the Association have heretofore taken 

 action opposing the plan insofar as the 

 acquisition of land for the impounding 

 of dams and reservoirs is concerned 

 pending consideration by the voting 

 delegates. We approve the action here- 

 tofore taken by the Board of Directors 

 and direct that the Association continue 

 to oppose the proposal for the ac- 

 quisition of land and the construction 

 of impounding dams and reservoirs un- 

 til such time as information is available 

 as to the estimated cost and benefits on 

 the basis of present day costs and val- 

 ues, until it is clear, that the monetary 

 benefits resulting are greatly in excess 

 of the cost, and until it is unquestion- 

 ably clear that the project is justified 

 and necessary to serve the general wel- 

 fare. » 

 Many informed persons urge that an 

 adequate soil conservation program will 

 prove highly effective in preventing 

 run-off thereby controlling flood 

 waters. Such a program can be put in- 

 to effect at much less expense than the 

 proposed plan, the cost would largely 

 be borne by land owners and homes and 

 communities would not be disrupted. 

 The possibilities of flood control 

 through an adequate soil conservation 

 program and the cost of such a soil con- 

 servation program should be studied 

 and determined. We oppose the under- 

 taking by the Federal government of 

 projects involving such huge expendi- 

 tures at this time when the government 

 has a very great indebtedness and its 

 expenditures exceed its revenues un- 

 less such projects are shown to be 

 essential and necessary for the general 

 welfare and the protection of life and 

 property. The Association should not 

 oppose proposals for channel improve- 

 ment and for the improvement of 

 levees and flood walls. 



VIII. SOIL CONSERVATION 



We recognize the importance of soil 

 conservation and the preservation of 

 our basic soil resources. The mainten- 



ance of a high level of soil productivity 

 is fundamental to a permanent agricul- 

 ture and to the continuation of a high 

 and increasing standard of living for 

 the American people. We favor con- 

 tinued and increased emphasis on con- 

 servation of the soil in all its phases, 

 based on complete coordination of all 

 federal and state soil conservation ac- 

 tivities in the county and continued 

 through the cooperation of and as the 

 responsibility of the farmers of each 

 county. This county program should 

 be built on the basic principle of wise 

 land use and good farming practices. 

 Such a program should aid in the pre- 

 vention of flood damage. This pro- 

 gram should fit into a coordinated state 

 program and insofar as possible should 

 be planned, administered and financed 

 by the cooperating farmers. 



IX. TAXATION OF COOPERA- 

 TIVES 



We believe in the private enterprise 

 system and look upon farm coopera- 

 tives as part of that system. We 

 recognize that earnings of cooperatives 

 which are retained within the coopera- 

 tive structure and not distributed as 

 patronage dividends to members should 

 be subject to the same tax treatment 

 as funds so retained within the corpora- 

 tion structure. Cooperative earnings 

 upon member business returned to 

 members as patronage dividends, either 

 in cash or stock, should not be subject 

 to tax. Such income is now subject to 

 tax as the income of the individual 

 members of the cooperative. Patronage 

 dividends represent savings arising 

 from the handling of a particular indi- 

 vidual's business. They can be returned 

 to him either through adjusted prices or 

 through patronage dividends. The re- 

 turn of these savings in the form of 

 patronage dividends has certain general 

 advantages which make it desirable to 

 retain the opportunity of so distributing 

 these funds. 



We will support such changes in the 

 internal revenue law as may be neces- 



sary to require agricultural cooperatives 

 to annually report their operations and 

 earnings, and to provide that there be 

 income tax exemption or deduction 

 from taxable income on only that por- 

 tion of their earnings on member busi- 

 ness which is distributed to their mem- 

 bers and patrons. 



X. FARM LABOR PLACEMENT 

 SERVICE 



The farm labor situation is still very 

 acute and probably will continue to be 

 so for some time. The Extension Serv- 

 ice rendered valuable assistance to 

 farmers in recruiting and placing farm 

 labor during and since the war. 



We recommend that sufficient funds 

 be made available to the Extension 

 Service for the continuation of this 

 activity for a limited time only and 

 that the entire program be ended as 

 soon as the pressing need ceases to 

 exist. 



XI. REGULATION OF ADVERSE 

 LABOR PRACTICES 



We believe that the experience of the 

 past year in labor-management relations 

 has been a serious reflection not only 

 upon the parties involved but upon our 

 entire nation. We believe that it is 

 the responsibility of Congress to take 

 steps to correct situations which have 

 brought about strife and conflict be- 

 tween labor and management. Any 

 legislation should" be such that undue 

 advantage does not accrue to labor or 

 management and that the public interest 

 is adequately protected. 



We feel that the protection of the 

 dignity of labor is one of the fundamen- 

 tal requirements of a democracy. We 

 recognize the contribution that labor 

 has made to the nation and will support 

 reasonable programs designed to bring 

 about, an ever-increasing standard of 

 living for labor. We believe, however, 

 that wage increases alone will not in- 

 crease the standard of living without 



(Continued on page 44) 



y 



At a dinner in Springfield recently honoring Dave Mieher, retiring manager of Country life Insurance Company, three of the insurance 

 men and their wives are shown in a gay mood. Left to right: Mr, and Mrs. Franic V. Wilcox; he is the new manager of Country 

 Mutual Casualty Company; Mr. and Mrs. A. E. Richardson; he is the new manager of Country Life, and Mr. and Mrs. Mieher. 



16 



L A. A. RECORD 



