The Real Issue Facing Farmers 



(Continued from page 7) 

 employment, increased profits and 

 greater dividends resulting from in- 

 creased buying power of farmers. 



With the long experience of business 

 and industry and the limited experience 

 of agriculture in applying the principle 

 of adjustment of production to the de- 

 mands of markets, and the results that 

 have been obtained, it is difficult to 

 understand the tremendous opposition 

 that has developed to the Agricultural 

 Adjustment Act, especially among so- 

 called big business. 



This is particularly true when one con- 

 siders that the sole purpose of the Ag- 

 ricultural Adjustment Act is to raise 

 farm commodity prices to parity levels 

 with the products of industry, so as to 

 restore farm buying power, which is 

 known to be essential for the future 

 welfare of industry and the country ap 

 a whole. 



The research study referred to dis- 

 closes that a 10 per cent change in the 

 national farm income, whether up or 

 dcwn, is followed by a 10 per cent raise 

 or decline as the case may be, in the 

 total payrolls of the nation. It discloses 

 that this 10 per cent increase in farm in- 

 come reflects a 25 per cent increase in 

 the gross profits of all reporting corpo- 

 rations. 



With these facts well established, it 

 would appear that thinking labor leaders 

 and industrial leaders would recognize 

 their interrelationship of interest with 

 that of farmers to secure and stabilize 

 the national farm income on a basis of 

 fair and equitable levels. 



There are those who seem to feel that 

 the American farmer has the responsibil- 

 ity of feeding the American people, re- 

 gardless of the prices he receives for his 

 products. The American farmer is will- 

 ing to accept the responsibility for pro- 

 viding all the food necessary to feed the 

 American people to the extent they can 

 find markets at price levels commensu- 

 rate with the prices of industrial prod- 

 ucts and the standard of wages in the 

 United States. 



American farmers are willing to do 

 away with all artificial means of ad- 

 justment when industry discloses a 

 sincere willingness to do likewise. Farm- 

 ers are willing to go back to the old law 

 of supply and demand, if and when the 

 business and labor leaders of the coun- 

 try will allow the same economic prin- 

 ciple to operate with their affairs. But, 

 so long as industry insists upon the 

 curtailment of production in order to 

 sustain the price of its products, and so 

 long as American labor insists upon an 

 artificial standard of wages, regardless 

 of the demand for labor, then the Amer- 

 ican farmer will continue to use the 



Grinding and mixing poultry and dairy feeds is an importanf side-line on the Honegger (arm. 

 Here you see the layout where close to 700 tons of feeds will be handled this year. 



same principle and adjust his production 

 to such extent as may be necessary to 

 meet industry and labor on a basis of 

 equitable prices for their respective prod- 

 ucts. 



It is true that the Agricultural Ad- 

 justment Act was adopted as an emer- 

 gency measure. It is true that many in- 

 justices and inequities have been found 

 in its application. Further refinement of 

 this measure must be had so that all in- 

 justices may be removed and simpler ad- 

 ministration had. This is a responsibil- 

 ity of farmers acting through organi7,a- 

 tion, and all economic facts disclose they 

 are entitled to the support and coop- 

 eration of other American industry and 

 of American labor in this effort. 



It should not be forgotten that the 

 outstanding program of the Federal Gov- 

 ernment in contributing to national wel- 

 fare has been its program to raise farm 

 prices and restore farm income. It should 

 also be remembered that all costs con- 

 nected with this great federal farm pro- 

 gram are currently met. It is self-sup- 

 porting and does not levy any kind of 

 debt or obligation for future generations 

 to pay. Recent amendments to the Agri- 

 cultural Adjustment Act provide what is 

 believed to be necessary for the more 

 complete administration of the Act in 

 carrying out its purpose and policy. 



Farmers and their friends should not 

 be misled by the organized opposition 

 to the Agricultural Adjustment Act that 

 has developed. It is largely constituted 

 from the handlers and processors of 

 farm products. It appears they believe 

 their immediate interest is best served 

 by unlimited production of farm prod- 

 ucts, as it is the volume of production 

 upon which commissions and charges of 

 various kinds are levied. 



Th^real issue confronting farmers and 

 thinking citizens of the United States at 

 the present time is whether the farmers 



of the country and their thinking friends, 

 or the handlers and processors of farm 

 products are to write into the statutes 

 of the state and nation future policies 

 of American agriculture. Six million 

 farmers cannot be effective as indi- 

 viduals. Their interests can be and will 

 be properly and effectively protected to 

 the extent they respond by universal or- 

 ganization under the banner of one great 

 farm organization, which must be equip- 

 ped to represent farmers at all times and 

 in all places where their interests are in- 

 volved. This is the program of the Farm 

 Bureau, in county, state and nation, and 

 it will be successful in discharging this 

 tremendous responsibility just to the ex- 

 tent that American farmers think and 

 act in and through the organization. 



I appeal to every thinking farmer and 

 business man of the state of Illinois to 

 join, through membership in their Coun- 

 ty Farm Bureau, in making a most far- 

 reaching decision. Shall American farm- 

 ers with the assistance of their business 

 friends determine the future course of 

 farm policies in America, or shall the 

 speculators in farm products and han- 

 dlers and processors of farm products 

 control the future destiny of American 

 agriculture? . ; 



NOTE: Radio address over Station WIS, 

 Friday. Sept. 13, 1935. 



A new world's record price of $1.10 

 a pound for fat market hogs was re- 

 ceived by 16-year-old Willard Brittin, 

 Sangamon county 4-H Club member on 

 his 170 pound Berkshire barro\f at the 

 recent Illinois State Fair. 



Scores of farm buildings were modern- 

 ized, repaired and painted as a result of 

 the campaign sponsored by the White- 

 side County Farm Bureau during the 

 past two months. Sales of soyoil paint 

 mounted to new heights. 



()rTOBRR. 1935 



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