PACE FOUR 



THE ILLINOIS AGRICULTUl 



.1. r.r.. 



THE PR OBLEM 



1 ; ' • . 



NATION 



1 923 ^^^^'^l^^^ farmers asked for equal privilege legislation to control surpluses and make 

 the tariff effective on American farm products consumed at home. Bitter opposition 

 • : • developed. Cities feared higher priced food. Many said, "This legislation can never 



be passed." • 



1929^"rP^"^ problem remained. Became national issue. Organized farmers con tendelT that 

 . unless farm prices were raised, all industry and national prosperity in America 



- would be undermined. 



1930^®Si""i"g of deflation and depression. '■■■y'^- ''^■'^' ::'-^---\y- 



193 1 Many businesses collapsed causing great unemployment. 



1932^"^P^"^ problem still unsolved. Every industry in America suffering from destroyed 

 farm buying power due to national neglect of agricultural problem. Farmers continue 



^ fight for surplus legislation and opportunity to own, control and direct farm credit 



machinery. Demand commodity dollar. •.. 



f^' .. 



192 



•1 Foresigfhted Illinois farmers saw the dire need for eradicating tuberculosis from live stock. Strong 

 •■■opposition developed.* Opponents said: "It couldn't be done." 



,v ; 



STAT 



1922 



I 



1 

 1 



1926 



Organized farmers demanded legislation making it possible to organize along' genuine co-operative 

 lines with limited returns on capital and with excess earnings returned to patrons in the form of 

 patronage dividends. Strongly organized opposition attempted to defeat this legislation. 



Terrific drop in value of farm lands. Taxes exhorbitant. Organized farmers insist that State 

 Tax Commission and county officials sharply reduce assessed land valuations. "It's no use," said 



many. _.. -, . ..■•.;..■■... •■. < .: • . i/- . r ■.:■ 



Continued tax studies showed inequalities in many counties. Vigorous opposition to equalization. 

 I. A. A. insists on further cuts by State Commission. 



Farmers demanded completion of state bond issue road system to be supplemented by secondary 

 roads. Asked for state gas tax to provide revenue. Powerful opposition developed. Many said: 

 "It couldn't be done." . ' ^■'•., v>:.': ■ . •' -v' ! V 



■^«**^"P»i»W»»«w^»^ 



iQ4"§duced and dem anded ta x on incomes 

 ?t GovemorT Rev^ueToBrmission iHflfia'5" 



place paiT of the property tax. IT 



income tax and recommendations to General Assembly. Powerful oppositiop by organized owners / 



of hidden wealth. "The income tax cannot and must not pass," they said. '' . ' 



■••, .^V-i-":^r: ^.--A^' ■••'.:. '• ■■'• ' ■•-..■ •;. .r''- :;.-,.;:•■;;:-■ v ^■:.- .:-"-;v'' ■.••.■: . ■ • ^; :: •.-. ■ ■• • ^.r--^ \ . vk"- jj: 



1Q «;> Q Compromise legislation enacted by General Assembly to provide $20,000,000 for state unemploy- . 

 *^Oitf ment relief. Bond issue submitted to remove $25,000,000 in taxes from property. Many business, 



civic and political leaders said it couldn't be passed. 



•-■ ■ " .■■ '■. : -'.. ■ . ■ '■ ■.•■. -.■■■'.: .. ■ •>.■.■ ■•*.■.-•.■ ./ ■ y-- 



1Q Q Q Organized agriculture continues fight for property tax reduction. Urges enactment of legislation 

 yO*3to tax income from intangible property. Urged legislation requiring each county to take care of 

 own destitute people. 



V>> 



They Also Said Farmers Couldn 



Fanner boards of directors needed dependable audit sei-vice to protect their investments in co- 

 operatives. Opponents said it couldn't be provided, couldn't succeed. 



Because of legal limitations placpd on local farm mutual fire insurance companies, farmers needed 

 state-wide reinsurance company to make possible fire, hail and windstorm protection on cost basis. 

 Strong opposition developed. "You'll never succeed," they said. 



Hog cholera serum was costing farmers from $1.00 to $1.25 per 100 c. c. Farmers demanded lower 

 cost vaccination. Strong opposition said it couldn't be done. 



Suivey disclosed that a comparatively small percentage of farmers carried auto insurance. In- 

 creasing hazards on highways seriously endangered farmers' investments. Rates for such insur- 

 ance seemed exhorbitant. F'armers demanded lower costs. Strong opposition supported by propa- 

 ganda said it "couldn't be done." 



Power farming rapidly increasing. Tractor motors being ruined by inferior oils and lubricants. 

 Farmers demanded products of uniform high quality at lower costs. Organized opposition said it 

 "couldn't be done, farmers can't succeed in business." 



^ . •-■,-. 



Farmers demanded legal reserve life insurance at lowest possible cost. Strong opposition said costs 

 'couldn't be lowered and that farmers could not successfully operate such a company. 



Farmers demanded development of truly co-operative, state-wide grain sales agency. Strong organ- 

 ized opposition said it couldn't be done. 



1 



4 



I 



ILLINOIS AGRICULT 



608 SOUTH DEARBOl 



Sv 



