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I. A. A. R«cord— February, 1934 



Reinsurance Company 



Makes Progress in '33 



Adds to Surplus, Reduces Fire 



Losses, Has More Volume 



In Force 



' When more than 300 agents and 

 county Farm Bureau directors met 

 in the banquet room of the Danville 

 Armory for the annual meeting of 

 Farmers Mutual Re-Insurance Co., 

 Wednesday, January 24th, they heard 

 their president, George F. TuUock, re- 

 port on the financial condition of the 

 company which he declared to be ex- 

 cellent. Due to a sharp decrease in 

 farm fires and to conservative and 

 sound investments, Farmers Mutual 

 finances are in a highly liquid con- 

 dition thus offering greater security 

 to policyholders. 



Manager J. H. Kelker in making his 

 report on the year's business said, "At 

 the end of 1933, Farmers Mutual 

 showed an increase in fire, hail and 

 windstorm insurance in force of more 

 than $10,000,000. In spite of adverse 

 economic conditions the company has 

 added $13,500 to its surplus, which 

 compares with a loss of $12,000 last 

 year, and has written $12,400,000 of 

 fire, $9,000,000 windstorm, and $1,680,- 

 000 of growing crop hail insurance. 

 The company closed the year 1933 

 with total insurance in force in all 

 classes of $58,854,952. 



"Windstorm losses," said Mr. Kel- 

 ker, "during the year were grreater 

 than in any year of the company's his- 

 tory, but fire losses were $10,000 less 

 with an exposure of approximately 20 

 per cent greater." 



'. Speaking of efforts by the company 

 to educate policyholders on fire pre- 

 vention methods, Mr. Kelker said, 

 "During the past year we have 

 stressed fire prevention methods 

 through direct-by-mail publicity and 

 advertising and through a program of 

 personal inspection of risks. We be- 

 lieve the constant placing before our 

 policyholders of the need for five pre- 

 vention measures has been of immense 

 value in the reduction of fire losses. 

 Incurred losses were 71 per cent of 

 net premiums in 1933 and 74 per cent 

 of earned premiums, the best experi- 

 ence for several years." 



Farmers Mutual closed the year 

 with assets of $109,939.99, nearly 

 $100,000 of which is in government 

 securities and cash. Totals in the dif- 

 ferent classes of insurance at the close 

 of 1933 were reported at the meeting 

 to be as follows: fire (gross in force) 

 $32,957,434; windstorm $21,806,241; 

 hail on buildings $2,409,549; growing 

 crop hair $1,681,728. 



Other speakers on the program were 



EDGAR COUNTY CHAMPS 



Zela Gamm, left, and Cheater Boland 

 of Pari* townMhip, Eldgar connty, 

 RtKned 109 neitv Farm Bureaa members 

 dnrlnK the mobilisation campaign be- 

 Klnnlasr Oct. 15. MoreoTer. these two 

 men aH«lsted «ollcltors In many other 

 •ectlons of the county to put Edsar 

 up amons the leaders In the atate. 



Howard Jokisch who delivered the 

 secretary's report; V. Vaniman, who 

 reported on acquisition and fire pre- 

 vention publicity, and R. A. Cowles 

 who submitted the treasurer's report 

 for the year. 



Following a general discussion of 

 1933 accomplishments, the annual elec- 

 tion of oflScers of Farmers Mutual Re- 

 Insurance Co., was held. George F. 

 TuUock, Rockford, was reelected presi- 

 dent; L. E. Lingenfelter, Pulaski 

 county, was chosen first vice-presi- 

 dent; and J. J. Hornung, La Salle 

 county, second vice president. Howard 

 Jokisch, Cass county, was reelected 

 secretary and R. A. Cowles, Chicago, 

 was renamed treasurer. 



Informational Service 

 Emphasized in Conference 



(Continued from page 8) 

 he said, the thing to do is to analyze 

 the situation and determine what is 

 wrong. Better record systems both in 

 County Farm Bureau offices and in 

 the I. A. A. office must be set up, he 

 said, to aid in confining service to 

 paid-up members. 



Robert A. Cowles, treasurer, com- 

 mented on the splendid collection work 

 in many counties and emphasized that 

 the County Farm Bureau oflBcer who 

 is charged with responsibility for the 

 collection of dues, should not accept 

 the position unless he expects to dis- 

 charge his responsibilities in a busi- 

 ness-like way. 



Discussion from the floor was unan- 

 imously in favor of restricing serv- 



ice to paid-up members and for the 

 institution of a better system of cut- 

 ting off service when dues become de- 

 linquent more than 60 days. 



Impromptu talks were made by 

 Farm Advisers E. C. Secor, T. W. 

 May, J. W. Whisenand, and Edwin 

 Bay on County Farm Bureau publici- 

 ty. Secor, who won the silver I. A. A. 

 trophy in the County Farm Bureau 

 publicity contest, said that during 

 1933 he had made publicity one of his 

 main interests and gave much credit 

 for the substantial increase in mem- 

 bership (125% of quota) to their pub- 

 licity work. Last year he initiated 

 the policy of meeting with the clergy- 

 men of the county once a year to ex- 

 plain the Farm Bureau program. He 

 has appointed Farm Bureau reporters 

 in every community and mails stories 

 to the seven newspapers in the county 

 weekly. He also sends frequent letters 

 and cards to members and prospects. 



Mr. May expressed the belief that 

 informational service is indispensable 

 in maintaining and increasing mem- 

 bership. He reviewed some of the 

 things he has been doing in Madison 

 county to build organization through 

 effective publicity. 



Mr. Whisenand said that the effect 

 of publicity multiplies the work that 

 the Farm Bureau does and is essential 

 to securing new members as well as 

 holding present members. 



Edwin Bay expressed approval of 

 the plan of appointing Farm Bureau 

 reporters in each community and said 

 that this would be done in Sangamon 

 county during the coming year. 



Measuring Crib Corn 



And Grain In Bin 



In determining the capacity of corn- 

 cribs figure on 2% cubic feet of stor- 

 age space for each bushel of cleanly 

 husked ear corn. To calculate the ca- 

 pacity of a crib in bushels of ear corn, 

 multiply the volume in cubic feet of 

 storage space by 4 and divide by 10. 



A bushel of small grain or shelled 

 corn occupies approximately IV^ cubic 

 feet of space. To calculate the ca- 

 pacity of grain bins in bushels, multi- 

 ply the volume in cubic feet by 8 and 

 divide by 10. 



Auto Company Gains In 



Insurance In Force 



The Illinois Agricultural Mutual In- 

 surance Company wrote more than 

 6,000 policies during the year 1933. 

 This was a net gain of approximately 

 3,000 policies over the number in force 

 January 1, 1933. Nearly all of the 

 automobile policies written were on 

 the surplus fee plan. 



