Illinois iarm advisers wished that they 

 had worn their winter suits when they 



toured the University south farms during 

 their annual conierence in Jiuie. 



Farm Income Big Factor In 

 Prosperous Post- War World 



FINANCIAL reserves of farmers, 

 coupled with needs for goods, should 

 help sustain high production in the post- 

 war period. Prof. H. C. M. Case, head 

 of the department of agricultural eco- 

 nomics, U. of I. College of Agriculture, 

 told Illinois county farm advisers at 

 their summer conference in Urbana. 



It is significant, he said, that in the 

 period from 1937 to 1940 agriculture 

 with approximately 10 per cent of our 

 national income, expended about 14 per 

 cent of the new outlay for producers' 

 goods. "This is just one indication of 

 the dependence upon agriculture to bring 

 prosperous conditions in the postwar 

 period. During the period 1937 to 1940, 

 it has been estimated that farmers spent 

 about a billion dollars a year for pro- 

 ducers' goods, that is, buildings, ma- 

 chinery and other production goods." 



Case pointed out that it appears that 

 the agricultural market for farm products 

 for five years after the war should make 

 it possible for farmers to expand their 

 purchases of production goods. 



Illinois form advisers get figures on soil 

 and water losses on com fanned up and 

 down the slope in the U. of I. plots. This 

 study has been conducted cooperatively 

 by the research division of the Soil Con- 

 servation Service and the Illinois Agri- 

 cultural Experiment Station. 



The question Case raised was whether 

 the farmer could hold his savings for the 

 purchase of such production goods after 

 the war. Most of it, he said, could be 

 absorbed by paying higher prices for 

 land and by assuming larger mortgage 

 indebtedness, or land values could be 

 held at reasonable levels and much of 

 these savings could be used for needed 

 farm improvements. 



Case emphasized that only "by pre- 

 venting serious inflation can we swing 

 into balanced production in the postwar 

 period." 



Case also pointed out that our post- 

 war prosperity likewise depends upon 

 employment and purchasing power for 

 all individuals who are going to buy 

 goods. Allowing for a practical mini- 

 mum of two million unemployed, per- 

 haps nine million or more additional 

 jobs will have to be provided in 1946 

 over 1940 if we are to have full employ- 

 ment. 



In the matter of postwar employment, 

 agriculture stands in a different position 

 from many other lines of industry, he 

 said. Much of industry was converted 

 for the production of war munitions and 

 stopped normal production. 



Agriculture, on the other hand, did 

 not greatly change its type of production 

 but intensified production along the 

 same lines. The productions of crops 

 and livestock were changed, but in gen- 

 eral we have produced the same kinds of 

 products. 



This leads directly to the question of 

 postwar employment. Many people ex- 

 pect new jobs for returned service men 

 in agriculture. There will not be many 

 new jobs in agriculture. There will be 

 replacements. Many farmers, because of 

 the shortage of labor, have continued 

 farming longer than they intended. 

 Some will remain in the farm, but they 

 will want someone to take their place 

 when it comes to heavy farm work. 

 Many boys are becoming old enough to 

 take a man's place on the farm unless 



more of them continue in school longer 

 than in the past. 



Some makeshift farm hands have been 

 found in the present labor emergency 

 who under normal conditions would not 

 be on farms. After they are replaced 

 by competent farm workers there will 

 not be many new jobs available. Mod- 

 ern improvements have continued to 

 make possible an increased output per 

 worker in agriculture, resulting in a 50 

 per cent increase in output per worker 

 over the past 50 years, Case said. 



Other conclusions drawn by Case in- 

 cluded: (1) After having been under a 

 stringently controlled economy, the sud- 

 den removal of all restraints in the {post- 

 war period would likely be disastrous; 



(2) much can be attained toward sound 

 economic life through reducing losses re- 

 sulting from ill health and increasing 

 efficiency through proper nutrition, artd 



(3) local postwar programs of any one 

 community added to those of other com- 

 munities adds up to a national program, 

 and farmers as individuals and members 

 of communities have a responsibility in 

 helping to develop sound local postwar 

 programs. 



Reflecting prospects for somewhat 



larger supplies of fertilizer in the year 

 beginning July 1, 1944, particularly 

 phosphates and potash, the WFA has 

 eliminated crop classifications and made 

 several other changes in its fertilizer 

 order. 



In the year beginning July 1, ail gen- 

 eral crops may be fertilized with as many 

 pounds of fertilizer per acre as recom- 

 mended by the state experiment stations. 

 There will be no A and B crop classes 

 as there have been this year. 



June 30. 1944 

 NOnCE 

 Illinois Agricultural Association 

 Election of Delegates 



Notice is hereby given that in 

 connection with the cmnual meeting 

 oi the Ford County Farm Bureau to 

 be held during the month of August, 

 at the hour and place to be deter- 

 mined by the Board of Directors of 

 said County Farm Bureau, the mem- 

 bers in good standing of said Coun- 

 ty Farm Bureau and who are also 

 qualified voting members of Illinois 

 Agricultural Association, shall elect 

 a delegate or delegates to represent 

 such members of Illinois Agricul- 

 tural Association and vote on all 

 matters before the next annual 

 meeting, or any special meeting of 

 the Association, including the elec- 

 tion of officers and directors, as pro- 

 vided for in the By-Laws of the As- 

 sociation. 



PAUL E. MATHIAS, 

 Corporate Secretary 



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L A. A. RECORD 



