 ity for the farmer means an increase in 

 the net annual farm income. The larger 

 part of this would soon find itself in the 

 channels of trade. 



We talk much of economic equality. 

 We have set it as the goal of our quest. 



We know what pohtical equaUty is. 

 It means equality of opportunity for 

 every man, — a free field and a fair 

 chance in the race of hfe. It means 

 equality before the law, — the exemption 

 of any citizen from any restraint or 

 limitations not imposed upon every 

 other citizen. It means that the doori 

 of opportunity shall be kept open to 

 all comers to achieve as great a suc- 

 cess as their respective abilities merit. 



Political equality does not mean that 

 the stragglers in the race shall be picked 

 up by the long arm of a benevolent 

 government and set by the side of the 

 leaders. It does mean that all take the 

 same hurdles, cover the same course, 

 and finish in order of their abilities and 

 energies. The fact that this does mean 

 equaUty is abundantly proven by the 

 thousands of instances in American life 

 of men who started with nothing, re- 

 ceived no outside aid, and finished the 

 race among the leaders. But no man 

 has ever won who refused to put forth 

 the effort to run. 



Race Among Industries 

 Economic equality for agriculture 

 means exactly the same thing. It means 

 the same opportunities and the same 

 hurdles as other industries. It means a 

 free field and a fair chance to compete 

 in the economic race on the same terms 

 as other industries. It means no ad- 

 vantages and no hindrances over others. 

 This is a race, run not by individuals, 

 but by industries. In this race, agricul- 

 ture must compete as an industry. 



You recall the fabled race of the hare 

 and the tortoise. Conscious of its speed, 

 the hare slept, while slowly and pain- 

 fully the tortoise covered the distance 

 and won. Conscious of its titanic 

 strength, agriculture has slept, failed or 

 refused to gather its strength, dallied 

 with economic forces while other indus- 

 tries have found their place in the sun, 

 and in so doing have displaced and de- 

 pressed agriculture. 



Agriculture has the speed, — of what 

 use if it drowses away the hours? It 

 has the strength, — of what avail if it 

 be not gathered and coordinated? 



Frank D. Barton 



R. F. Karr 



Chas. Mar>hall 



They Served Faithfully 



THE outgoing vice-president, Frank D. 

 Barton of Cornell, and Committeemen 

 Robert F. Karr of Iroquois, and Charles 

 Marshall of Belknap served the Farm Bureau 

 members of Illinois faithfully during their 

 years of association on the I. A. A. execu- 

 tive committee. 



Mr. Barton was a committeeman and of- 

 ficer for eight years during most of which 

 time he served as chairman of the legisla- 

 tive and public relations advisory commit- 

 tee. He seldom missed a meeting, and 

 worked conscientiously at every task to 



which he was called by the organization. 

 R. F. Karr, president of the Iroquois 

 County Farm Bureau was a member of the 

 executive committee for six years. His 

 ability and good judgment were a real asset 

 to the organization. Karr served successively 

 on the information, organization, and fi- 

 nance committees. Charles Marshall of 

 Belknap was elected from the 24th district 

 in 1926 to succeed Curt Anderson. He 

 served on the marketing and public rela- 

 tions advisory committees during the past 

 four years, performing his duties faithfully. 



All Others Organized 

 Every industrial interest except agri- 

 culture is organized. In the race of 

 the industrial giants, which have the 

 combined organized strength of their 

 separate parts, agriculture enters the 

 strength and the fleetness of the indi- 

 vidual farmer. Agriculture must or- 

 ganize. 



In this city, the spirit of the Great 

 Emancipator is all pervading. Though 

 sixty-five years at rest, yet he Hves. His 

 cry was political equaUty for a people, 

 — through emancipation. Our cry is 

 economic justice for an industry, — 

 through cooperation. His goal was 

 achieved through four bitter bloody 

 years of war. Not on fields, swept by 

 shot and shell, Hes our struggle; but in 

 fields where clash the slower, less dra- 

 matic, but equally dynamic forces of 

 the industrial and economic realm. Then 

 the issue was Liberty through the per- 

 petual and indissoluble Union of the 

 States. Let vis now organize an asso- 

 ciation of all branches of agriculture, 

 to work together, think together, and 

 achieve together the economic equality 

 of the industry. 



Edwin Basr 



Greatest Convention. 



Is Popular Belief 



Springfield Proves An Excellent 

 Host To Delegates 



THE greatest annual convention in the 

 history of the Illinois Agricultural 

 Association! 



This was the expression heard from many 

 sources during and following the recent 



meeting in Springfield. The fact that nearly 

 1500 attended the 

 banquet on Thurs- 

 day night while a 

 similar number as- 

 sembled the next day 

 for the luncheon in 

 the great Springfield 

 armory is evidence 

 enough that all pre- 

 vious records were 

 broken. That all vis- 

 itors and delegates 

 were well provided 

 for and accommoda- 

 tions available for all meetings is due in no 

 small part to the untiring efforts of Farm 

 Adviser Edwin Bay of Sangamon county 

 and the many committees of Farm Bureau 

 members and Chamber of Commerce of- 

 ficials who smoothed the way. 



Nation-Wide Hook-Up 



The armory decorated with flags and 

 bunting looked little different than the 

 great arena at the Republican National 

 Convention at Kansas City more than a 

 year ago. Through the courtesy of Station 

 WLS and the co-operation of the National 

 Broadcasting Company the speeches of both 

 Secretary Hyde and former Governor 

 Lowden were broadcast far and wide. The 

 NBC reports a nation-wide hook-up of 

 greater proportions than that ever employed 

 for a similar meeting. Broadcasting sta- 

 tions from Jacksonville, Florida, to New 

 York and as far west as Tulsa and Okla- 

 homa City picked up the convention pro- 

 gram. Hundreds of letters came in from 

 all parts of the country asking for copies 

 of addresses. 





