Farm Bureau Plank 



(Continued from page 6) 



The revaluation of our dollar has 

 already demonstrated conclusively 

 the effectiveness of monetary con- 

 trol in checking ruinous deflation 

 and restoring commodity price levels. 

 The removal of gold as a circulat- 

 ing medium and its use as a reserve 

 back of our currency, the elimination 

 of the gold payment clause in con- 

 tracts and the enlargement of the 

 powers of the Federal Reserve Board 

 have prepared the way for the es- 

 tablishment of a managed currency. 

 We still lack the establishment of a 

 definite mandate by Congress setting 

 the goal toward which our currency 

 is to be managed and the delegation 

 of the necessary powers to a re- 

 sponsible agency to carry out such 

 objectives. 



We believe that immediate action 

 for the establishment of such a man- 

 aged currency is vitally necessary to 

 provide a sound and stable founda- 

 tion for our entire economic system 

 and the security and well-being of 

 our entire population. 

 We believe that all of the above men- 

 tioned principles and policies of govern- 

 ment are essential to assure farmers a 

 fair share of the national income, to 

 make the protective systeri^ effective for 

 agriculture, and bring about economic 

 and social equality in America. 



,^> 



200 Directors and 

 Managers at Urbana 



Enthusiastically expounding their own 

 viewpoint of the vast cooperative move- 

 ment, more than 200 officers, directors, 

 managers, and members of the 63 serv- 

 ice companies of the Illinois Farm Sup- 

 ply Company gathered at Urbana June 

 15-19 to attend the twelfth annual ses- 

 sion of the American Institute of Coop- 

 eration. 



Two special sessions for farm supply 

 purchasing associations were held on 

 Wednesday and Thursday afternoons. 

 L. R. Marchant, manager, and Fred E. 

 Herndon, president of Illinois Farm 

 Supply Company, were chairmen of the 

 special sessions. For officials of the serv- 

 ice companies it was two days of com- 

 paring notes on farm supply purchasing, 

 trends and developments and of catch- 

 ing up on the results each one has ob- 

 tained in meeting the problems confront- 

 ing his association. 



A business meeting of the managers 

 and directors of the 63 service com- 

 panies was held Wednesday night at the 

 Champaign Country Club at which 

 Joseph G. Knapp of the Farm Credit 

 .Administration, and Prof. V. M. Rucker, 

 Kansas State College were guest speak- 

 ers. 



The group also inspected the Soyoil 

 paint tests carried on by Dr. W. L. Bur- 

 lison, head of the Agronomy Department 

 of the College of Agriculture. Soyoil 

 paint panels were found to be much 

 superior after severe weathering than 

 the panels painted with ordinary lead 

 and oil paints. 



SIMON E. LANT7, WOODFORD COUNTY FARM BUREAU MEMBER, HOLDING EARL 

 Marshall 27th, Aberdeen-Angus bull. His sale oF 56 head June 18 near Congerville, averaged 

 about $177.00, one of the highest this year. The top cow brought $540. C. Wayland Brooks 

 bought the top bull ($450) and four females for his farm In LaSalle county. Donald Lash, Mc- 

 Lean County, and Betty Erikson, Peoria county, won the Angus heifer and Cheviot ewe re- 

 spectively in the prize drawing contest for 4-H and high school Ag. students. 



Comments By Pres. Earl C. 

 Smith on Party Planks 



Republican — The agricultural plank 

 of the Republican platform embodies a 

 majority of the recommendations of the 

 American Farm Bureau Federation, 

 which were presented to the Resolutions 

 Committee at the convention last Tues- 

 day afternoon. 



Its criticism of the Agricultural Ad- 

 justment Act discloses either complete 

 lack of understanding or indifference to 

 the purpose of the law and the helpful 

 results of its administration. 



I regret it fails to be more specific in 

 recognition of the fundamental necessity 

 of adjusting supply of farm products to 

 balance with the demands of markets at 

 price levels to assure farmers parity 

 income. 



I also regret it fails to include a 

 pronouncement in favor of commodity 

 loans on seasonal surpluses of basic crops 

 — the principle of which originated in 

 the State of Illinios in 1933 and which 

 was known as the Corn Loan program. 

 This program was very effective in im- 

 proving and stabilizing the price levels 

 of the commodity, and although hundreds 

 of millions of dollars were loaned under 

 this program, not one dollar was lost to 

 the Federal Government. 



Notwithstanding these limitations, I 

 believe that a liberal interpretation of 

 the plank as a whole makes possible 

 under a sympathetic administration the 

 development of an effective national pol- 

 icy for agriculture. 



We will look with a gre&t deal of in- 



terest to the interpretation of the agri- 

 cultural plank by the party nominee, 

 Governor Landon. 



Democratic — The Democratic platform 

 embodies many of the recommendations 

 of the American Farm Bureau Federa- 

 tion. 



No one can successfully deny the right 

 of the Democratic Administration to take 

 much of the credit for the improvement 

 in farm prices as a result of their adop- 

 tion of agricultural policies recommended 

 by organized agriculture in 1933. Like- 

 wise, every informed person recognizes 

 that under the urge and support of farm 

 organizations, the Farm Credit Admin- 

 istration was established under which 

 liberalized credit at greatly reduced in- 

 terest rates was made available, which 

 enabled an untold number of farmers to 

 hold or regain their farm homes. 



It is difficult to reconcile the statement 

 in the platform which insures fair prices 

 to consumers and fair profits to farmers, 

 'f it is disclosed that the intent of this 

 pledge is "to insure ample supplies to 

 consumers consistent with parity income 

 to farmers for their products," it will 

 justify the approval of farmers. 



It is gratifying to note that the Party 

 pledges to keep the farmers on the road 

 to freedom and prosperity. Farmers will 

 want to know and await with interest 

 President Roosevelt's interpretation of 

 the platform as to how this is to be 

 accomplished. 



JULY. 19.36 



