9 



I. A. A. RECORD— July, 1*33 



N 



^ I LiLilNOIl. 



COLTIJBAL ASSOGIA 



RECORD 



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. 



George Thiem, Editor 



rubliabed monthly by tbe Illinois Agricultural AMoclation at 165 So. 

 Main St., Spencer, Ind. Editorial Offices, 608 S. Dearborn St., CbicaKo, 

 111. Entered art second class matter at post office, Spencer, Ind. Accept- 

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

 Act of Feb. 28, 1925, authorised Oct. 27, 1926. 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- 

 . tlon Record. Postmaster: In returning an uncalled for mlssent copy please 

 iadicate key number on address as Is required by law. 



OFFICERS 



President, Earl C. Smith Detroit 



Vice-President, A. R. Wright Varna 



Secretary, Geo. B. Metzger Chicago 



Treasurer, R. A. Cowles Bloomlngton 



BOARD OF DIRECTORS 

 (By Congresiional District) 



Ist to 11th Ebb Harris, Orayslake 



,. 12th G. F. Tullock, Bockford 



' 18th 0. B. Bamborougb, Polo 



, . 14th M. G. Lambert, Ferris 



16th M. Ray Ihrlg, Golden 



16th Geo. B. Mnller, Washington 



17th B. D. Lawrence, Bloomlngton 



18th W. A. Dennis, Paris 



19th B. G. Curtis, Champaign 



20th Charles S. Black. JacksouTllle 



21it Samuel Sorrells, Raymond 



22iid Talmage DeFrees, Smlthboro 



28rd W. L. Cope, Salem 



24th Charles Marshall, Belknap 



' 26tli R. B, Bndicott, Villa Ridge 



DEPARTMENT DIRECTORS 



Comptroller J. H. Kelker 



Dairy Marketing J. B. Gountisa 



Finance R. A. CowIm 



Fruit and Vegetable Marketing H. W. Day 



Publicity Gteorge Thlem 



Insurance Service V. Vaniman 



Legal Counsel Donald Klrkpatrtck 



Uve Stock Marketing Ray H. Miller 



Office C. B, Johnston 



Organization 0. B. Metcger 



Produce Marketing F. A. Gougler 



Taxation and Statistics J. O. Watson 



Transportation L. J. Quaaey 



- ASSOCIATED OROANIZATIOKS 



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



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



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



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



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



lUlBois Fruit Growers Exchange H. W. Day, Mgr. 



Illinois Grain Corp Chas. P. Cummlngs, Vlce-Pres. and Sales Mgr. 



Illinois Uvestock Market. Ass'n...Ray Miller. Mgr., R, W. Grleser, Sales 



Illinois Producers Creameries F. A. Gongler, Mgr. 



Soybean Marketing Ass'n J. W. Armstrong, Pres. 



Industrial Control Bill and Agriculture 



PASSAGE of the industrial control bill by con- 

 gress just before adjournment makes it im- 

 perative that the emergency farm act be aggres- 

 sively administered and that farmers co-operate 

 in whatever steps are found advisable to raise 

 farm prices. 



The industrial control bill has for its purpose 

 the stabilization of industrial prices at profitable 

 levels with government aid — also reemployment 

 and the raising of wages. This indicates that 

 farmers will have to pay more for manufactured 

 products if the bill succeeds in its purpose. 



There is evidence to support the belief that 

 the better organization of industry with con- 

 trol in fewer hands, will enable it to attain a 

 larger measure of success than agriculture in 

 establishing profitable price levels. Some brances 

 of industry have been able to do this with- 

 out government aid. This much is certain, 

 however. Increased prices will restrict sales and 

 . defeat re-employment unless purchasing power, in- 



cluding the farmer's, rises as industrial prices ad- 

 vance. 



It is important to agriculture that the unem- 

 ployed be put back to work so they can buy more 

 meat, milk, butter, eggs, fruits, vegetables and 

 other products of the farm. Both labor and in- 

 dustry have stood in their own light by their re- 

 sistance and reluctance to accept reasonable cuts. 

 This has prolonged the depression by preventing a 

 free exchange of goods and services between the 

 farmer and these other groups. The necessity for 

 striking the proper balance in the new economic 

 planning is emphasized by past and current ex- 

 periences. Only by so doing can the new ventures 

 succeed. 



Grain Trade Propaganda 



MANY farmers elevators in line with most 

 business institutions have suffered losses 

 during the last two years. This reflects economic 

 conditions affecting agriculture and, in fact, the 

 entire country. Shrinkage in inventory of grain 

 and supplies, and slow collections have been large- 

 ly responsible. Then too, the volume of grain and 

 supplies handled by many elevators has shrunk. 

 Farmers' unwillingness to sell at unreasonably 

 low prices and their inability to buy are the cause. 



Grain trade propagandists have seized upon this 

 situation like a drowning man grasping for a 

 straw. They have named several elevators affili- 

 ated with the Illinois Grain Corporation which 

 they allege suffered losses during the last year, 

 whereas it was asserted they formerly made 

 money. Their affiliation with the state co-oper-:_ 

 ative was held to be responsible for the losses. 



Of course this kind of reasoning is absurd but 

 so is much of the cheap propaganda of the 

 "trade" against the co-operative efforts of farm- 

 ers who are trying to better their conditio!!. 



Charles Schmitt, president of the Beason-Skel- 

 ton farmers elevator in Logan county answers this 

 charge most effectively by pointing out that "the 

 report of Manager Keys and the audit show that 

 the company had a very successful year with net 

 earnings of $5,459.62. Our company was one of 

 the first to become a member of the Illinois Grain 

 Corp.," continues Schmitt. "The stock we pur- 

 chased in the Illinois Grain Corporation three 

 years ago has not only paid 7 per cent during the 

 entire period but our company received a cash 

 patronage dividend from the corporation last 

 year amounting to $941.66." . 



Let's Be Alert 



AN important service of co-operative marketing in- 

 stitutions many farmers overlook is their influence 

 in forcing private traders to bid up for farm prod- 

 ucts. It is entirely possible for a co-operative association 

 that is operating conservatively, to be outbid by a private 

 buyer or commission man, particularly if the latter wishes 

 to make capital out of the high price offered, to destroy 

 farmers' confidence in their own agencies. Let's be alert 

 and not out-generaled by these tricks of the trade. Some 

 co-operatives have been destroyed by such tactics to the 

 everlasting sorrow of farmers who unwittingly contributed 

 to their downfall. ^. ^ •; v •>: ■ *v.>. -r. •-. v^ .-.>^;,. 



