you want them directed, primarily for 

 the preservation of this great country of 

 America. I thank you for the confidence 

 you have expressed." 



George F. Tullock, Winnebago coun- 

 ty, nominated Talmage DeFrees for vice- 

 president to succeed himself, and George 

 Lenhart of Vermilion county paid tribute 

 to the conscientious service to .the move- 

 ment throughout the state in seconding 

 the nomination. His election was had 

 without a dissenting vote. "I'm proud to 

 serve second to our great leader, Earl 

 Smith," said Mr. DeFrees in response. 



Eight lAA Directors Picked 



Re-elected were Eb Harris, 11th dis- 

 trict ; M. Ray Ihrig, 1 5th ; Eugene Curtis, 

 I9th; Chester McCord, 23rd. 



Four new directors were chosen: L. M. 

 Knox, Whiteside county succeeds C. E. 

 Bamborough, veteran director who has 

 served with honor and distinction since 

 1923; C. M. Smith, Woodford county, 

 succeeds Ernest D. Lawrence, able leader 

 of McLean county in the 17th district; 

 Dwight Hart of Christian county succeeds 

 another pioneer wheelhorse in the Farm 

 Bureau movement, Sam Sorrells of Mont- 

 gomery county, 21st district, who in his 

 13 years of service attended 155 out of 

 156 lAA board meetings; and August 

 Eggerding, Randolph county, replaced 

 popular and well liked Robert B. Endicott 

 of Pulaski county, 25th district, who led 

 in launching the Farm Bureau movement 

 in his section of southern Illinois. The 

 Association is grateful for the valuable 

 contribution each retiring director has 

 made toward its success. 



For the first time the entire staff of the 

 lAA and employees of the lAA and As- 

 sociated Companies, numbering more 

 than 250, assembled on the stage of the 

 Auditorium for the opening of the lAA 

 convention. 



At the evening session officials of busi- 

 ness, manufacturing, and labor organiza- 

 tions, and those representing the various 

 agricultural interests in the state were pre- 

 sented to the audience. The president 

 and leaders of state-wide co-operative as- 

 sociations, likewise, were so honored 

 along with the lAA board of directors. 



Throughout the convention hundreds 

 took advantage of the opportunity to 

 visit the rearranged lAA offices across 

 the loop in the Transportation Building. 



All the convention sessions were held 

 either in the Civic Opera Auditorium or 

 m the LaSalle and Morrison Hotels, all 

 within short walking distance of each 

 other. 



No attempt was made to hive a con- 

 vention banquet or luncheon. A large 

 variety of good eating places close to the 

 hotels solved this problem. Even Chi- 

 cago has difficulty in providing a room 

 large enough to accommodate all who 

 would want to attend an official dinner. 



EDWARD A. O'NEAL 

 "Today the Farm Bureau is respected." 



Entertainment by the Kit-Kat Four 

 who sang, and played popular melodies 

 on stringed instruments at the Farm Bu- 

 reau presidents and farm advisers din- 

 ner, also at the opening of the conven- 

 tion next morning brought many an en- 

 core. "This is the finest crowd of folks, 

 and the first banquet we've played 

 where there wasn't liquor on the table," 

 commented Tex Burch, handsome leader 

 of the four who used to punch cattle 

 around Ft. Worth, Texas. 



Harold Safford, Otto and his Novel- 

 odeons, Christine, the Home Towners, 

 and the Hill Toppers of WLS did a 

 splendid job of entertaining Thursday 

 night and Friday. 



Mayor Welcomed Delegates 



All the speakers, including Mayor Ed 

 Kelly appeared as scheduled. The Mayor 

 said, "We more than appreciate your 

 coming to Chicago. We appreciate your 

 trade and business. The people of Chi- 

 cago want your friendship. 'We want to 

 co-operate with you in securing the leg- 

 islation you need and dsk the same in 

 return." The convention gave Mayor 

 Kelly a warm reception. They were im- 

 pressed by his sincerity. 



Secretary Henry A. Wallace described 

 by President Smith as the official head of 

 American Agriculture arrived early and 

 listened to part of the discussion Thurs- 

 day afternoon in the Public Relations 

 conference. Members of the State Rural 

 Electrification Committee appointed by 

 Governor Horner attended the conference 

 on this subject. The high lights of the 

 various addresses and meetings are pub- 

 lished elsewhere, in this issue. 



E. Z. Russell, age 70, of the U. S. 



Animal Husbandry Division, and long 

 identified with its swine research ac- 

 tivities, retired from active service Jan-" 

 uary 1, 1937. 



The 

 Farm Bureau 



of 

 Tomorrow 



"The Farm Bureau of the future will 

 build higher on the foundation that has 

 been laid at the cost of so much effort. 

 Its scope and influence will be greatly ex- 

 tended, but its job will be precisely the 

 same as it has been, namely, to maintain 

 parity position for agriculture with other 

 groups," so Sfjoke Edward A. O'Neal, 

 president of the American Farm Bureau 

 Federation in addressing the Friday morn- 

 ing session at the lAA convention in 

 Chicago, January 29. His subject was 

 "The Farm Bureau of Tomorrow." 



"Today the Farm Bureau is respected 

 and its counsel sought on farm affairs be- 

 cause its policies have been moderate, 

 sound and fair to other groups. We have 

 always advocated putting a ceiling on 

 commodity prices at parity levels. Such a 

 position is unassailable because it is fair 

 to other groups. ;. V- 



lAA a Pattern 



"My wish for the Farm Bureau of to- 

 morrow is that it will be patterned after 

 your own Illinois Agricultural Associa- 

 tion, the finest, most effective farm organ- 

 ization in the world. It was no accident 

 that the Illinois delegation in the House 

 voted almost unanimously for the Soil 

 Conservation Act. The members voted 

 that way because they knew that the 

 Farm Bureau in Illinois wanted it, and 

 they knew that the organization spoke for 

 agriculture in the state.- That's what I'm 

 talking about in this matter of influence, 

 and the Farm Bureau of tomorrow will 

 guard and maintain such an influence as 

 its most priceless possession. 



"The great aim of the Farm Bureau of 

 tomorrow will be to help in maintaining 

 balance between the great population 

 groups in this country. The farmers are 

 capitalists because we have the greatest 

 investment in our business of any group 

 in the country. We believe that capital 

 should have a fair return on its invest- 

 ment. The farmers are also laborers, be- 

 cause the amount of their income depends 

 on their diligence in the fields. There- 

 fore, we understand the aims and aspira- 

 tions of the laboring class, and we believe 

 that every laborer is entitled to a fair 

 wage. The farmer believes in the Go'den 

 Rule. He has practiced it in his dealings 

 with other groups, and he is going to in- 

 --sist that other groups obser\'e it in dealing 

 with him." ^ 



FEBRUARY. 1937 



