Tage Four 



THE I. A. A. RECORD 



February, 1932 



grievously mistaken if he thinks he has 

 not been paying, and is not still paying 

 for his failure to co-operate. 



Pays Many Times 



"He is paying in decreased revenues 

 and increased costs. He pays many times 

 as much every year as it would cost him 

 to support an adequate organization able 

 to cope on better terms with the most 

 powerful organizations of other indus- 

 tries, capital and labor. -^.'^''^T^ 



"Farm people should view with con- 

 cern and become fully informed before 

 lending support to new movements 

 springing up under the guise of offer- 

 ing various forms of relief to farmers' 

 difficulties. Some of these movements 

 are known to be connected with and 

 supported by men and organizations 

 who, throughout the years, have bene- 

 fited because of division among farmers. 



New Movements 



"The existing depression and result- 

 ing state of unrest seems to offer an 

 opportunity for the stimulation of new 

 movements which have for their pur- 

 pose the retarding of the fast develop- 

 ment of co-operative marketing. So- 

 lutions to farmers* problems will be 

 hastened by the strengthening of pres- 

 ent forces rather than by the develop- 

 ' ment of new organizations. 



"It was largely through farmers and 

 rural people that the American republic 

 was estabhshed. As thinking farmers, 

 let us measure up to the responsibility 

 which is ours, in maintaining a stable 

 government, in resisting unhealthy radi- 

 calism which never builds but always 

 destroys. The farmers of America have 

 the reputation of being the most stable 

 of any large group in our national life 

 in periods of distress; and in this crisis, 

 let us carry on and work for those high 

 ideals, Equality of Opportunity and 

 Government by the People, conceived 

 and established long ago by the founders 

 of this nation." 



Reviews Achievements 



Mr. Smith reviewed briefly the 

 achievements of the associated com- 

 panies during the year, discussed the 

 legislative program of the association 

 during 1931, and on the subject of the 

 proposed state income tax said: 



"I am inclined to think most of the 

 opposition to the income tax is prompt- 

 ed and concerned by the fact it would 

 cause them to commence doing some- 

 thing they have never before done — 

 pay taxes. Farmers can expect a reduc- 

 tion of $7,500,000 in their tax bill if 

 the income tax is enacted into law. 



"Opponents of farmers' organized 

 efforts sometimes refer to the cost of 

 maintaining a miHtant organization. 

 The income tax bill alone, if passed 



on matters of public policy will con- 

 tinue to expand just to the extent its 

 program is sound and well-merited, and 

 is directed in such manner as will best 

 serve the agricultural interests of lUi- 



James G. Gridley (standlngr) and 

 Ellery Joneo, Ustlck TownHhip, -with 

 the clookH they tvon for lilKnlng: the 

 most members in Whiteside County's 

 orKanlzatlon drive. .' ''.'-. 



by the General Assembly will save the 

 farmers of Illinois an amount of money 

 annually, equal to thirty times the 

 annual cost of the Illinois Agricultural 

 Association. Stated in another way, this 

 bill alone will every year save the farm- 

 ers of Illinois an amount of money suffi- 

 cient to pay the total cost of the Illi- 

 nois Agricultural Association for thirty 

 years. Again may I ask, is this not con- 

 clusive evidence of the need for and 

 opportunity of a constructive farm 

 organization? 



Reduce Cost Government 



"By and through organization, farm- 

 ers must insist upon a substantial re- 

 duction in the cost of all governmental 

 units which can be realized by the dis- 

 continuance of extravagance and waste, 

 and through improved or increased effi- 

 ciency. ; :-. : . . 



"Although the association carried a 

 much heavier legislative program before 

 the 57th General Assembly than at any 

 previous session, a program covering a 

 very wide range of subject matter; yet 

 its percentage of success was much 

 greater than ever before. Its influence 



nois. 



Mr. Smith later drew an economic 

 picture of the farm industry revealing 

 the terrific deflation in farm values and 

 income, the rapid rise in farm taxes, 

 and the continuing efforts of organized 

 farmers to secure the adoption of a 

 national policy for agriculture. *; 



The Missing Link 



"The American people finally made a " 

 decision," he said, "and the Congress 

 of 1929 adopted the first national policy 

 for agriculture. That policy embodies 

 many of the demands previously made 

 bv farm organizations, but left out the 

 golden or missing link that was neces- 

 sary to enable it to fully function. 



"Although disappointed, the farmers 

 of Illinois agreed to give their support 

 in the development of this policy and 

 to assist those charged with the respon- 

 sibility of administering the act in every 

 possible way. In promising this sup- , 

 port, reservations were made, however, 

 wherein and whereby should the act 

 fail to meet certain of the essential needs 

 of agriculture, our organization would 

 seek to correct such weaknesses or limi- 

 tations, should experience disclose the '. 

 need therefor. — 



The Warning Unheeded 



"Throughout this struggle, farmers 

 insisted, when appealing to other in- y 

 dustries for support, that unless agri- i 

 culture was assisted in getting on a 

 proper, sound and permanent basis, that 

 sooner or later, the ill effects of such ;■ 

 failure would be felt throughout all 

 phases of our American economic life. 

 Little attention was paid to this warn- • 

 ing, but today I stand before this con- 

 vention keenly recognizing, as does 

 every thinking citizen, that we are in ; 

 the throes of difficulty and distress, 

 wherein there are no exceptions." 



■>■•■ :■'■ 



Whiteside County OrgraniBatlon Teams from Montmorency, Coloma, Hume and 

 Hahnaman townships, who put their membership over the top In two dayst Left to 

 right — at back — Henry Olds, Ralph Bollman. Second row — fi. H. Hand, Glenn 

 Schutt, C. A. Gaulrapp, Jake Hine, Alfons Llppens, Lester Devlne, Thomas Cooney, 

 Peter J. Dietz, John Uirks. Front row — Edward Larson, Harry Butler, George 

 Thome, W^lll Plautz, Frank Plants, Frank Ufkin, Frank G. Plauts. 



I 



4 k, 



