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ilOinois A^ciiltural Asso( 



Uh/'ti'yip^ 



RECORD 



Published monthly by the Illii^oU Agrioultural Assoolation at 165 So. Xaln St., Spencer, Ind. Editorial Offices, 608 So. Dearborn St., ChicaKo. HI. 

 Application for transfer of seobAd clasx entry from Marshall, III., to Spencer, Ind., pending. Acceptance for mailing at special rate of postage pro- 

 vided in Section 412. Act of Fen 28. 1925, authorized Oct. 27, 1926. Address all communications for publication to Editorial Offices, Illinois AgH- 

 oultural Association Record, 60p m- Dearborn St., Chicago. 



Number 2 



FEBRUARY, 1932 



Volume 10 



W, . (. 



■v- 



I. A. A. Closes Yeaf with 



Gain in K4ennbership 



:•■:::"::::.:,..,.:> ^' A.-^^ 



Many Farmers Not Affiliatea Here- 

 tofore A^svakened to Advantages 



of Organization 



THE Illinois Agricultural Associ/tlon 

 closed the year with a gain in#nem- 

 bership in spite of unfavorable economic 

 conditions which confronted member- 

 ship work during the period, according 

 to George E. Metzger, director of or- 

 ganization. 



There are many farmers who believe 

 in the organization and would like to 

 become members, he said, but have not 

 been able to see their way clear to obli- 

 "^gate themselves for the amount of the 

 membership dues. On the other hand 

 there is a new group of farmers inter- 

 ested in membership who have here- 

 tofore thought themselves independent 

 and self-sufficient. Many of the latter 

 have experienced an awakening and now 

 see an advantage in organization which 

 had not impressed them before. A good 

 part of the 1931 increase came from 

 this class of farmers..'*- •. ;:.<.. 



"An increase in membership > is an 

 unprecedented accomplishment in the 

 first year of the normal three-year mem- 

 bership period, when fifty counties 

 are required to put on membership cam- 

 paigns," Mr. Metzger said. 



Continuing Membership ^. 



The continuing type of membership 

 contract is now in effect in 74 counties. 

 A new type of contract, known as "a 

 one-year continuing contract," has been 

 approved and is recommended for use 

 in counties which have heretofore signed 

 on the three-year continuing agreement, 

 when the latter contract has expired. 

 The new one-year continuing type of 

 contract has been used in a number of 

 counties in the campaigns during the 

 year. 



The.<listrict plan of organization is 



; in its fourth year of operation. During 



1931 membership was maintained on 



a higher level than in any similar time 



Earl C. Smith 



in the last three-year period and at 

 approximately 25 per cent less cost, Mr. 

 Metzger said. 



Assistance was given by the organi- 

 zation department in the organization 

 of oil companies, milk marketing asso- 

 ciations, the Illinois Grain Corporation, 

 the Illinois Livestock Marketing Asso- 

 ciation, the Auditing Association, and 

 .:in a number of other projects. 



During the year O. D. Brissenden 

 assumed managership duties in District 

 II, Clare Bradford in District I, L. B. 

 Hornbeek in District VI, and H. H. 

 Walker in District VII. L. F. Brissen- 

 den is manager in District VIII, A. B. 

 Culp in District V, John C. Moore in 

 District IV, and R. J. Hamilton in 

 •District III. .. : > . ► 



1 



The Illinois Livestock Marketing 

 Association will hold its annual con- 

 vention at Bloomington February 

 17. C. B. Denman, member of the 

 Federal Farm Board, w^ill be the 

 principal speaker. 



More Thorough Organization 

 Will Speed Solutions — -Smithy 



Unorganized Farmer Pays in De- 

 creased Revenues and Increased 



Costs for Failure to Co-operate 



.. . . P;^:. ■ 



I HAVE previously stated and yet be- 

 lieve that unorganized farmers con- 

 stitute the greatest obstacle operating to 

 delay proper solutions to many of our 

 difficulties, President Earl C. Smith de- 

 clared in his address before the 17th 

 Annual I. A. A. Convention at. Rock- 

 ford on January 28. .";:•', ^ ' 



"If I am right in my conclusions," 

 he continued, "organization, further or- 

 ganization and complete organization of 

 farmers should be the keynote of the 

 convention. 



"The membership of the Farm Bu- 

 reau of Illinois yet fails to include a 

 majority of the farmers in most of the 

 counties of the state. A minority of 

 our rural people, which have included 

 nearly all of the natural community., 

 leaders of the state have shouldered the 

 responsibility and thus far maintained 

 our organization. They could have ac- 

 complished much more if there had been 

 included two or three times as many of 

 our rural people with a unified spirit, 

 information and purpose. 



Influence with Members 



"An adequately organized agriculture 

 could have wielded far greater influence 

 in the councils of both state and na- 

 tion. Illinois and American f arm,ers 

 could not have been forced into a 12- 

 year period of deflation with such an' 

 organization. Fast increasing and un- 

 just portions of the cost of government 

 could not have been shouldered upon 

 agriculture. Their combined influence 

 could and can operate to greatly reduce 

 costs of government, particularly within 

 the counties where most of our tax 

 money remains. 



"The increased purchasing power of 

 agriculture resulting from such an 

 organization would have lessened the 

 severity of the present depression. The 

 unorganized farmer or farm owner is 



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