f 



cry IB lar£:ely set up and in motion, I 

 feel sore much greater attention shouM 

 and will be given toward readjusting al- 

 lotments where facts clearly indicate the 

 jnstice thereof, greater simplicity will be 

 pat into effect and better understanding 

 result. It is my belief that much greater 

 responsibility and authority should be 

 Tested in county control committees, with 

 the right given each contracting producer 

 to appeal to district or state committees. 

 No one should or can know as well as a 

 county committee the facts as they affect 

 individuals and as to what constitutes re- 

 quirements to insure as nearly as pos- 

 sible equity and justice to all contracting 

 producers. 



"We are fast approaching 1935 corn- 

 hog campaigns and will soon witness the 

 close and fulfillment of the initial wheat 

 contracts. Whatever may have been our 

 individual or collective experiences in our 

 first efforts to adjust production, I be- 

 lieve that all thinking farmers recognize 

 the need and demand for continuing ad- 

 justment programs at least until new 

 outlets are found for basic farm products 

 in new industrial or export markets. We 

 should now look forward and consider 

 steps that should be taken in the de- 

 velopment of a more simple, better co- 

 ordinated permanent program of adjust- 

 ment." 



Future Program 



. Here Mr. Smith went into detail re- 

 garding future plans for simplifying and 

 improving the program for balancing 

 production to demand at a fair price to 

 the farmer. A resolution was later 

 adopted by the convention (will be found 

 elsewhere in this issue) favoring legisla- 

 tion making possible such a program. 



On the subject of tariff, Mr. Smith 

 said: "When in Washington recently, I 

 heard a prominent official of Government 

 say that after long and careful study of 

 the tariff barriers of this and other coun- 

 tries, favored nation treaties, etc., he had 

 reached the conclusion that we should 

 discard all past tariffs and tariff policies, 

 throw an embargo around the United 

 States and henceforth let nothing come 

 in without something going out and while 

 doing so see that all goods coming in 

 were least competitive, if competitive at 

 all, with American agriculture and in- 

 dustry, and that in exports we trade 

 those things of which we have a surplus. 



"That appears to me as the most 

 sensible tariff policy pronouncement I 

 have yet heard. Even then American 

 farmers would have to be strongly or- 

 ganized and well represented or our in- 

 dustrial tariff makers would get the best 

 of the bargain. 



"At present, reciprocal trade treaties 

 seem to offer the best opportunity for 

 selling abroad some of our agricultural 

 surpluses. According to Secretary Wal- 

 lace, the Cuban treaty executed early 



W. I. "Bill" Myan, OaTeriMr Fun Credit Ad- 

 miBiatrstion, l«ft, listena to a wiaeorack from Ed. 

 O'Neal, richt. 



last fall will require one million acres 

 to produce the agricultural exports pro- 

 vided for. Lard exports are an important 

 part of its provisions. We should con- 

 tinue insisting upon the execution of 

 similar trade understandings. ..." 



On the subject of farm credit: — "The 

 Farm Credit Administration provided for 

 in the Agricultural Adjustment,, Act has 

 rendered invaluable service to farmers in 

 reclaiming their farms and refinancing 

 their obligations. At the close of the 

 year there were 18,874 Land Bank loans 

 outstanding in Illinois amounting to 

 f 110,680,856, of which 7,938 loans 

 amounting to $47,999,404 were made in 

 1934. 



"There were in addition, 10,263 Com- 

 missioner Loans in effect amounting to 

 $24,621,872, of which 8,421 amounting to 

 $20,924,671 were consummated in 1934. 



"Permanent long and short term agri- 

 cultural credit at comparative rates of 

 interest with that available to other in- 

 dustry, constitutes a very necessary part 

 of a sound National Agricultural Policy. 



Train Farm Youth 



"I have felt for several years that as 

 soon as opportunity and finances would 

 allow, more attention and consideration 

 should be given to the boys and girls of 

 rural Illinois. What should constitute 

 such a program has been receiving care- 

 ful study and I am hopeful the early 

 future will find a well defined, worthy 

 and attractive program rounded into 

 shape for announcement to the boys and 

 girls of Farm Bureau families of the 

 state. Our responsibilfty should be one of 

 encouragement and general advice, while 

 theirs should be to control, direct asd in- 

 tensively develop their program of ac- 

 tivities. 



"Whatever may be the successful 

 achievements of the organization thus 

 far, we have only laid the foundation for 

 a bigger, better service organization of 

 tomorrow. We must not overlook our 



greatest asset, our most promising op- 

 portunity. The boys and the girls, the 

 young men and young women of rural 

 Illinois must thoroughly understand the 

 fundamental purposes of the Farm Bu- 

 reau movement of Illinois and the Na- 

 tion. It is they who will soon control 

 and direct the future destiny of the or- 

 ganization." 



State Issues 



In a vigorous, clean-cut declaration of 

 organized Illinois farmers' stand on state 

 issues, F*resident Smith called for im- 

 mediate aggressive action toward limit- 

 ing property taxes, enacting a fair tax- 

 ing system in Illinois, exclusive use of 

 gas tax funds for work relief to the un- 

 employed in improving secondary roads 

 and city streets, placing responsibility 

 for relief of unemployable people on local 

 communities and taxing districts, op- 

 position po state laws compelling im- 

 mediate wholesale consolidation of rural 

 schools before roads are improved and 

 fair revenue legislation is enacted, and 

 moderation in reduction of motor license 

 fees so as to insure payment of road 

 bonds and interest and improvement of 

 mud roads out of such fees and gas taxes 

 rather than out of property taxes. 



Pointing to the favorable report of 

 the State Revenue Commission appointed 

 by Governor Horner which definitely 

 recommended property tax limitation of 

 one per cent, and the Governor's promise 

 that when substantial agreement was 

 reached the legislature would be called 

 into session for consideration of the 

 Commission's findings, Mr. Smith said: 

 "Powerful influences opposing the Com- 

 mission's recommendations appeared, and 

 as yet no disposition has been made of 

 the Revenue Commission's report. ..." 



Protect Property Owners 



"We must do everything possible to 

 secure the protection of property owners 

 through constitutional limitation and 

 what is more important to restore some 

 desire on the part of coming generations 

 for the ownership of property and homes. 

 If there were no other fight before us, 

 this one alone justifies every Farm Bu- 

 reau member of Illinois in seeking to 

 add another earnest supporting member 

 before the crop planting season of 1935. 

 The Legislature is in session. Now is the 

 time to act." 



On the subject of unemployment relief: 

 — "Under present policies of direct un- 

 employment relief, we have seen a tre- 

 mendous increase in the .number of citi- 

 zens apparently willing to accept charity 

 without giving any return in tangible 

 benefits or public improvements. I feel 

 sure thinking citizens received with a 

 great deal of satisfaction the statement 

 of President Roosevelt in his recent 

 message to the Congress, in effect, that 

 '. (Continued on page 8) '■'■ ';•■ . 



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