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THE holiday season now 

 fast approaching is a time 

 for reflection, a period 

 when the selfishness inherent 

 in most of us gives way to the 

 Christmas spirit of good will 



toward men. While we have all been through the valley of the 

 shadow of depression, yet as we approach the Christmastide, 

 it is well to consider and recount the peculiar opportunities 

 and blessings afforded farm people. 



If the Christmas spirit of giving rather than that of getting, 

 of doing unto others as you would have them do unto you, 

 could be put into every day practice by all men and all nations, 

 it would sQlve most of the economic problems and troubles 

 throughout the world. 



The stress of recent years has almost removed this spirit of 

 fairness between men and between nations. As a result, normal 

 trade and relations have been thrown out of gear, from which 

 all are suffering. In the heat of efforts to improve economic 

 conditions and to secure government policies for the better- 

 ment of agriculture, sometimes we lose sight of the opportu- 

 nities always present for ->■-■-%:■:/ ■^'-.^^-^^^-^w^ 

 thrift and industry, and 

 forget the natural advantages 

 farmers enjoy in the struggle 

 for existence. Farming is a 

 highly competitive business, 

 yet we have an advantage in 

 agriculture which few others 

 enjoy. We have a daily mar- 

 ket of one kind or another 

 for our products, as people 

 must have food. In other in- 

 dustries their markets are 

 wholly dependent upon the 

 capacity of the buying pub- 

 lic. Farmers being the pro- 

 ducers of and closer to the 

 food supply than any other 

 group in our national life are 

 less troubled by the spectre 

 of want than is the man in 

 town who finds himself with- 

 out the security of steady 

 employment. In Illinois we 

 are richly endowed with a 

 naturally productive soil. Illi- 

 nois and the com belt almost 

 invariably produce a crop. 

 Even this year with the 

 worst drought in history, Illi- 

 nois has been far more for- 

 tunate than many other 

 states. ' 



While there is little opportunity to grow rich in farming as 

 the world regards riches, yet the farmer is seldom poor as the 

 world regards poverty. Th'? security of its agriculture is the 

 greatest asset of all nations. Whether on the farm or in the 

 city, nearly every person at some time in his or her life de- 

 sires to own land. In the past, farm property has been con- 

 sidered the best of security and I have every confidence will 

 again be so considered. v ^^ -■.:; -'[^^^--r-y:;^-- :,-'■>:,■ .i: ■.■■■■>■■' 



While during recent years many farmers have been forced 

 into the depths of discouragement and despair, the farm home 

 is yet the corner-stone of the nation. The Farm Bureau pro- 

 gram is directed toward improvement of conditions surround- 

 ing this ideal home, toward the greatest good for the great- 

 est number. Its cooperative activities are inherently a system 

 to spread benefits resulting from united effort and action and 

 to distribute wealth wisely and widely rather than to concen- 

 trate it in few hands. Uninformed people may criticize our 



A Christmas Message 



By Earl C. Smith 



efforts to raise farm prices as 

 a selfish program ; yet students, 

 generally agree that equalizing 

 the price level between farm 

 producers and non-agricultural 

 V / ■ • S;V;V c will do more to- 



stimulate trade and revive employment than any other one thing. 

 To the extent that recovery efforts have removed disparities 

 and improved farm price levels, reflected in improved farm in- 

 come, factory payrolls have increased. 



Until the golden rule and fairness and honesty become 

 more firmly established in economic relations between indi- 

 viduals and groups in this nation and between nations, Amer- 

 ican farmers have no other choice than to organize for their 

 own protection. Because of the importance of the farming in- 

 dustry in all phases of American life, because of the peculiar 

 opportunities and advantages of the farm and the farm home 

 and because of the inherent fairness and honesty of a great 

 majority of farm people, I have abiding faith that American 

 agriculture will continue its record of furnishing the ideals, 

 the integrity and the determination for perpetuating that spirit 



of fairness and good will to- 

 ward all men that is mostf 

 : pronounced at Christmas 

 : time. ^::V;j;::-u:v;.:/;:.' •:•::•:■ ^■■^^^ ■..,,, 



1935 Corn-Hog Plan 



A 



,.'x ., * 





S WE go to press, an- : j 

 nouncement of details ' 

 of the 1935 AAA corn- , 

 hog-plan, specify a 10 percent .i" 

 reduction in both corn and 

 hogs below averages for the 

 base years 1932 and 1933, ;^ 

 with benefit payments on the^ ^; 

 10 percent corn reduction of^ :; 

 35c per bushel, and $15 perv - 

 head on the reduction of hogs. 

 Contract signers may grow 

 anything except corn on the ; 

 "shifted'* acres and may re-^ 

 duce corn acreage up to 30 

 percent and get payment/ 

 therefor. .-/ .. ;■•,,;-.;• ..■..•:. ,..<.■ ;r ■: . ^x" •. .:; 



Thus the program has been ; 1 

 greatly simplified. Benefit 

 payments to signers reduc- 

 ing the regular 10 percent 

 will be two-fifths of the 1934 

 payment on hogs and a little 

 more than half on corn. The 

 contract signer whose total 

 payments under the 1934 program are $500 on hogs and $180 

 on corn (total $680) will receive, based on a 10 percent re- 

 duction, approximately $200 on hogs and $105 on corn (total 



* ■ * . 



$305). The administration should be much less expensive in^ 

 *35, compared with '34, because most of the needed production 

 information is available in the '34 contracts. ' '; '-:"** 

 ..Farmers who look ahead will reason that it's good >• 

 business to sign up, first to cooperate in keeping pro- ' 

 duction under control so as to maintain fair prices, and 

 secondly to get the benefit payment, something they can- 

 count on regardless of what happens to crops and prices 

 next year. ''■•■■■■^ •■■'••■■■ ' '■■•'•'■'■•-•■;••■-•'■>•■ ■■■'■■■■■' y-.- ■■'■■■■'■■.. . •■.;-•,.•"■ ''^^■'''■'"■;'\-'^ 



Because corn is relatively high-priced now, it is no guar- • 

 antee that it will be as high next year. In fact, with a heavy • 

 crop it may be substantially less. And if drought and chinch \ 

 bugs strike hard again, 35c per bushel on the reduced acres ;. 

 will not be hard to take. , v ; 



..- k _ . • ••-••' ■ 



DECEMBER, 1934 



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