

How the Farm Bureau 

 Serves You ^ 



^ 



WHAT is the Farm Bureau doing 

 for me? 

 How do I benefit if I join? 



Astonishing as it may seem these 

 questions are still being asked. There 

 are non-members who have been so 

 preoccupied with operating their farms 

 and other interests that they have not 

 taken time to inform thetnselves about 

 Farm Bureau services. 



There are even members who have 

 given little attention to public affairs 

 In county, state and nation. Many do 

 not realize how laws, tariffs, foreign 

 trade policies, monetary policies and 

 other economic forces affect the prices 

 of farm products. 



Fixed charges such as freight rates, 

 taxes, commissions, marketing costs 

 and rigid industrial price levels have 

 an important bearing on the yearly net 

 income of the farmer. 



To secure economic equality for 

 American farmers is the outstanding 

 task to which the Farm Bureau has set 

 itself. 



The Farm Bureau is striving to bring 

 agriculture within the profit system. 



It believes that farm labor and in- 

 vestment is entitled to a fair return 

 judged by business and industrial 

 standards. 



In line with this policy the Farm Bu- 

 reau has carried on a 12-year fight to 

 make the tariff eflfective on farm prod- 

 ucts. 



The Agricultural Adjustment Act 

 grew out of this effort. The processing 

 tax has been called the farmer's tariff. 

 Its purpose is to bring about pmrity 

 prices, a fair exchange value for agri- 

 cultural products. 



Business and industry and organized 

 labor to a large extent are operating 

 under a more or less rigid price system 

 supported by controlled production. 

 Under this system prices were largely 

 maintained by industry in the period 

 from 1929 to 1932, although industrial 

 production was reduced from 50 to 80 

 per cent. On the other hand farmers 

 maintained their production substan- 

 tially at 1929 levels up to 1932 while 

 farm prices dropped 60 per cent or 

 more. 



Farmers have realized that they can 



not continue producing a surplus food 

 supply and take whatever the market 

 offers for their total production while 

 industrial goods and the things needed 

 on the farm and in the farm home, are 

 offered at a much higher price level 

 maintained by very limited production. 



Recognizing the influence of gold 

 supply, and demand for gold, and de- 

 valuation of foreign currency on the 

 prices of farm products which we ex- 

 port, the Farm Bureau vigorously 

 sponsored and successfully urged de- 

 valuation of the dollar and raising the 

 price of gold. This program, like the 

 Adjustment Act, has had its influence 

 in raising farm prices. 



Every American farmer has bene- 

 fited thereby. 



The Farm Credit Section of the Ag- 

 ricultural Adjustment Act provided for 

 t°efinancing farm mortgages at lower 

 , rates of interest. This has relieved 

 much distress and saved substantial 

 A-.-sums in interest payments. 



Farm property taxes have been re- 

 duced in Illinois in recent years as 

 much as 40 per cent. Insistence by the 

 I. A. A. during several state adminis- 

 trations that new forms of revenue be 

 used to reduce and replace property 

 taxes has been a big help in reducing 

 this burden. 



The work of County Farm Bureau 

 tax committees in securing sharp re- 

 ductions in valuations and economy in 

 local expenditures, likewise, has been 

 a dominant influence benefiting farm 

 property owners. 



Legislative representation and tax 

 reduction outshine in importance and 

 benefit all other services developed by 

 the state and national organizations. 



The I. A. A. Legal Department has 

 (Continued on page 16) 



She's A Great Producer 



MAY. 1935 



IS 



