THE ILLINOIS AGRICULTURAL ASSOCIATION RECORD 



To advance the purpose for which the Farm Bureau was organized 

 namely, to promote, protect and represent the business, economic, political 

 and educational interests of the farmers of Illinois and the nation, and 

 to develop agriculture. 



DECEMBER, 1936 

 VOL 14 NO. 12 



Illinois Agricultural Association 



Greatest State Farm Organization in America 



{ 



«»• 



OFFICERS 



President, Earl C. Smith '..i Detroit 



Vice-President, TaLmage DeFrees Smithboro 



Corporate Secretary, Paul E. Mathias Chicago 



Field Secretary, Geo. E. Metzger Chicago 



Treasurer, R. A. CowLES Bloomington 



Ass't Treasurer, A. R. Wright Varna 



BOARD OF DIRECTORS 



(By Congressional District) 



1st to llth E. Harris, Grayslake 



12th E. E. Houghtby, Shabbona 



13th C. E. Bamborough, Polo 



I4th Otto Steffey, Stronghurst 



15th M. Ray Ihrig, Golden 



I6th Albert Hayes, Chillicothe 



17th E. D. Lawrence, Bloomington 



18th Herman W. Danforth, Danforth 



19th Eugene Curtis, Champaign 



20th K. T. Smith, Greenfield 



21st Samuel Sorrells, Raymond 



22nd A. O. Eckert, Belleville 



23rd Chester McCord, Newton 



24th Charles Marshall, Belknap 



25th R. B. Endicott, Villa Ridge 



DEPARTMENT DIRECTORS 



Comptroller R. G. Ely 



Dairy Marketing Wilfred Shaw 



Finance R. A. Cowles 



Fruit and Vegetable Marketing H. W. Day 



Legal and General Counsel Donald Kirkpatrick 



Live Stock Marketing Ray E. Miller 



Office C. E. Johnston 



Organization G. E. Metzger 



Produce Marketing F. A. Gougler 



Publicity George Thiem 



Safety C. M. Seagraves 



Taxation and Statistics J. C. Watson 



Transportation-Claims Division G. W. Baxter 



Young Peoples Activities Frank Gingrich 



ASSOCIATED ORGANIZATIONS 



Country Life Insurance Co L. A. Williams, Mgr. 



Farmers' Mutual Reinsurance Co.. J. H. Kelker, Mgr. 



Illinois Agr. Auditing Ass'n S. E. Ringham, Mgr. 



Illinois Agr. Mutual Ins. Co...A. E. Richardson, Mgr. 



Illinois Agr. Service Co Donald Kirkpatrick, Secy. 



III. Farm Bureau Serum Ass'n Ray E. Miller, Mgr. 



Illinois Farm Supply Co L. R. Marchant, Mgr. 



Illinois Fruit Growers' Exchange... .H. W. Day, Mgr. 

 Illinois Grain Corporation.. Harrison Fahrnkopf, Mgr. 

 Illinois Livestock Marketing Ass'n. ..Ray Miller, Mgr. 



Illinois Milk Producers' Ass'n Wilfred Shaw, Mgr. 



Illinois Producers' Creameries. ..F. A. Gougler, Mgr. 

 J. B. Countiss, Sales Mgr. 



On the editorial and advertising staff : George Thiem, 

 Howard Hill. 



Published monthly by the Illinois Agricultural Asso- 

 ciation at i;OI West Washington Road, Mendota, 111. 

 Editorial Offices, 608 So. Dearborn St.. Chicago, 111. 

 Entered as second class matter at post office, Mendota, 

 Illinois, September 11, 1956. Acceptance for mailing 

 at special rate of postage provided in Section 412, Act of 

 Feb. 28, 1925, authorized Oct. 27, 1955. Address all 

 communications for publication to Editorial Offices, Illinois 

 Agricultural Association RECORD, 608 So. Dearborn St., 

 Chicago. The individual membership fee of the Illinois 

 Agricultural Association is five dollars a year. The fee 

 includes payment of fifty cents for subscription to the 

 Illinois Agricultural Association RECORD. Postmaster: 

 Send notices on Form 3578 and undelivcrable copies 

 returned under Form 3579 to editorial offices, 608 S. 

 Dearborn St., Chicago, 111. 



GEORGE THIEM, Editor 





RED CLOVER IN PEORIA COUNTY 



CiC^VERYONE who has noted 

 ^~' with misgivings the steady 

 V^/ increase in farm tenancy will 

 be sympathetic to any sound plan 

 enabling tenants to buy and pay for 

 their own farms. One of the chief 

 obstacles to buying land has been the 

 down payment. The administration, 

 according to press reports, proposes 

 to support legislation in the coming 

 Congress, making it possible for 

 competent tenants to buy farms and 

 pay for them out of income. One 

 report indicates that the down pay- 

 ment may be waived with Uncle Sam 

 taking a share of the annual crop to 

 satisfy interest and principal. 



If the proposed plan is to be 

 widely successful and still be self- 

 supporting, as it should, at least two 

 changes must be brought about. First, 

 there must be greater stability in 

 farm prices and income. Secondly, 

 there must be that keen desire for 

 ownership as shown in hard, in- 

 telligent work and willingness to 

 sacrifice some present comforts to 

 pay for a home. The government 

 may be able to do something about 

 the first suggestion. It can do very 

 little about the second. 



Let's assume that the government 

 borrows money for three per cent. 

 It may loan such money to farm pur- 

 chasers for a minimum of 1)^2 O"" 



four per cent. Such rates would be 

 quite favorable. Even with these 

 low rates, prices for farm products 

 would have to be higher than the 

 1 932-' 3 3 levels to maintain interest 

 payments, let alone principal, on nor- 

 mal valuations. And, if Uncle Sam's 

 share of the crop on tenant-pur- 

 chased farms failed to meet the in- 

 terest, the taxpayers would have to. 

 Even a temporary subsidy to farm 

 buyers would be difficult to defend. 

 The home buyers in the cities and 

 other citizens would want the same 

 treatment. No government could 

 subsidize them all. 



But suppose we get a commodity 

 dollar or something akin to it, and 

 reasonably stable farm income. A 

 more difficult step, if we are to sub- 

 stantially eliminate tenancy, is to 

 arouse the desire for farm and home 

 ownership. Many people apparently 

 do not want the responsibility that 

 goes with ownership. Only a small 

 percentage of those living in larger 

 cities own their own homes. Many 

 prefer not to. The majority spend 

 all they earn, save little or nothing. 



In every community are examples 

 of farm operators on rented land of 

 equal competence and ability. One 

 saves and buys a farm. The other 

 either doesn't save, or if he does, 

 invests his savings in stocks, bonds, 

 or better, life insurance. "Why don't 

 you buy the piece of land next to 

 you," we asked a friend recently. 

 "Because I can make more off it by 

 renting," was his smiling reply. 



Regardless of obstacles, any self- 

 supjxjrting plan that promotes wider 

 ownership, should be encouraged. 

 People are better citizens when they 

 own something. They are also bet- 

 ter workmen when they share in the 

 ownership of the business in which 

 they are employed. The greatest step 

 toward the promotion of farm and 

 home ownership by their residents 

 would be stabilized income. Many a 

 farmer is a tenant today who would 

 be an owner were it not for the gyra- 

 tions of the price level. — E.G.T. 



DECEMBER, 1936 



