The lUiDois Agricnltnrol Associotion Record 



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The lUinoifl Agricultural Association RECORD is : 



Xublished monthly except August by the UUn^a 

 gricultural Association ot ISOl W. Washington 

 Road, Mendoto. lU. Editorial Offices. 608 So. 

 Dearborn St., Chicago, 111. Entered as second 

 class matter at post office. Mendota, 111., Sept. 11. 

 1336. Acceptance for mailing ot special rate of 

 postage provided in Section 412. Act of Feb. 28, 

 192S, authorized Oct. 27. 1335. Address all com- 

 munications for publication to Editorial Offices, 

 Illinois Agricultural Association RECORD, 608 So. 

 Dearborn St., Chicago. The individual member- 

 ship fee of the Illinois Agricultural Association is 

 five dollars a year. The fee includes payment of 

 fifty cents for subscription to the Illinois Agricul- 

 tural Association RECORD. Postmaster: Send 

 notices on Form 3578 and undeliverable copies 

 returned under Form 3573 to editorial offices. 608 

 So. Dearborn St.. Chicago. 111. 



Director of Information. Creston Foster: Editor. 

 Merrill C. Gregory, on leave of absence with the 

 United States Army; Director of Advertising. C. 

 M. Seagraves. 



Illinois Agricnltnral 

 Association 



Greatest State Fann Organization 

 in America 



OFFICERS 



President Earl C Smith Detroit 



Vice-President. Tcdmoge Deireee Smithboro 

 Corporate Sec.. Paul E. Matbios Hinsdale 



Field Sec. Geo. E. Metzger Chicago 



Treosurer, R. A. Cowles Bloomington 



Asst. Treas.. A. R. Wright Varna 



Comptroller, R. G. Ely Chicago 



General Counsel, Donald Kirkpatrick 



Chicago 



BOARD OF DIRECTORS 



(By Congressional Districts) 



Isi to Ilth Harvey W. Adair. Chicago Hu. 



12th C. J. Elliott. Streator 



I3th Homer Curtiss, Stockton 



14th Otto Steifey, Stronghurst 



ISth Ronald A. Holt Galva 



I6th Albert Hayes, Chillicothe 



I7th. Charles Lauritzen. Reddick 



18th W. A. Dennis. Paris 



19th Charles B. Shuman. Sullivan 



20th K. T. Smith, Greenfield 



21st F. E. Morris. Bu&alo 



22nd Alvin O. Eckert Belleville 



23nl Chester McCord, Newton 



24th Lyman Bunting. Ellery 



2Sth August G. Eggerding, Red Bud 



DEPARTMENT DIRECTORS 



Dairy Maikcting Wilitad Shaw 



Fruit ond V*9*tabl* Marketing L. L. Colvis 



Gredn Morkatiiig G«erg« H. litan 



Legal Donald Kirkpatrick 



Lit* Stock Markoting S. F. RuuoU 



Oifico C. E. Jeluuten 



Organisation. „...0. D. Brissondatt 



Produc* Markoting F. A. Geuglor 



PublidtT. Croston Footor 



Roooareh and TaxatioB. X. H. Simorl 



Rurol School Rolatieas John K. Cox 



Satoty _ C. M. SeagroTM 



Saloa Sorrico __ W. P. Sandiord 



Soil XmproTomont John R. Sponcor 



Transportation-Cloiaaa C. W. Boxtor 



Young PoopU'« AciiTitioo ElUworth D. Lyon 



ASSOCIATED ORGANIZATIONS 



County Lite Ini. Co Daro Miohor, Mgr. 



Farmerm' Mutual Roinaur. Co J. H. Kalkor. Mgr. 



ni. Agr. Auditing Au C. E. Strand, Mgr. 



III. Agr. Mutual Ins. Co. A. E. Richardson, Mgr. 



ni. Agr. Sarrico Co £arl C. Smith, Pros. 



Donald Kirkpatrick. Sac. 

 ni. Co-op Leckar Sarrica Dana Crydar. Pras. 

 ni. F. Bur. Sarun Assn. S. F. Russall. Sac.-Mgr. 



ni. Farm Supply Co. C. H. Backar. Mgr. 



ni. Fruit Growars' Exchonga L. L. Colvis, Mgr. 



ni. Grain Corporation Frank Hoinaa, Mgr. 



ni. LiTastock Mctg. Assn..Jl. W. Trautmann, Mgr. 

 m. t«lk Producers' Assn. WiJirad Shaw, Mgr. 

 ni. Producers' Craameriea .J. B. Counties. Mgr. 

 ni. Wool Mktg. Assn. S. F. Russell. Sec.-Mgr. 



To advance the purpose for which the Farm Bureau was 

 organized, namely, to promote, protect and represent the 

 business, economic, social and educational interests of the 

 farmers of Illinois and the Nation, and to develop agriculture 



FEBRUARY, 1945 



VOLUME 23 - NUMBER 2 



By Eail C. Smith 



FARMERS gen- 

 erally, and their 

 ■organization, rightly 

 resent the strong 

 implication, if not 

 definite statements, 

 coming from high 

 administration a u - 

 thorities that men 

 and boys heretofore 

 deferred for agricul- 

 tural purposes constitute in a substantial 

 measure a group from which the nation 

 would have to draw for further additions 

 to the armed -forces. 



Farmers never have nor will they se^ 

 special consideration or deferment of 

 men from the armed forces for agricul- 

 ture beyond the actual need to meet the 

 requirements of the nation in the pro- 

 duction of food. Records disclose that 

 with very limited exception, boys hereto- 

 fore deferred for agriculture not only 

 were absolutely necessary, but they de- 

 , livered the goods in breaking all records 

 of production even though working un- 

 der severe handicaps and hours each 

 week far beyond the hours of employ- 

 ment of those engaged in other business 

 and production activities. 



The order which required all boys be- 

 tween the ages of 18 to 26, which had 

 been deferred for agricultural reasons, 

 to report for pre-induction physical ex- 

 aminations was construed by many to 

 mean a first step into the armed forces, 

 and many were manifesting an intention 

 to enter the services regardless of their 

 need in agricultural production. 



The American people must be re- 

 awakened to the well-known fact that 

 experienced farm labor has been reduced 

 to the point that any further inroads 

 on this group of essential workers in 

 agriculture cannot fail to result in a 

 substantial reduction in the production 

 of farm commodities. 



Also it should be mcreasingly recog- 

 nized that experienced farm boys who 

 are so fully employed are not only neces- 

 sary in the field of this important activ- 

 ity, but that they are making a substantial 

 contribution to the nation's requirements 

 in time of war- 

 Leaders of the Farm Bureau called this 

 matter to the attention of the highest gov- 

 ernment officials and the House military 

 affairs committee. These efforts resulted 

 in a clarification of the order by General 

 Lewis B. Hershey, director of national 

 headquarters of Selective Ser\'ice, and Col. 

 Paul G. Armstrong, director of Selec- 

 tive Service in Illinois. 



We commend G)lonel Armstrong for 

 his immediate attention to the serious 

 trend referred to above and for his clear 

 statement covering the purpose of the 

 new order. 



G>lonel Armstrong's statement is here- 

 with printed and I recommend it for 

 careful reading and full understanding 

 on the part of all those affected under 

 the order. 



Colonel Armstrong's statement: 

 "Contrary to widespread belief, all 

 farm workers under 26 years of age who 

 are being given preinduction physical ex- 

 aminations will not be inducted into the 

 armed forces. 



"It has come to my attention that many 

 farm employers are planning farm sales 

 because of their belief that all young 

 farmers ages 18 through 25 years are to 

 be inducted- There is no basis for such 

 belief. 



"While it is true that all farm regis- 

 trants under 26 years old are being sent 

 for preinduction physical examinations. 

 not all of them will be reclassified to 

 Class I-A simply because they have been 

 found physically qualified for militar)' 



(Continued on page 4) -. • 



FEBRUARY. 1945 



