How the Farm Bureau 

 Serves You 





WHAT is the Farm Bureau doins 

 for me'.' 

 How di) 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 themselves 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 effective on farm prod- 

 ucts. 



The Agricultural Adjustment Act 

 s^row out of this effort. The processing 

 lax has been called the fanner's tariff, 

 lis purpose is to bring about parity 

 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 thev 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 Faini Bureau vigorously 

 sponsored and succes.sfully 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 liu- Ag- 

 ricultural Adjustment Act iJinvided for 

 retinancing farm mortgages at lower 

 rales of interest. This has relieved 

 much distress and saved subslan!i;il 

 sums in intei'est payments. 



Farm properly taxes have been re- 

 duced in Illinois in recent years a^ 

 much as 40 per cent. Insistence by the 

 I. A, A. during several state adminis- 

 tiations that new forms of revenue l)e 

 used to reduce and replace property 

 •axes has been a big help in reducing 

 I his 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. 



Legislati\e representation and tax 

 reduction outshine in importance and 

 benefit all other .services developed l)> 

 I he state and national organizations. 



The I. A. A. Legal Department ha< 

 ( f'ontiiiiicd on pai^e I ill 



She's A Great Producer 



MAY. 19.S5 



13 



