Page Eight 



THE I. A. A. RECORD 



December, 1932 



A€lliC€LTlJRAL ASSOCIAiMn 



— RECORJD— ^"^V- 



To advance the purpose for which the Farm Bureau was or- 

 ganized namely, to promote, protect and represent the busi- 

 ness, economic, political and educational interests of the 

 farmers of Illinois and the nation, and to develop agriculture. 



., 1 1 , — ^— _ 



George Thiem, Editor 



Published monthly by the Illinois Apicultural Association at 165 So. 

 Main St., Spencer, Ind. Editorial Ofllces, 608 So. Dearborn St., Chicago, 

 111. Entered as second class matter at post office, Spencer. Ind. Aceept- 

 aiice for mailing: at special rate of postage provided in Section 412, 

 Act of Feb. 28, 1925, authorized Oct. 27, 1925. Address all communications 

 for publication to Editorial Offices, Illinois Agricultural Association Record, 

 608 So. Dearborn St., Chicago. The individual membership fee of the 

 Illinois Agricultural Association is five dollars a year. The fee includes 

 payment of fifty cents for subscription to the Illinois Agricultural Associa- 

 tion Record. Postmaster: In returning an uncalled for missent copy please 

 indicate key number on address as is required by law. 



OFFICERS 



President, Earl C. Smith Detroit 



Vice-President, A. R, Wright Varna 



Secretary, Oeo. S. Metzger Chicago 



Treasurer, R. A. Cowles Bloomington 



,. BOARD OF DIRECTORS 



*;■,•?■..'''-•';■■■' (By Congressional District) 



1st to 11th. H. C. Vial. Downers Grove 



12th G. F. Tullock, Rockford 



18th C. E. Bamborough, Polo 



14th M. G. Lambert, Ferris 



ISth Charles Bates, Browning 



16th Geo. B. MuUer, Washington 



17th A. B. Sohofleld, Paxton 



18th W. A. Dennis, Paris 



19th C.J. Gross, Atwood 



20th Charles S. Black, Jacksonville 



Slst Samuel Sorrels, Raymond 



22nd Talmage DeFrees, Smithboro 



28rd W. L. Cope, Salem 



24th Charles Marshall, Belknap 



26th Fred Dietz, De Soto 



DEPARTMENT DIRECTORS 



Comptroller J. H. Kelker 



Dairy Marketing J. B, Countiss 



Finance R. A, Cowles 



Fruit and Vegetable Marketing H. W. Day 



Grain Marketing Harrison Fahmkopf 



Publicity George Thiem 



Insurance Service V, Vaniman 



Legal Counsel Donald Kirkpatriok 



Live Stock Marketing Ray E. Miller 



Office C. E. Johnston 



Organization G. E. Metzger 



Produce Marketing F. A. Ocugler 



Taxation and Statistics J. C, Watson 



Transportation. L. J, Quasey 



ASSOCIATED ORGANIZATIONS 



Country Life Insurance Co L. A. Williams, Mgr. 



Farmers Mutual Reinsurance Co J. H, Kelker, Mgr. 



Illinois Agricultural Auditing Assn F. E. Ringham, Mgr, 



Illinois Agricultural Mutual Insurance Co A. E. Richardson, Mgr. 



Illinois Farm Supply Co L. R. Marchant, Mgr. 



Illinois Grain Corp Chas. P. Cummings, Vice-Pres. and Sa'es Mgr. 



Illinois Livestock Market. Ass'n,..Ray Miller, Mgr.; R. W. Grie!er, Sales 



Illinois Produce Marketing Ass'n F, A. Gougler, Mgr. 



Soybean Marketing Ass'n W. H. Coultas, Mgr. 



::.~f: 



Breaking The Jam 



An Expression From The Taxpayers J 



THE overwhelming approval given the 

 emergency relief bond issue to reduce 

 property taxes was not only a tribute to 

 the effectiveness of the campaign to carry 

 it; it was a tribute as well to the in- 

 telligence of the voters, and proof that they 

 are aroused and determined to cut down 

 the tax burden on farms, homes, and other 

 property. 



The greatest progress in tax reduction 

 during the past two years has been made 

 in local taxing districts where government 

 is nearer and most responsive to the will 

 of the people. Tax cuts ranging from 20 

 to 40 per cent in downstate counties over 

 the two year period have been numerous. 

 Let the state and federal governments take 

 their cue from these expressions of the tax- 

 payers.. 



A VERAGE prices received by farmers 

 -^^^ for their products on Oct. 15 stood at 

 an index of 56 using the 1910-1914 five year 

 average as 100. 



This means that farmers now are ex- 

 changing their crops at prices nearly 50 

 per cent below the pre - war average 

 whereas non-agricultural prices, wages, 

 transportation costs, taxes, etc. vary from 

 100 up to more than 200 per cent of the 

 1910-14 average. 



Thus it requires from two to four times 

 as many bushels of grain, fruits, and vege- 

 tables, and pounds of livestock, milk, and 

 butterfat to buy railroad transportation, 

 fertilizers, farm implements, fuel, automo- 

 biles, pay taxes, interest, and debts, as it 

 did before the war. 



This unfair exchange value which places 

 the farmer at a great disadvantage in any 

 trade is the primary reason the country is 

 in a jam. And the reason the jam has con- 

 tinued for three years is because of the re- 

 sistance offered by creditors, industry, or- 

 ganized labor, the railroads, and govern- 

 ment to the same percentage of deflation 

 as that suffered by agriculture. 



One or both of two things can happen to 

 loosen the jam. Either farm prices will be 

 raised so as to re-establish the exchange 

 ratio of the pre-war period, or else the de- 

 flation in industrial prices, wages, taxes, 

 interest, and other costs, now underway, 

 will continue to the level of agriculture. 



There is ample evidence to discount the 

 possibility of relief through printing more 

 money. That will probably do no good. 

 There is plenty of money in the big banks, 

 as much or more than ever, but for the mo- 

 ment it lies idle. The banks will not loan 

 it out except when secured by gilt edged 

 collateral, and then for only short periods. 

 And most of our daring enterprisers of a 

 few years ago who were venturing into all 

 sorts of new fields are now twiddling their 

 thumbs, holding on to the money they sal- 

 vaged from the crash. 



Deflation in agriculture apparently is at 

 or near the end but non-agricultural prices, 

 wages, taxes and other costs must yield ad- 

 ditional ground unless farm prices are 

 raised. That much is ceyrtain. When the 

 equilibrium is reached and trading picks up, 

 prices will rise and the debt situation will 

 look less serious. 





t 



5 V 





^\> 



I 



t 



