had the corn and farmers would ha%e 

 been unable to buy it back for less than 

 four or five times what they sold it at. 

 With the setup as actually happened, the 

 profit went to the farmer instead of the 

 processor or speculator. It is to be ex- 

 pected that the processors and specula- 

 tors would be agfainst AAA." 



"The AAA was originated by farmers 

 and put over by them. . . . For several 

 years farmers have noticed that the 

 harder they worked, generally speaking, 

 the less, they had left after paying their 

 taxes and freight bills . . . there was 

 little if anything left for the family. 

 Farmers heretofore have done their fig- 

 uring on the back of a postage stamp 

 with a dull lead pencil. Now they have 

 taken out a clean sheet of paper and 

 sharpened up their lead pencils and are 

 figuring collectively. 



"They have noticed that a large crop 

 often brought in less income than a 

 smaller crop. I» other words the larger 

 crop was too much for the market to 

 absorb at a profit to the farmer. Of 

 course railroads want large crops. They 

 get paid so much a bushel for hauling 

 regardless of the price of the grain . . . 

 the processor also ie interested in large 

 crops, low prices to the consumer so that 

 consumption will be increased and he 

 can process more grain and sell at his 

 price. The farmer heretofore lias had 

 nothing to say about his selling price. 

 He had to take whatever the market of- 

 fered him. Now for the first time, with 

 AAA and curtailed production just as 

 the manufacturer does in time of low 

 prices, the farmer does have something 

 to say about raising his prices. It is 

 only natural that processors should line 

 up against AAA which stands for bal- 

 anced production ..." 



Probably the most amusing section of 

 Mr. Vial's articles was the one about the 

 hue and cry set up by politicians and 

 'die-hards' when the Rural Free Delivery 

 was up for passage in Washington. Such 

 cries as "socialistic scheme" — "danger- 

 ous innovation in government" — "will 

 destroy the rural life of which America 

 is so proud"— but, as Mr. Vial so ably 

 points out, "now in the light of today 

 these men, even though senators in the 

 U. S. Senate, were only 'half-pints' in 

 their attitude toward RFD. The old say- 

 ing 'history repeats itself may occur 

 with respect to AAA." 



Letters of commendation have come to 

 Mr. Vial from all over the country. Re- 

 prints of the series of articles have been 

 carefully studied in Washington. A 

 noted economist and engineer writes in 

 part, "Keep at it. It takes men with 

 active bcains to work these things out 

 and every little infinitestimal adds up 

 to make a finite quantity in the end. 

 ... My idea is that we are patching up 

 a dying system of economics." A banker. 



in Missouri, writes "I think it is splen- 

 did. Written in such an understandable 

 way. Want all the men at the bank to 

 read it. We feel that the A.'\.\ saved 

 the day here." 



It all goes to show that when an en- 

 lightened farmer, in full possession of 

 the facts, stands up and tells his story 

 in the way he sees and understands it, 

 that those who listen will understand 

 too. Mr. Vial is speaking the minds of 

 thou.sands of farmers throughout the 

 country. That's why La Grange citizens 

 know so much about the AAA. They 

 understand it. Robert C. Vial told 'em. 

 He didn't "let 'em alone." 



Close fo One Million 



'35 Corn-Hog Signers 



A million farmers signed applications 

 for 1935 corn-hog contracts, according to 

 reports from 33 states, received by 

 Claude R. Wickard, chief of the corn- 

 hog section, following the closing date 

 April 1. This compares with 1,155.000 

 contracts signed in 1934. 



"The high percentage of participation 

 again this year in spite of reduced bene- 

 fit payments and higher prices, shows 

 conclusively that com-hog producers 

 fully realize the necessity for continued 

 adjustment," said Wickard. "With our 

 foreign trade in hog products continuing 

 at a low level, it is essential that we 

 avoid a return to the excess production 

 of corn and hogs which would result from 

 a discontinuance of adjustment." 



More than three-fourths of a million 

 farmers who signed live in the 10 corn- 

 belt states. Iowa was first among the 

 signers, Illinois second and Missouri 

 third. In most states co-operating, farm- 

 ers will hold out of production this year 

 between 20 and 25 per cent of the aver- 



MB. KIRKPATRICK 



loo co-opERATrvr baby 



Phillip Apple, son of Farm AdTU«T R. £. 

 Apple &nd Mri. Apple of CUrk county. Phillip is 

 a Country Life policyholder and eati Prairie Farmi 

 Butter, reports his proud father. 



Farnners Saved 20 to 25 



Million by Rate Decision 



Opposition of the Illinois Agricultural 

 .Association and the .American Farm Bu- 

 reau Federation to the proposed increase 

 in freight rates on farm products was 

 effective in saving American farmers 

 between $20,000,000 and $25,000,000 

 of additional freight 

 charges within the 

 next year. 



The Interstate 

 Commerce Commis- 

 sion held that an in- 

 crease in rates on 

 farm products at 

 this time would re- 

 tard general recov- 

 ery. Donald Kirk- 

 patrick, general 

 counsel of the 

 I.A.A. and \A.F.B.F.. 

 assisted by G. W. Baxter, appeared be- 

 fore the Commission and later filed a 

 brief setting forth reasons why the in- 

 crease in rates on farm commodities 

 should not be allowed. Effective April 

 18, rates on other than farm products 

 were increased from one to three cent? 

 per cwt. on most carload traffic, and not 

 to exceed 10 per cent on less than car- 

 load traffic. The increases are in the 

 form of surcharges added separately to 

 present rates. 



age acreage of corn during base years 

 1932 and 1933. 



In Nebraska a higher acreage — ap- 

 proximately 20 per cent of base — will be 

 held out of production this year than in 

 1934. 



On April 1 R. M. Evans, chairman of 

 the Iowa corn-hog committee, reported 

 a 12 per cent decrease in number of 

 signers, but about the same corn acreage 

 adju.stment as last year. The decrease 

 in number of signers largely represents 

 combinations of contracts and discon- 

 tinuance of adjustment by small opera- 

 tors. 



In Illinois it is estimated that there 

 will be little difference between corn 

 acreage reduction in 1935 and '34. 



It is estimated that the aggregate of 

 rental and benefit payments under the 

 1935 com-hog program may total in the 

 neighborhood of $150,000,000. The com 

 payment is at the rate of 35 cents per 

 bushel of yield estimated for the acreage 

 held out of corn production. 



The hog payment is at the rate of $15 

 per head for the number of hogs repre- 

 sented by the required adjustment of 10 

 per cent of the producer's average mar- 

 ket hog production for the base period. 



Uncle Ab says that we dislike only 

 those we do not know. ■■■;•/ ■].'•: 



26 



I. A. A. RECORD 



