How L A. A. Stands On Public Quesrions 



Resolutions Adopted at 23rd Annual lAA Meeting 

 Springfield, Jan, 28, 1938 



jfS AMERICAN citizens \ve 

 / Tr ^^^ interested in the social, 

 r\^^ I educational and economic 

 opportunities of all groups. \X e would 

 preserve the institutions which vouch- 

 safe these opportunities. To neglect the 

 problems of agriculture is to sap the 

 foundations of these institutions. 



No group in this country is less mili- 

 tary mindeci than are American farmers. 

 I'armers love peace. But at this moment 

 organized American agriculure is on the 

 march. Its man-power, its resources, its 

 facilities, are marshalled to obtain equi- 

 table balance as between all groups, be- 

 lieving, as it does, that only through such 

 mobilization will come the greater field 

 of freedom and opportunity. Agricul- 

 tural security and national well being de- 

 mand that this balance be effected with- 

 out delay and without compromise. 



I. National Policy 



\Xc endorse the essential provisions of ilie 

 Aj;ricultural Adjustment Act of m^T .is pre- 

 sented hy representatives of the American 

 F.irm Bureau Federation to llic House and 

 Senate Committees on A.i:riculturc on May 

 1^, 19.^7. This proposed legislation offers 

 the Nation assurance of ample supplies of 

 hasic farm products; affords farmers t!ie op- 

 portunity to effectively control surplus re- 

 serve supplies supported by adequate Fed- 

 er.il loans based upon warehouse and trust 

 leteipts; assures farmers an opportunity to 

 Hiielliijently adjust production to the extent 

 necessary to keep surplus reserve supplies 

 from betominp unduly large and unwieldy 

 and assures to each farmer his fair share of 

 ihe current market at parity or near parity 

 prices. Through a system of marketinp 

 <luotas, this measure gives assurance to cfi 

 operating farmers that should excessive sup 

 plies occur within any year, each farmer 

 producing a commodity for market, through 

 the uiihoriiy of a referendum by interested 

 pioducers. would be required to withhold 

 from market channels his equitable portion 

 '■f the excess until total supplies are brought 

 nto balance with market demands and a 

 reasonable reserve carryover. 



NXt urge the continued efforts of the As- 

 sociation in support of these pro\isions of 

 i.iw until a well-rounded and effective Na- 

 tional policy for agriculture embodving 

 these essential provisions as a supplement 

 :o the Soil Conservation and Domestic Al 

 .'"tment Act is adopted by the Congress. 



II. Tariffs 

 >X'e reaffirm our position in support of a 

 schedule of agricultural tariffs to fully pro- 

 tect the domestic market from competing 

 imports that hold or force American prices 

 below parity levels; reduction of excessive 

 :ndustrial tariffs to equalize the price levels 

 of industrial and agricultural commodities: 



more aggress, \e efforts to t1e\elop new 

 tlomestic ^nd foreign outlets and m.irktts for 

 American grown tarm products, with the 

 continued use, for this purpose, of a sub- 

 stantial amount of import revenue; and St.ite 

 and Ftderal mirkcting agreements and 

 <»rt]ers to enable protlucers. with tlistnbutors 

 or consumers, to stabilize the price U\'A of 

 any agricultural commodity. 



III. Appreciation 



We extend our appreciation to the mem- 

 bers of the Illinois delegation in Congress 

 for their expressed interest in and support 

 of adequate and necess.iry farm commodity 

 surplus control legislation as disclosed hy 

 their petition to the House Committee on 

 Agriculture urging favorable action before 

 .idjournment of the last regular sessicm c>f 

 Congress. 



IV. Illinois Congressmen 

 W e particularly commend the members 

 of tJie Illinois dele.gation in (Congress who 

 remained steadfast in their support of amend- 

 ments to pemiing farm commoility surplus 

 control legislation supported by the Illinois 

 Agricultural Association and American Farm 

 Bureau Federation, when under consider.! 

 tion by the House of Representatives during 

 the last special session of Congress, and we 

 deplore the action and vote of those mem- 

 bers who responded to political machine 

 domination and either withheld suppoif 

 from, or opposed, these aniiiidnunts 



V, Labor 



We believe th,it a proper bal.mce bttwtm 

 the wages of organized labor, industrial 

 prices and farm prices is essential to the 

 permanent prosperity of all .croups and to 

 the security of America. 



We recognize that labor is entitled to 

 reasonable hours, proper working condi- 

 tions and a fair share of the National in 

 come. We also recognize that farm prices 

 are now at a wide disparity hilow industrial 

 wa.ue levels and industrial prices. 



At least until such time as the existing 

 disparity is removed, we will oppose the 

 enactment of legislation increasing furtlur 

 the disparity through shortening the hours 

 of labor and raising wage rates, especially 

 of those groups whose wage standards are 

 above parity level with farm prices. 



VI. Boycotts 



We deplore the encouragement of oigan 

 ized boycotts against farm products by cir 

 tain labor groups, in particular because the 

 standard of wages of such labor .croups is 

 substantially higher than the retail price of 

 food as measured by their exchange value 

 existing previous to the World War. Such 

 activities are ill-ad-, ised, un-American and 

 conducive to ill-will and misunderstanding 

 between agriculture and labor, and will, if 

 continued, be detrimental to labor, agrjcu' 

 ture and the general public interest. 



VII. Industrial Prices 



We deplore the action of industr\ wiien ',■■ 

 pyramids increases in wage rates into the 

 price levels of industrial products .Such 



.ution i-^ nut ct»ntiuci\e lo the m.iinten.oue 

 ot pusciit industrial output, decreases the 

 opportunity tor g.unful imployment and is 

 L:ener.illv adsersc to National welt. ire. 



VIII. Rural Flectrificaiion 



TIk tNtciision of Iiigh line electrii s(.r- 

 vice to farmers affords great possibilities lor 

 increasing the stand.ird of livin.g in the faun 

 home and uill proMde an economical source 

 of power. If Ihe Association and County 

 Farm Burc.uis arc to continue to support 

 and sponsor rural electrification fin.inccd 

 witli Federal funds, the Boards of Directors 

 of these pro|ects must be given aulhoritv 

 equal to the resp<insibility entailed by tbcir 

 sponsorship. These projects should operate 

 within the general policies of the Riir.il 

 Electrification Administration but so long 

 as the loans are not in default, the Rural 

 IMcctrification Administration shoulil exer- 

 cise only such supervisory authority as is 

 necessary to protect its investment. If these 

 projects are to be contriillcd, their policies 

 dictated and their operating problems eleter- 

 mined by the Rural Klectrification Ailmin- 

 istration, then the memlH-rship of these pioj- 

 ects should be so advised in order that the re 

 may be no misunderstanding as to the bu- 

 reaucratic nature of this program anel that 

 the Boarels of Directors may not be cliaiged 

 with responsibility which they have no auth- 

 ority to discharge. We believe that these 

 local projects, through a state wiele fe lera- 

 tion, can effect many economies an. I provi.le 

 engineering, auditing anel other profession.il 

 services cif a calibre uliich the inelic i.lii.il 

 projects eannot .ifforel. 



IX. Ro.ids 



>ii long .IS the Federal "oseriinient eol- 

 ieits large amounts of taxes from purchaseis 

 of .c'.soline anel motor vehicles anel par's 

 therefi»r. we- c>ppi>se any reeiuctions in ap- 

 portionments of regular Federal An! Roid 

 funds among the several Stales and in jp- 

 propri-i lions therefor. 



In order to increase the mileage of si c- 

 ondary ro.uls annually improved, we li\or 

 increasing the prciporliein boili of Fe.leial 

 Aid Roael fiinels and of State approprialions 

 to match the same which arc earmarkcel tor 

 this purpose- 



W'e also fa\or liberalizing the pre s. nt 

 ngiel Federal and State specifications for 

 e oiistriiction of secondary roads. 



X. Bang's Disease 



Riason.ibie- annual Fctleral appropriations 

 have been available to elairynien within the 

 States for use in Federal State coope r iiive 

 programs for the \oIuntary elimination of 

 eattle affecicel with Bangs disease. It ap- 

 pe.irs prob. ble that a continuation of an- 

 nual Federal aid to any State may beciime 

 dependent upon the State matchin.g in whole 

 or in part Federal funds available to such 

 State and should such contingency arise, we 

 ..rge that the State of Illinois be prcpaicel 

 to meet such a situation with the appropria 

 tion of adequate funds for indemnity to 

 herd owners desiring to cooperate with s|.,h 

 worthy preigrams 



FEBRUARY, 1938 



