Vokmra a« 



10 



Octobar, 1948 



The Record 



OmCIAL PUBIICATION 

 THE ILUNOIS AGRICULTURAL ASSOCIAHON 



To advance the purpose for wbkh the farm Bureau was orgamixed, 

 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. ... -.,... 



OmCERS 



CHARLES B. SHUMAN, SuUivaB. President 

 FLOYD E. MORRIS GEORGE E. METZGER 



Vice-President Field Secretary 



PAUL E. MATHIAS .. CLARENCE C. CHAPELLE 



Secretary Comptroller 



ROBERT A. COWLES DONALD KIRKPATRICK 



Treasurer General Counsel -- 



BOARD OF DIRECTORS 



Lyman Bunting, Eller^; Dan L. Clarke, New Berlin: E. T. Culnan, 

 Uncoln; Homer Curtiss, Stockton; J. Kia% Eaton, Edwardsville : John 

 T. Evans, Hoopeston; Edwin Gumm, Galesburg: Earl M. Hugbei, 

 Woodstock ; Chester McCord, Newton ; Russell V. McKee, Varna ; K7 T. 

 Smith. Greenfield; Ono SteSey, Stronghurst; Milton W. Warren, 

 Mansfield; and Albert Webb, Ewint. 



DIVISION HEADS 



George E. Metzger, Organization & Information; L. L. Colvis, Market- 

 ing; I. E. Parett, General Services; Paul E. Mathias, Building, Records, 

 and Personnel; Robert A. Cowles, Treasurer's office; C. C. Chapelle, 

 Comptroller's office; and Donald Kirkpatrick, General Counsel. 



DEPARTMENT HEADS 



Frank M. Atchley, Research; O. D. Brissenden, Organization; G. W. 

 Baxter, Transportation-Claims; John K. Cox, Ilural School Relations; 

 C. J. Foster, Publicity; R. E. Gish, Soil Conservation Activities; George 

 H. Iftner, Grain Maricetitig : Roy P. Johnson, Special Services & Office 

 of the Building; C. E. Johnston, General Office, Donald Kirkpatrick, 

 Legal ; Ellsworth D. I^nn, Young People's Activities ; Judson P. Mason, 

 Dairy Marketing ; C. S. Mayfielo, Rural Road Improvement ; S. F. Rus- 

 sell, Livestock Marketing; W. E. Scheer, Personnel; Bert Vandervliet, 

 Property Taxation; and Dr. C. D. Van Houweling, Veterinarian Medical 

 Relations. 



ASSOCIATED COMPANY MANAGERS 



C. H. Becker, Illinois Farm Supply Company; G. H. Iftner (acting) 

 Illinois Grain Terminals Company; Forrest C. Fairchild, Prairie Farms 

 Creameries; J. H. Kelker, Country Mutual Fire Company; judson P. 

 Mason, 111. Milk Producers' Assn. ; R. S. McBride, Illinois Fruit Growers 

 Exchange; Howard McWard, 111. Grain Corporation; C. F. Musser, 111. 

 Farm Bureau Serum Assn.- J. L. Pidcock, III. Co-op Locker Service; A. E. 

 Richardson. Country Life uuurance Company; Dale Rouse, Illinois Wool 

 Marketing Assn. ; J. L. Baker, (acting) Illinois Agricultural Auditing 

 Assn. ; H. W. Trautnuiui, Illinois Livestock Marketing Assn. ; and F. V. 

 Wilcox, Country Mutual Casualty Company. 



EDITORIAL STAff 



Creston J. Foster 

 Editor 



James C. Thomson 

 Ass't. Editor 



Lewis A. Reisner 

 Field Editor 



Editorial Office 



4) East Ohio, Chicago II 



The Illinois Agricultural Association RECORD is published monthly 

 by the Illinois Agricultural Assocation at i;01 W. Washington Road, 

 Mendota, III. Editorial Offices, 43 East Ohio St.. Chicago 11. III. Entered 

 as second class matter at post office, Mendota, III., Sept. 11, 1936. 

 Accepunce for mailing at special rate of posuge provided in Section 412, 

 An of Feb. 28, 1925. authorized Oct. 27. 1935. Address all com- 

 munications for publication to Editorial Offices. Illinois Agriculrural 

 As.sodation RECORD, 43 East Ohio St., Chicago. The individual mem- 

 bership fee of the Illinois Agricultural Association is five dollars a 

 year. The fee includes payment of fifty cents for subscription to the 

 Illinois Agricultural Association RECORD. Pt»tmaster: Send notices 

 on Form 3578. Undeliverable copies returned under Form 3579 to edi- 

 torial offices. 43 E. Ohio St., Chicago 11. lU. 



TMt STATE rARM tUREAU PUBLCATION 



fOOD PRICE SUPPORTS 

 AND $3.50 STEAK 



THE HEADLINE in the evening paper screamed 

 "Farm Price Supports Boost Food Costs." The accom- 

 panying feature story was filled with the tj'pe of mis- 

 information that has been fed to 

 the American public so liberally 

 during recent weeks. "Mounting 

 food prices are caused by high farm 

 prices which result from the gov- 

 ernment parity price support pro- 

 gram." — That was the story. 



Full of resentment, I went into 

 a well-known restaurant on Chi- 

 cago's Randolph street and picked 

 up the menu. A wide variety 

 awaited my selection, from a complete dinner featuring 

 egg omelet at $1.30 to a steak for $3. 50. The waitress 

 informed me that she sold five steak dinners to each 

 omelet. That is the answer to the news headline. 

 With the highest income of all time, the American 

 public demands steak. 



The only two food items listed on that restaurant 

 menu which have received any government support 

 price assistance were eggs and potatoes. Even with 

 a support price the omelet was the lowest priced entree 

 on the list. After reading the metropolitan press, city 

 consumers naturally assume that farmers are rolling 

 in wealth created by government guaranteed prices. 

 What are the facts.? 



Price support legislation was enacted by Congress 

 during the war to encourage needed expansion in pro- 

 duction. It has been continued because of the greatly 

 enlarged domestic and foreign needs. However, as a 

 result of this great demand, prices have, with few ex- 

 ceptions, remained much higher than the 90 per cent 

 of parity support levels. If all support prices were 

 removed food prices would probably show little or no 

 reduction. Consumers themselves, not government 

 supports, have forced food prices higher and higher. 



Is the price of food too high.'' The only fair way 

 to determine whether or not the nation's food is cost- 

 ing too much is to examine how much of the national 

 income goes for groceries. Before the war 23 per cent 

 of the total national income went for food, as com- 

 pared to only about 1 9 per cent today. 



Is the farmer profiteering? Farm incomes have been 

 good but farm operating costs are increasing more 

 rapidly than income. Many farm commodity prices 

 have dropped drastically within recent months. Farm 

 prices of grains, fruits and vegetables have gone down 

 while retail prices to consumers continue to mount up- 

 ward. In many cases processors, distributors or re- 

 tailers have not passed on price reduction. 



Any farmer can tell our city friends how to obtain 

 lower priced food. He would tell them to shop around 

 for food bargains and go easy on scarce items. He 

 might say eat more eggs and potatoes. 



... -: Charles B. Shuman, 



.: \ .' ' President, 



;.•'.; Illinois Agricultural Association 



OCTOBER. 1948 



