V .. ■ 



---^-■:-.: The 



inois Agricultural Association 



RECORD , , 



Volume 14 January, 1936 Number I 



The Coining J^nnudl 



Meeting 



Interesting Three Day Session Promised Jan. 29-30-3 ! 



.POUND 



THE annual meeting at Decatur the 

 last three days of January will 

 seem like the second one of the 

 winter for many I. A. A. members. For 

 Illinois furnished most of the audience 

 at the recent national convention in 

 Chicago. This was especially true on 

 the opening day when President Roose- 

 velt spoke in the stockyards amphi- 

 theatre. Practically every Illinois 

 county, if not every one, was rep- 

 resented there, several by delegations 

 of 100 or more. 



But no matter how imposing a list 

 of speakers a national meeting may 

 have, the annual I. A. A. convention 

 is in a class by itself, perhaps because 

 it gets a little closer to the soil and 

 the every day realities, interests and 

 problems of Illinois farmers. 



The latest report from Decatur re- 

 veals that arrangements to care for a 

 crowd of 5000 or more are fairly well 

 completed. Hotel reservations for 

 nearly 2000 people have been made. 

 Overflow reservations of approximate- 

 , ly 600 have been assigned to rooms in 

 private houses. And a waiting list of 

 additional rooms in residences is said 

 to be available for the late comers. 



President Earl Smith has scheduled 

 a group of speakers that leaves 

 nothing to be desired. General Robert 

 E. Wood, president of Sears, Roebuck 

 and Co., who had a colorful career in 

 the army before entering private busi- 

 ness, is one of the headliners. Wood 

 served as a young executive officer 

 with Gen. Goethals from 1906 to 1915 

 in building the Panama Canal. Retir- 

 ing from the Army then to enter busi- 

 ness, he re-enlisted iji 1917 and soon 

 rose to the second executive position 

 in the important Army Transport 

 Service with headquarters in England. 



.lANUARY, 1936 i! , -^^::■.•■- 



General Wood is a student of eco- 

 nomics as well as a business leader. 

 He delivered one of the best speeche.s 

 at the recent A. F. B. F. convention 

 in the blunt, meaningful words of a 

 soldier. You will find it elsewhere in 

 this issue. The General has something 

 to say, says it. and sits down. He 

 doesn't ramble. A good pattern for 

 anyone to follow. 



Who should know more about farm 

 legislation than the chairman of the 

 House Agricultural Committee? Rep- 

 resentative Marvin Jones of Texas is 

 familiar with everything that happened 

 to farm legislation down at Washing- 

 ton during recent years. He'll come di- 

 rect from Washington to Decatur with 

 the low-down on the 1936 legislative 

 outlook. And if by chance there's a 

 Supreme Court decision on AAA by 

 that time, the future course of the farm 

 program will be a most interesting part 

 of the discussion. Congressman Jones 

 has a reputation for being a mighty 

 capable speaker and a worthy cham- 

 pion of farmers interests in the na- 

 tional capitol. 



Chester C. Davis, Administrator of 

 the Agricultural Adjustment Act. has 

 probably had more grief to contend 

 with during the past three years than 

 anyone in Washington. He's been on 

 the spot, in charge of the intricate AAA 

 machinery with thousands of hastily 

 assembled employees to look after, and 

 3.000,000 contract signers to please. No 

 wonder his hair turned white. Yours 

 would too. But Chester is still in there 

 giving his best. And when he comes 

 back to talk with us at Decatur this 

 year we'll bet the organized farmers 

 of Illinois will show their apprecia- 

 tion. 



Mr. Davis has that much faith in the 

 constitution and the Supreme Court 

 that he believes it entirely possible to 

 frame legislation designed to main- 

 tain parity prices for farm products 

 within present constitutional boun- 

 daries if the existing Act is declared 

 mvalid. 



Pres. Edward O'Neal, another speak- 

 er, needs no further introduction. Eld is 

 always in his best form before an I. A. 



A. gathering because he feels at home 

 and can talk plainly. 



You'll hear some rapid fire con- 

 versation and a lot of good stories 

 when F. H. VanOrman, former lieu- 

 tenant governor of Indiana, takes the 

 platform. There's something about In- 

 diana politics that makes story tellers. 

 The present Hoosier lieutenant gover- 

 nor, Cliff Townsend, is like that, too. 

 He had everyone laughing about those 

 poor little innocent pigs at the A. F. 



B. F. banquet a few weeks ago. Van- 

 Orman, incidentally, was on the in- 

 vitation committee that brought the 

 convention to Decatur. He has busi- 

 ness interests there. 



It's too early tu announce speakers 

 and details for the sessions of the as- 

 sociated companies. Meeting places are 

 announced for the most part in the 

 official notices appearing on page 25. 

 This information will be supplemented 

 by further announcements. 



The Association and all its activities 

 closed the year in thrivine condition 

 with the largest paid mcmljtrship since 

 the early twenties. President Smith 

 will have an interesting report and ad- 

 dress with which to ojjen the I. A. A. 

 convention Thursday morning. January 

 30. You'll want to be there.— Editor. 



