R E C O R n ^r- 



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

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

 ness, economic, political and educational interests of the 

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



George Thlem, Bdltor 

 John Tracx» Amu*t Bdttor. 



PnbliBhed monthly by the Illlnoli Agrlcultiiral ABsociatlon at 165 80. 

 Main St., Spencer, Ind. Editorial Offlceg, 606 8. Dearborn St., Chicago, 

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

 ance for mailing at 8T>Pcial rate of postage provided in Section 412. 

 Act of Feb. 28, 1925, authorized Oct. 27. 1025. Address all commanicatlons 

 for publication to Editorial Offices, Illinois Afrlcultnral Association Record, 

 008 So. Dearborn St., ChlcaKO. The indivldnal membership fee of the 

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

 payment of fifty cents for subscription to the Illinois Agricoltaral As- 

 sociation Record. Poetmaster: In returning an uncalled for missent copy 

 please indicate key number on address as is required by law. 



0FFICEE8 



President, Earl 0. Smith Detroit 



Vice-President, A. R. Wright Varna 



Secretary Geo. E. Metsger Chicago 



\ Treasurer, B. A. Cowles •••••.. .Bloomington 



BOARD OF DIHECTORS 



(By CongroHsional District) 



. 1st to nth B. Harris, Grayslalce 



12th E. E. Hongbtby, Shaobona 



" 13th C. B. Bamborongh, Polo 



r 14th Otto Steffey, Strongburst 



16th M. Ray Ihrlg. Golden 



•:. 16th Albert Ilayea, cbll1l4*othe 



.17th B. D. Lawrence, Bloomington 



J* lotn Aiont irox« ijaKwoou 



■' 19th Eugene Curtis. Champaign 



J: 2l8t . .„ , . « r>. Samuel Sorrells, Raymond 



li JXTkQ A., u. ificicert, iseiieviiie 



.. 28rd W. L. Cope, Salem 



,., 24th Charles Marshall, Belknap 



25th R. B. Endicott. Villa Ridge 



DEPARTMENT DIRECTORS 



Dairy Marketing J. B. Coimtlw 



Finance B. A. Cowlea 



IVolt and Vegetable Marketing H. W. Day 



Information ■• Q sorgo Tbiein 



•^egSl . .............................................. . X/OUOAU s\lt K^H%rivft 



I<iTe stock Marketing ^^H ^* ^'^^^ 



vrganisauion .••...••.••..•...*••...........•.....*•.•....•*••*• v aBiiBaa 



Produce Marketing F. A. Oougler 



Taxation and Statistics J» C. Wataon 



[} Transportation Div'n. ......■• .da yv. Bastsp 



ASSOCIATED OROANIZATIOVS 



Comtry Ltfo Insurance Co L*. A. Williams, Mgr. 



Wkcmtn Mntoal Roinsnranco Co J. H. Kelker, Mgr. 



Ulinoia Agricultural Auditing Ass'n F. H. Rlngham, Mgr. 



'/nUnola Agrlcultoral Mutual Insurance Co A. B. Richardson, Mgr. 



Illlnoia Farm Supply Co L. R. Marcbant, Mgr. 



lUlnola Fralt Growers Exchange H. W. Day, Mgr. 



Illinola Grain Corp Harrison Fahmkopf, Mgr. 



niinola Livestock Marketing Ass*n , Ray Miller, Mgr. 



nilnola Producers Creameries. .F. A. Oougler, Mgr., J. B. Counties, Sales 



Soybean Marketing Aas*n ^ J. W. Armstrong, Pres. 



; ^ Personal Property Tax Fixing : V 



COUNTY Assessor J. L. Jacobs of Cook county com- 

 plains that ward committeemen, precinct captains 

 and ward heelers in Chicago are responsible in a 

 large measure for the breakdown of the personal prop- 

 erty tax in this city. He presents evidence in the form of 

 letters written by ward committeemen to precinct cap- 

 tains advising them to pick up personal property tax bills 

 under |25 which "we can most likely take care of; even 

 if they are over $25 we can probably have a compromise 

 made when the matter comes up in court, through the 

 States Attorney's office which of course is friendly to us 

 at this time. This should afford an opportunity to make 

 many valuable friends in your precinct." 



It is no news to informed people that the personal prop- 

 erty tax which is generally enforced in downstate coun- 

 ties is a farce in Chicago. Many Chicago people take it 

 for granted that the thing to do with a personal property 

 tax bill is either to throw it in the waste basket or give 

 it to some ward politician. rJ J n^^^^ 



.\ Such widespread evasion and political fixing of taxes is 

 a primary cause of exhorbitant tax rates and break down 

 of government in Cook County. This situation again em- 

 phasizes the need for submission of a revenue amendment 



definitely limiting property taxes in the general election 

 next fall. To continue the present system any longer than 

 necessary is unthinkable. The personal property tax Is not 

 being enforced and apparently cannot be enforced, at least 

 in Chicago. The alternative is taxation that is enforceable, 

 that spreads the tax burden evenly among the citizens of 

 the state according to their ability to pay. 



The AAA Amendments 



OPPOSITION of the processors and commission men 

 to proposed amendments to the Agricultural Ad- 

 justment Act was to have been expected. This 

 group which largely sets its own prices on the service it 

 renders has vigorously opposed nearly every move, with 

 or without the aid of government, to bring about a rea- 

 sonable return on the investment and services of farmers. 

 The commission men and processors favor an economy 

 of abundance because such a system plays into their hands. 

 The formula is a simple one. The more bushels and pounds 

 of farm products marketed, the greater the toll taken . 

 by those whose hands these products pass through. To 

 them the price the farmer gets is of secondary, even un- 

 important consideration. 



Strengthening the trade agreement section of the Ad- 

 justment Act, through proposed amendments, will aid the 

 administration in raising farm prices albeit the effect may 

 be to restrict volume. Another possibility the amendments 

 offer is to reduce the exhorbitant spread between producer 

 and consumer prices. The current opposition by private 

 handlers of farm products to strengthen the Adjustment 

 Act is further evidence that farmers must fight every step 

 of the way to secure parity prices and reduce the un- 

 warranted high cost of distribution. v^; ^ : 



^ On Restricting Production 



CERTAIN metropolitan newspapers have been vigor- 

 ously flaying the Agricultural recovery program, 

 particularly that relating to reduction in acreage 

 and supply of farm products. Yet not one word has been 

 uttered against similar restriction practiced in all lines 

 of industry. There has been no censure of the manufac- 

 turer, the industrialist for drastically reducing production, 

 turning off thousands of employed men and women, all 

 in the interest of maintaining prices. When farmers at- 

 tempt to come within the profit system, through govern- 

 ment co-operation, by similar restriction the system which 

 produces unemployment becomes a heinous one, the Chi- 

 cago News implied in a recent editorial. 



Not all newspapers, fortunately, are as biased and un- 

 fair. The Davenport (la.) Daily Times, for example, re- 

 cently pointed out editorially that ''the starving process 

 or that of restriction has been a fundamental principle of 

 our government and it was first dictated by the indus- 

 trialist and the business man through a tariff policy which 

 kept out cheap goods from abroad. 



"The manufacturer has always sought to control pro- 

 duction within his industry that prices might yield a 

 profit. The government in an emergency has sought to 

 apply the same principle to agriculture; to improve price 

 by reducing production and the surplusage which depresses 



prices." ■.:.•••;■■:;.•-.-..• • ^ - v-.. ; : v, •. •; . ^.■.. >. ^ ;,..■••.•;../..-,. ■;■ 



- Have You Heard This One? 



A REPORT from a northern Illinois county states 

 that commission men are peddling propaganda to 

 the effect that corn would be selling for 75c per 

 bu. were it not for the com sealing program. That story 

 is too far fetched even for the most gullible. Nearer the 

 truth is that com probably would have been selling for 

 35c or less were it not for the government loan program. 



/ * " ■ 



I. A. A. RECORD 



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