Organization of 

 county committees 

 to promote closer 

 relations between 

 tlie lAA and coun- 

 ty Farm Bureaus 

 is shown getting 

 underway at Ben- 

 ton in Franklin 

 county. Organizers 

 shown, are: Roads 



— Charles May- 

 field (back to 

 camera). Schools 



— John K. Cox 

 (back to camera). 

 Animal Health — 

 Dr. C. D. Van Hou- 

 weling is seated 

 at far end of table. 

 Safety — W. W. 

 Whitlock (right, 

 standing, holding 



paper). 



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NEW PLAN GIVES COUNTY BETTER CHANCE TO EXPi^ESS 



t/ 



COUNTY COMMITTEES 



By JIM THOMSON 



Asst. Editor, lAA RECORD 



RGANIZATION of count)- com- 

 mittees on roads, schools, health 

 and safety, taxes, and animal 

 health are now well underway. 

 Each county Farm Bureau has 

 been asked to organize a committee of 

 five men, each to specialize in one of the 

 subjc-cts listed above. It is hoped that 

 these committees will help make the state 

 organization, tliat is, the Illinois Agri- 

 cultural Association, more responsive and 

 closer to tlie average farmer's opinion on 

 state and national issues. 



These committees also are expected to 

 bring about more intelligent participation 

 by a greater number of Farm Bureau 

 members in expressions of opinion as 

 contained in the lAA resolutions. lAA 

 resolutions are annual statements of policy 

 offered as farmer opinion on impwrtant 

 public questions. 



Over the period Jan. 21 through 

 March 25 committees were being organ- 

 ized under the direction of I. E. Parett, 

 lAA secretary of general services, and the 

 directors of his departments — John K. 



Cox, rural school relations; Charles May- 

 field, road improvement; W. W. Whit- 

 lock, health and safety; Bert Vandervliet, 

 taxation; and Dr. Don Van Houweling, 

 veterinary medical relations. 



At the opening meetings, Parett said 

 he would be pleased if 30 per cent of 

 the counties organized the first year. Now 

 it appears, he said, that 60 per cent will 

 have committees the first year. 



Organization of county committees un- 

 der the direction of Parett's division is 

 part of a larger plan. TTiis larger plan 

 calls for the setting up of committees in 

 each county on (1) organization and 

 information, (2) marketing, (3) business 

 service, and (4) public relations, for ex- 

 ample, taxes, schools, etc. 



Explaining the plan and its purposes 

 to the district meetings at which several 

 counties were represented, Parett said: 

 "Problems arising at both county and 

 state levels often require quick action 

 by well-informed, trained leaders. These 

 committees will make an intelligent re- 

 sponse possible within a short time." 



Parett suggested during the district 

 meetings that members of the committees 

 be chosen because of their interest and 

 understanding of a particular subject. 

 "Don't get on a committee," Parett said, 

 "unless you feel that you want to do 

 something constructive for agriculture; 

 unless you believe in our cause." 



The new plan to make the organization 

 more responsive to the membership also 

 calls for the countj- committees in each 

 state senatorial district to get together 

 with tlieir state senator and three state 

 representatives for a dinner meeting at 

 least once during the year when the 

 general assembly is in session. The 

 meeting would be for the purpose of 

 getting the lawmakers acquainted with 

 the men who are qualified to tell them 

 quickly the feeling of organized farmers 

 on particular legislation. 



Must Know Answers 



"You committeemen must know the 

 answers," Parett said. "You are going 

 to ask your senators and representatives 

 to vote for particular bills in the interest 

 of Illinois agriculture. When they ask 

 you the quesfion 'Why?' You are going 

 to have the answer. Your committee 

 must see to that." 



During the meeting. Cox, who has 

 worked with the legislature in the interest 

 of lAA-sponsored legislation told the 

 committeemen something about the pro- 

 cedure in Springfield. Cox made it clear 

 that agriculture must speak in a strong, 

 clear voice to be heard. Therefore, agri- 

 culture must know without doubt what 

 it wants at Springfield. Cox then pointed 



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L A. A. RECORD 



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