Service To Members 

 Topic of Two Meetings 



AAA, Tariff, Export Trade, Community Organization and 

 Farm Bureau Services Discussed at Bloomington and Centralia 



How to promote a better under- 

 standing of the Farm Bureau 

 program particularly in serving 

 new members was the subject of two 

 conferences of Farm Bureau presidents, 

 farm advisers and county organization 

 directors at Bloomington and Centralia 

 Nov. 18 and 22 respectively. 



Arranged jointly by Field Secretary 

 George E. Metzger and the State Agri- 

 cultural Extension Service, the meet- 

 ings brought together leaders of nearly 

 all counties. More than 180 attended 

 the Bloomington meeting and approxi- 

 mately 100 were at Centralia. 



Speakers were President Earl C. Smith, 

 Mr. Metzger, D. E. Lindstrom, specialist 

 in rural sociology, University of Illinois; 

 J. D. Bilsborrow who spoke at Bloom- 

 ington; and F. E. Longmire who ad- 

 dressed the Centralia meeting. Many 

 farm advisers and Farm Bureau presi- 

 dents participated in the discussion. 



In his address Mr. Smith touched on 

 many phases of the farm situation. He 

 answered critics of the AAA program 

 stating that he has had many requests 

 to point out the most vulnerable spots 

 of the Roosevelt farm program, but 

 nearly every critic failed to offer any 

 constructive suggestion to replace the 

 present program. 



Criticize and Belittle 



"The AAA has been criticized as un- 

 sound, unsafe, and unconstitutional," 

 said Mr. Smith. "We've heard the same 

 thing about every measure thus far pro- 

 posed for agricultural relief since the 

 early twenties. There is too much tend- 

 ency to criticize and belittle the farm 

 program which I am convinced has con- 

 tributed materially to farm buying 

 power and such business and industrial 

 recovery as we have had thus far. 



"Much is being said by politicians 

 about restoring export outlets for farm 

 products. Such propaganda is either 

 based on ignorance or definitely attempts 

 to mislead the American farmer. These 

 critics fail to mention the fact that most 

 of the leading nations of Europe owe us 

 large sums of money. Would you as a 

 farmer or business man continue to loan 

 money or sell goods to a neighbor who 

 has failed to pay what he has already 

 borrowed ? 



"In my judgment the attitude of the 

 Secretary of State on international trade 

 under present conditions is idealistic but 



impractical. The Department of State 

 continues to support the 'most-favored- 

 nation treaty' although 56 of the 58 

 signatories to the treaty have violated 

 it. The United States continues to 

 place all nations on the same ba'teis as to 

 import duties regardless of their pur- 

 chases from us. 



"I think the situation demands that 

 all international treaties now in exist- 

 ence be repealed," continued Smith, 

 "that we rebuild our tariff wall and trade 

 only with countries that trade with us. 



Industrial Prices Up 



"There is more to be gained by trading 

 with industrial countries — in exchanging 

 their industrial goods for our surplus 

 farm products. Industrial prices in this 

 country are still too high. The farm price 

 index on September 15 was only at 107, 

 whereas commodities farmers bought 

 were at 125 — a disparity of 18 points." 



Mr. Smith cited figures showing that 

 earnings of factory workers have ad- 

 vanced in almost exact proportion to the 

 advance in food prices. He emphasized 

 the importance to farmers of overcom- 

 ing the high cost of living propaganda 

 by the city press which inflames city 

 consumers against the farm program. 



To show the growth of the Illinois 

 Agricultural Association and its affiliates 

 Mr. Smith stated that 10 years ago there 

 were 46 people employed, whereas today 

 there are 219 in the 14 different institu- 

 tions. The net worth of all enterprises 

 considered together has increased ap- 

 proximately tenfold to 12,548,000. This 

 resulted from the many services and 

 savings to members and is in addition 

 to the $3,250,000 returned to Farm Bu- 

 reau members in refunds and stock and 

 patronage dividends. "I think of each 

 of our companies as a department 

 of the lAA," he said. "That's what 

 they would have been were it legal- 

 ly possible. All these activities are in- 

 cidental to the main reason for organiza- 

 tion, namely, to secure and maintain 

 reasonable farm prices and a fair share 

 of the national income for agriculture. 

 I realize, as you realize, the need for 

 keeping our eyes centered on the main 

 goal. If we all do this there is no dan- 

 ger of our commercial enterprises over- 

 shadowing the real purpose for which 

 the Farm Bureau and the Illinois Agri- 

 cultural Association were organized." 



"The Extension Service cannot do most 

 effective work without the support of a 

 strong membership organization," Mr. 

 Bilsborrow said at the Bloomington 

 meeting. "Farm Bureau leaders must be 

 informed about the whole extension pro- 

 gram. The County Farm Bureau is the 

 point of contact for the Extension Serv- 

 ice, and agricultural extension projects 

 are most effectively carried out where 

 there is a large membership in commu- 

 nity, township and county organizations." 



F. E. Longmire, expressing similar 

 sentiments at Centralia asserted that 

 there must be a long-time plan, a well 

 co-ordinated Farm Bureau program and 

 effective methods of reaching the people 

 developed thru publicity and group meet- 

 ings to do the most effective work. The 

 discussion following Longmire's well- 

 thought-out talk was especially helpful. 



Mr. Lindstrom clearly and aggressive- 

 ly emphasized the importance of commu- 

 nity organization in building and main- 

 taining membership and in putting over 

 the Farm Bureau program. "A member 

 is not a member," said Lindstrom "until 

 he says 'our organization.' Each member 

 must be made conscious that he is in 

 this fight for agriculture, that fanners 

 comprise a minority group. Give each 

 one a part to play in the organization if 

 you would make him a full-fledged mem- 

 ber in every sense of the word. Guide 

 against piling responsibility on one man. 

 The community organization is the key 

 to making the member conscious that 

 there is a Farm Bureau constantly work- 

 ing for his interests. 



Must Meet Often 



"A community Farm Bureau orgraniza- 

 tion to live and be successful must 

 meet regularly. Twelve meetings a year 

 are not too many. The program should 

 be built six months ahead. The com- 

 munity organization must have a definite 

 membership and it must have something 

 to do. Farmers in many communities 

 sre too passive. They put up with mud 

 roads when by working together they 

 could gravel them and save time and 

 expense. Every community should have 

 a church, a school and a community or- 

 ganization. 



"For better schools we need all-weather 

 roads and more income. Part of that in- 

 come should come from the cities be- 

 cause the farmer is constantly educating 

 and sending its surplus boys and girls 

 to the cities." 



Secretary Metzger who presided at 

 the two meetings advanced and sug- 

 gested a plan whereby a small group in 

 each township and community would call 

 on new members to explain the services 

 available and give the new member an 

 opportunity to make his selection of 

 those services most useful to him. The 

 proposed plan was adopted. 



DECEMBER, 1935 



