Page Four 



THE I. A. A. RECORD 



December, 1932 



President Smith Serves 

 On National Committee 



U. S. Chamber of Commerce 

 Calls Meeting To Devise 

 Ways and Means of Re- 

 habilitating Farm 

 Buying Power 



A committee composed of repre- 

 sentatives of business and agricul- 

 tural interests met in the office of 

 General Robert E. Wood, president 

 of Sears, Roebuck & Co., Chicago, 

 November 21 to consider ways and 

 means of re-establishing an equi- 

 table price ratio between farm and 

 Industrial prices. 



The meeting was called by H. I. 

 Harriman, president of the United 

 States Chamber of Commerce, Earl 

 C. Smith, president of the Illinois 

 Agricultural Association, is a mem- 

 ber of the committee representing 

 organized farmers. 



Others attending the meeting 

 were: Burton F. Peek, vice-presi- 

 dent, Deere & Company, Moline, 

 ni.; F. A. Theis, vice-president of 

 Simonds-Shields-Lounsdale Grain 

 Co., Kansas City, Mo.; M. L. Wil- 

 son, agricultural economist, Mon- 

 tana State College; R. R. Rogers, 

 Prudential Life Insurance Co., New- 

 ark, N. J.; H. A. Wallace, editor of 

 Wallace's Farmer, Des Moines; Ly- 

 man E. Wakefield, president. First 

 National Bank of Minneapolis; 

 Harper Sibley, managing director, 

 Sibley Farms, Rochester, N, Y.; A. 

 C. Hardison, Hardison Ranch Com- 

 pany, Santa Paula, Cal.; N. P. Hull, 

 president. Grange Life Insurance 

 Company, Lansing, Mich.; Sydney 

 Anderson, vice-president General 

 Mills, Inc., Minneapolis; D. L. 

 James, secretary to the new com- 

 mittee; E. L. Bacher, secretary, 

 foreign commerce committee, 

 United States Chamber of Com- 

 merce; Thomas Wickman, chair- 

 man legislative committee, Chicago 

 Association of Commerce. 



Resolution Adopted 



The resolution adopted by the 

 committee follows: 



"With farm product prices at 

 present levels, the burden of agri- 

 cultural taxes, interest charges and 

 freight rates is intolerable. Farm 

 products today will buy only one- 

 half their normal amount of con- 

 sumer goods. 



"Inasmuch as it will be a slow 

 process to negotiate reciprocal tar- 

 iff agreements and make govern- 

 mental debt adjustments in such a 

 way as immediately to increase ex- 

 ports to a material extent we ad- 

 vocate the immediate development 

 of a plan which will establish a 

 domestic price level for basic farm 

 products which is far enough above 

 the world level to re-establish an 

 equitable price ratio between farm 

 and industrial prices. 



SOUTHPAW HUSKER FROM KNOX COUNTY WINS 

 NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP 



Carl Seller (right) member of the Knox County Farm Bureau, not only won 

 the state title in the contest held near Monticello in Piatt county, but husking 

 against 16 picked men, all winners, from eight other states, won the national 

 contest before 20,000 or more people who gathered on the Robert Peterson 

 farm east of Galva in Henry county Nov. 10. Seller gathered a net load of 

 36.91 bu. in 80 minutes. 



Orville Welch, Piatt county Farm Bureau member (left) was the national 

 champion last year and placed second in the state contest, sixth in the na- 

 tional contest, this year. The Henry County Farm Bureau, American Legion, 

 and other local groups co-operated with Prairie Farmer in staging the big 

 event. 



"We believe, therefore, that it is 

 in the general public interest for 

 all groups to cooperate with agricul- 

 ture in formulating a plan which 

 will restore the purchasing power 

 of farmers." 



A sub-committee was appointed 

 to present a plan to re-establish 

 farmers' buying power for the con- 

 sideration of the committee as a 

 whole at a further meeting to be 

 held at an early date. 



■ Business Leaders Aroused 



The significance of this com- 

 mittee's activity is that business 

 leaders are showing vital interest 

 in the farm problem and will likely 

 give support to an effective plan to 

 raise farm prices for submission in 

 the next Congress. It will be re- 

 called that the Chamber of Com- 

 merce endorsed the Agricultural 

 Marketing Act passed in 1929 which 

 since has proven ineffective in 

 maintaining farm prices on a par 

 with the prices of industrial com- 

 modities. 



If business and agriculture can 

 get together on an effective plan 

 there is little doubt that it can be 

 put through the coming session of 

 Congress. The fact that business in 

 general is desperate and is ready to 

 do almost anything that promises 

 to put factory wheels in motion is 

 one bright spot in the future out- 

 look. 



Annual Meeting Jan. 25-26-27 



(Continued from page 3) 

 percent of profit. The farmer 

 stood by the government at all 

 times. We have worked from 

 early morn until late at night to 

 help feed the world and so far have 

 succeeded in doing it. Was any 

 profit guaranteed the farmer? 

 Would we not as farmers be better 

 off if the government had not fixed 

 the price of wheat? Most of the 

 wheat at present is in the hands of 

 speculators, and they are asking a 

 50 per cent raise. Do you think the 

 price of pork should fluctuate from 

 $1 to $2 in 24 hours? I see no real 

 protection. Wool has gone down to 

 the producer. Can you buy clothing 

 any cheaper? You can answer if 

 you will. What we need first is edu- 

 cation as to our grave needs so that 

 we may build the foundation of an 

 organization that can perpetuate 

 this great industry in which our 

 lives and money are invested. Ever 

 since the Pilgrim Fathers landed 

 in America, organization of this 

 great cause of agriculture has been 

 needed." 



Here's Real Vision 



That the founders of the I. A. A. 

 had prophetic vision and foresight 

 in building the organization, is re- 

 vealed in the report of the first Fi- 

 nance Committee made by Joe 

 Fulkerson, chairman. 



(Continued on page 5 col. 3) 



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