STATE FAIR 



(See page 6 

 for pictures) 



^^^HE Illinois State Fair contin- 

 ^^~y^ ued to set the pace this year 

 ^^ as the leading State Fair of the 

 country with an array of purebred 

 livestock, grain, farm products, 4-H 

 Club and machinery exhibits second 

 to none in the country. The Illinois 

 Fair has long held the reputation of 

 drawing more fine livestock herds and 

 flocks from all sections of the U. S. 

 and Canada than any similar exhibit. 



Despite the rain on Thursday and 

 Friday, which temporarily upset sched- 

 uled events, the judging of livestock 

 and farm produce, the livestock and 

 4-H Club parade, races, speaking and 

 other features draw a heavy attendance, 

 estimated at nearly 900,000. 



The Illinois Agricultural Associa- 

 tion's Farm Bureau headquarters tent 

 was filled with members and their 

 friends throughout Fair week. The larg- 

 est crowds, observers say, were on Sun- 

 day, Tuesday and Wednesday. Farm 

 Bureau Day held Friday, August 18, 

 brought members from far and near, 

 despite rain and cloudy weather. Much 

 handshaking and good fellowship was 

 in evidence around the dinner tables 

 and water fountains in the Farm Bu- 

 reau tent. 



Study Corn Problems 



Farmers who attended were mainly 

 interested in three developments. They 

 looked for storage space for the com- 

 ing corn crop, implements that would 

 reduce operating costs, and results of 

 plant and animal breeding that would 

 improve the quality of their products. 



"We've grown out of the habit of 

 storing grain on the farm," one man 

 said as he examined a movable corn 

 crib. "I can remember my grandfather 

 having three corn crops stored in tem- 

 porary, pole cribs. He didn't need 

 as much cash to make a crop as we do 

 now so he could aflFord to hold for 

 better prices. " 



This corn and hog producer, like 

 many others at the Fair expects to take 

 advantage of federal aid in holding 

 their 1939 crops at home. 



Farm implement makers had the larg- 

 est and most interesting display in 

 many years. Six of them were show- 

 ing one-and two-plow, general purpose 

 tractors of new designs. All were 

 priced under $600. A combine costing 

 around |400 and capable of harvest- 

 ing an acre an hour drew wide atten- 

 tion. 



New corn hybrids received careful 

 study. Farmers were as much inter- 

 ested in standing qualities and disease 

 resistance as they were in yield. Some 

 wanted to know about feeding quality. 



Old-timers around the judging rings 

 were divided in their opinions of the 

 livestock show. Some declared com- 

 petition was tougher than usual and 

 others said it was as stiff as ever. In 

 either case it is still an honor to take 

 a blue in any class at the Illinois State 

 Fair. 



Club boys and girls were at home 

 for the week in their new quarters. 

 They appreciated the new dormitories, 

 exhibit booths and livestock barns. 

 Television Popular 



Crowds surged into Happy Hollow 

 but side shows were noticeably vacant 

 at times. Missing, too, were games 

 of chance. 



Long lines formed daily to see the 

 television show sponsored by WLS. On 

 one side of a partition folks saw the 

 "broadcast." On the other side they 

 saw and heard the performance. Re- 

 ceivers resembled a large radio set and 

 the show appeared on a screen much 

 like a movie. 



To farm folks, exhibitors and man- 

 ufacturers the Fair was an indication of 

 greater developments ahead in agri- 

 culture. Director of Agriculture J. H. 

 Lloyd, assistant director DeBord, and 

 fair manager Irwin deserve much 

 credit for the efforts they have put 

 into making such a splendid Fair pos- 

 sible. 



About the only criticism of the Fair 

 or its management generally expressed 

 was the fast increasing percentage of 

 those attending being permitted to en- 

 ter with complimentary tickets which 

 had been freely scattered over the State 

 while others were forced to pay ad- 

 mission fees. It would seem that ap- 

 propriate steps should be taken for the 

 adoption of a policy wherein every one 

 attending would be treated in the same 

 manner whether called upon to pay a 

 small general admission charge or every 

 one admitted free. 



"The lightning sure wcui close to our 

 place lost nightl" 



iSTITUTE OF 

 COOPERATION 



\^^^^HERE were a lot of carefully 

 ^^""/^ prepared sp>eeches delivered 

 %^ at the American Institute of 

 Cooperation on the University of Chi- 

 cago campus, Aug. 7-11 but meager 

 audiences for the most part were there 

 to hear them. The greater part of 

 those attending were on the program 

 and the speakers took turns listening 

 to each other which made the institute 

 a success for all concerned. 



The official statement following the 

 institute reports that speakers and vis- 

 itors came from 37 states, Scotland, 

 Ireland and Denmark, participated in 

 more than 50 sessions, and heard ad- . 

 dresses from 90 men. 



An effort was made this year to bring 

 together the farm cooperative and in- 

 dustrial viewpoints on problems af- 

 fecting each other. Carrying out this 

 thought, spokesmen for Chicago pack- 

 ers, grain milling interests and similar 

 industrial groups appeared on the pro- 

 gram. A forum featuring representa- 

 tives of agricultural, labor, and industry 

 who talked over relationship problems 

 wound up the week's program. 



Secretary of Agriculture Henry A. 

 Wallace said that "the cooperative 

 movement as well as other types of 

 activity undertaken by farmers within 

 the last few years, represents a grop- 

 ing on the part of the farmers of the 

 United States for solution of their 

 problems in a truly American way." 

 He saw in the cooperative an interplay 

 of control and function among mem- 

 bers, directors, and management which 

 he commended to corporate business 

 as a possible means of building a 

 stronger bridge between democracy and 

 capitalism. 



Chester C. Davis, member of the 

 Federal Reserve Board, spoke on "The 

 Relation of Monetary Policies to Price 

 Levels of Basic Commodities." 



Presiding at the industry-agriculture- 

 labor conference on Friday, President 

 Earl C. Smith of the lAA said that "a 

 balanced economy can be achieved only 

 with complete and continuous coop- 

 eration by agriculture, by all industries 

 and by labor under the encouragement 

 and leadership of the federal govern- 

 ment. Industry must accept smaller per 

 unit profits and look for larger profits 

 through greater volume. Labor must 

 look for its profits in the reemployment 

 of millions now idle and a larger an- 

 nual income rather than shorter hours 

 and higher hourly pay." 



(Continued on fiage 11) 



SEPTEMBER. 1939 



