Going Forward with the AAA 



(Continued from page 21) 



ing together under the guidance of govern- 

 ment, or one of these days the national inter- 

 est in the solution of this problem is such that 

 if farmers fail to take advantage of their op- 

 portunities through voluntary action to solve 

 the problem, I fear more drastic laws and 

 administration will be necessary. 



Some of the opponents of the AAA now 

 propose price fixing. You do not have to go 

 far in the study of price fixing to clearly 

 see that to be successful, it will require al- 

 lotments covering production, licensing of 

 practically every handler and processor of a 

 farm commodity — in other words, a type of 

 regimentation which I do not believe the 

 farmers of this country either want or will 

 submit to. The organization we represent has 

 repeatedly declared in favor of voluntary or- 

 ganization of farmers. Its every influence has 

 been used to secure the largest profitable mar- 

 ket possible, both domestic and export. It 

 has worked consistently for provisions of law 

 that are largely embodied in the AAA of 

 1938. It will continually strive for more 

 practical and equitable administration of the 

 Act. It has opposed and will oppose any type 

 of regimentation of farmers. Rather, we be- 

 lieve in farmers themselves regimenting their 

 surpluses, controlling them on the farms where 

 they can be carried much more economically 

 than any other place, and in addition, remove 



I Who Has Been Regimented? 



their otherwise bearish influence upon price 

 levels. Regardless of all the noise in the press 

 and from the platform that has been made 

 about regimentation, I ask nearly every time I 

 speak to farmers, "Where is the farmer who 

 has been regimented or threatened with regi- 

 mentation?" No one appears. 



Is it not time that thinking farmers rise 

 and condemn any and all who continually 

 raise this cry without any basis for their posi- 

 tion .> I ask again, "Where is the farmer who 

 has been assessed a penalty of any kind or 

 character for failure to cooperate?" No one 

 appears. The chief difference between an 

 AAA cooperator and a non-cooperator is in 

 the price assured the corn adjustment co- 

 operator and the comparatively low market 

 that seems to be the only thing available to 

 the non-cooperator. Both acted on their own 

 free will and judgment. Surely this is not 

 regimentation. 



The corn loan and payment is a reward to 

 those cooperating not only in their own inter- 

 est but in the nation's interest to raise and 

 stabilize basic farm commodity price levels 

 and farm buying power, and thereby provide 

 those who want to work an opportunity for 

 honest toil. Farm buying power is the req- 

 uisite for industrial prosperity of every kind, 

 to restore values and a return upon honest 

 investment. 



In conclusion I want to clear up any mis- 

 understanding that may exist as to our rela- 

 tion to one political party or another because 

 we aggressively support the present farm pro- 

 gram. It should be made clear here, and I 

 hope ever)' Farm Bureau member present will 

 lose no opportunity to make it clear in his own 

 community and count)-, that our organization 

 is interested in issues, principles and men, but 

 not in parties and politics. 



The lllinoh Agricultural Association never 

 has become involved in partisan politics and 

 ue do not intend to allow any candidate or 

 party to compromise at this time the reputa- 

 tion our Association enjoys in this respect. 

 The Illinois Agricultural Association is defi- 

 nitely committed to certain policies now advo- 

 cated and being carried out by the adminis- 



tration in power. We are just as definitely 

 opposed to others. Organized farmers are 

 grateful for the friendly consideration and 

 active support the present administration has 

 given toward developing a sound and construc- 

 tive farm program. 



There can be no valid criticism of present 

 efforts to give employment to boys and young 

 men from destitute homes in the Civilian Con- 

 servation Corps. These boys are being taught 

 useful work and most of the wages they 

 receive go back to their families to support 

 mothers and dependent children. 



Farmers generally are sympathetic to re- 

 sponsible voluntary organizations of labor for 

 collective bargaining with employers, for the 

 maintenance of reasonable hours and working 

 conditions and for the protection of their 

 members against sweat shops and exploitation. 



Agriculture realizes that when labor in the 

 industrial centers is fully employed at good 



wages there is invariably a brisk market for 

 farm products at satisfactory prices. Farmers 

 can fully sympathize with labor when it in- 

 sists that workmen be properly rewarded for 

 their toil. For the farmer, too, has the prob- 

 lem of securing reasonable compensation for 

 the long hours of hard labor connected with 

 the production of agricultural commodities. 



However, the farmer as a property owner 

 and employer realizes that investment is en- 

 titled to a fair return, that the employer has 

 payrolls and taxes to pay and all sorts of 

 operating expenses to meet. For this reason 

 farmers understand and appreciate the position 

 of business and industry when unreasonable 

 demands are made for wages which conditions 

 do not justify. 



But Organized farmers generally are vigor- 

 ously opposed to unemployment relief and 



(Continued on page 27) 



MAXIMUM ANTI-FREEZE 

 PROTECTION 



U/itk a Atinimum oi O^dtot 



See your local service station 

 or the salesman in the Blue and 



STOPS Rust and Corrosion in 

 the Cooling System. An eco- 

 nomical anti-freeze now on sale 

 in tamper proof sealed cans. White truck. 



26 



I. A. A. RECORD 



