ADOPTED BY BOARD OF DEIEGATES 

 AT 32ND ANNUAL MEETING IN CHICAGO, NOVEMBER 21, 1946 



FOREWORD 



TODAY, more than One Hundred and 

 Thirty Thousand farm families are 

 members of the Illinois Agricultural 

 Association. This is the greatest num- 

 ber ever to belong to any State farm 

 organization. The delegate body ass- 

 embled in annual convention rejoices 

 at this membership achievement. This 

 delegate body is sobered by its respon- 

 sibility of leadership and by its o^bliga- 

 tions of trust to these many farmers. 



America today, as perhaps never be- 

 fore, cries out for intelligent leader- 

 ship ; for statesman and men of com- 

 mon sense to guide this great country 

 from a morass of confusion and doubt 

 that threatens at times to engulf and 

 destroy the securities and freedoms that 

 have made America great. 



The farmers of Illinois believe that 

 it is the time to revive some old ideas 

 of honor, honesty and loyalty as the 

 guiding principles of reconstruction and 

 peace. 



We believe it is time to declare the 

 war emergency at an end. We believe 

 it is time to appraise our national prob- 

 lems. We believe it is time for all 

 organized groups to lay aside averice 

 and greed and to honestly and patri- 

 otically face the needs of America and 

 of the world in a program that can give 

 to each his own if he will but work and 

 labor for the greatest good of all. It is 

 time to forsake nostrums and palliatives 

 as cures for economic ills. It is time 

 to be diligent rather than expedient. 



The ways of agriculture are the ways 

 of production and peace. The ways of 

 America are the ways of production and 

 peace. The farmers of Illinois pledge 

 themselves to work with all honest and 

 true men of this great republic to build, 

 herein and in this world an era of 

 peace, good will and fair return to all 

 who will labor and strive thereto. 



there is thanksgiving and gratitude 

 for an abundant harvest. There is 

 thanksgiving and gratitude for the 

 brain and resource that is with our 

 people. Let us lead forward to achieve- 

 ment in peace — to the full measure of 

 gainful bounty that will come from 

 toil and never from dole. America can 

 be as great as we will work to make her 

 great. 



I. NATIONAL AGRICULTURE 

 POLICY 



Agriculture is the Nation's keystone 

 industry. It provides the food neces- 

 sary to sustain life and fibers and many 

 other raw materials required by indus- 

 try. The rural areas of the Nation also 

 produce an excess of young people 

 who migrate to urban areas to man the 

 machines of modern industry and to 

 assume places of leadership in business 

 and public life. A prosperous and 

 wholesome agriculture is therefore es- 

 sential to the entire nation. 



After long and difficult struggles, 

 farmers have obtained national recog- 

 nition of their problems and legislation 

 which provides some protection against 

 loss of income due to factors outside 

 their control. This legislation is basic- 

 ally sound and must not be abandoned. 

 Some improvements can no doubt be 

 made and will receive our support 

 when we are convinced that they are 

 sound and in the public interest. We 

 oppose any basic change in the existing 

 parity formula. We condemn efforts to 

 raise the general parity level at this 

 time by the inclusion of wage rates in 

 the formula or by other similar means. 



We commend the Board of Directors 

 for establishing the I. A. A. Economic 

 Study Committee for the purpose of 

 making a thorough study of the Na- 

 tion's Agricultural problems and poli- 

 cies and making suggestions for im- 

 provements in national agricultural pol- 

 icy. We urge the directors and officers 

 of the Association to aid and assist this 

 committee in every proper manner and 

 to give widespread publicity to their 

 findings and report. 



II. COORDINATION OF FEDERAL 

 AGRICULTURAL AGENTS 



Over a period of years a number of 

 separate federal agencies have been cre- 

 ated to meet specific agricultural prob- 

 lems. In many cases, there has been a 

 marked change in the nature and an in- 

 crease in the scope of the operations 

 of these agencies. As a consequence, 

 there is now much duplication of activi- 

 ties and unnecessary expense in their 

 operations. There is a great need for 

 coordination of the activities of all 

 government agencies serving farmers. 



The activities of government agencies 



serving Illinois farmers fall into three 

 broad classes: research, education and 

 service functions. In order t6 reduce 

 expenses and increase benefits to farm- 

 ers, we recommend that so far as pos- 

 sible, all major activities in each of 

 these fields be coordinated. 



III. COORDINATION OF FEDERAL 



AGRICULTURAL CREDIT 



AGENCIES 



Federal agricultural credit agencies 

 were originally established to meet fi- 

 nancial needs of farmers and to enable 

 them to secure adequate and depend- 

 able credit with the objective in mind 

 that farmers would eventually own and 

 control their own cooperative credit 

 institutions. 



We favor the reorganization of the 

 Farm Credit Administration to bring 

 it under the direction of an independent 

 policy-making board at the national 

 level. We also favor the election by 

 farmers of at least a majority of the 

 members on the Farm Credit Board of 

 Directors at the district level. 



IV. ECONOMY IN FEDERAL 

 EXPENDITURES 



We are gravely concerned over the 

 enormous growth of the national debt 

 and the inflationary effects of contin- 

 ued heavy spending by the Federal 

 government. 



We urge members of Congress, the 

 President of the United States and all 

 other government officials to be very 

 diligent and persistent in seeking ways 

 and means of reducing Federal expen- 

 ditures to a level well below current rev- 

 enues. Some revision of the tax struc- 

 ture may be desirable. Reducing taxes 

 is important, but reduction of expedi- 

 tures is much more fundamental. This 

 is especially important at this time in 

 order to counteract dangerous inflation- 

 ary trends, reduce the national debt, 

 and insure the future value of govern- 

 ment bonds and currency. 



V. AGRICULTURE-INDUSTRY- 

 LABOR-FINANCE 

 CONFERENCES 



In our modern economic system, each 

 major group, agriculture, labor, and 

 industry, are mutually dependent upon 

 one another. An abundance of food 

 and manufactured products is essential 

 to a high standard of living for labor. 



I 



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L A. A. RECORD 



