undoubtedly be necessary. However, I 

 believe that the principle of using gov- 

 ernment price supports as floors to pro- 

 tect farm prices from collapse rather than 

 for rigid price fixing is sound. Also, the 

 idea of injecting some degree of flexi- 

 bility into the support price structure has 

 considerable merit. 



Coordination of Government 

 Agencies 



The Illinois Agricultural Association 

 is proud of the fact that one of the chief 

 objectives of the organization through the 

 years has been to foster and encourage an 

 aggressive educational program to bring 

 to individual farmers the opportunity to 

 increase their productive efficiency'. The 

 relationship in Illinois between the Col- 

 lege of Agriculture, Extension Service and 

 the County Farm Bureau organ iz.it ions 

 has been both efficient and ethical. Farm- 

 ers, in contributing from their ovk-n funds 

 for the financial support of the county 

 extension workers, naturally take a greater 

 interest in seeing that the program is ef- 

 fectively used. Without this kind of 

 support, the extension program would of 

 necessity be drastically curtailed. 



During recent years as the U. S. De- 

 partment of Agriculture has attempted to 

 ser\e Agriculture in more and more ways 

 a host of new agencies have developed 

 within the Department. Practically no 

 correlation of activity exists at the na- 

 tional level. As a result farmers witness 

 considerable duplication of effort as each 

 agency attempts to justify its independent 

 existence. Considerable money will be 

 saved and a more effective program de- 

 veloped when the work of all agencies 

 dealing with agriculture is correlated 

 from the national level down to the 

 county. In this picture the Experiment 

 Stations should conduct all research and 

 the Extension Service should carry on 

 all educational work. There will con- 

 tinue to be a need for Soil Conservation 

 Districts, County Production Program 

 Committees and other local organizations 

 to be responsible for the action programs. 



Farm Cooperatives 



The last year has brought a continua- 

 tion of the vicious attack upon our 

 farmer cooperatives. Although disguised 

 under various other slogans, the real pur- 

 pose of these attacks is to discredit and 

 destroy these essential farm tools. Farm- 

 ers and the nation itself sorely need the 

 healthy competition provided by the farm 

 cooperatives. It is one of our few means 

 of defense against the monopolistic prac- 

 tices used by huge corporations. 



The position of the Illinois Agricul- 

 tural Association is clear. We do not ask 

 for, nor do we have unfair tax advan- 



Kenneth Cheatham, 

 19, of Greenville In 

 Bond county, receives 

 check for $1000 after 

 being chosen S f o r 

 farmer of America at 

 the 20th annual con- 

 ventlon of future 

 farmers of America 

 in Kansas City, Mo. 

 Presenting checic is J. 

 M. Collins, editor of 

 the Weelcl^ Kansas 

 City Star. Cheatham 

 was chosen from 714 

 ffA members who re- 

 ceived American 

 farmer degrees at 

 the Kansas City con- 

 vention. 



tages. We recognize that wrnings of 

 cooperatives which are retained within 

 the cooperative structure and not dis- 

 tributed as patronage dividends to mem- 

 bers should be subject to the same treat- 

 ment as funds so retained within the cor- 

 porate structure of a private business cor- 

 poration. However, cooperative earnings 

 upon member business which are returned 

 to members as patronage dividends, either 

 in cash or stock and are taxable to the 

 members, should not be subject to tax 

 against the cooperative. 



Public Relations 



The number one unsolved problem 

 confronting American agriculture lies in 

 the field of Public Relations. With a 

 constantly diminishing proportion of the 

 population engaged in agriculture it be- 

 comes increasingly more difficult for 

 farmers to carry their case to the Ameri- 

 can public. Years ago most of our city 

 residents were closely related to some 

 farm family. That condition does not 

 prevail today. More and more urban 

 residents turn to the metropolitan press 

 and radio for their information regarding 

 agriculture. Farmers and their organiza- 

 tions do not have huge advertising bud- 

 gets, thus the press and radio are not too 

 much concerned with our welfare. As 

 farmers, our greatest hope for improved 

 public relations depends upon how 

 strongly and wisely we build our One 

 Voice for Agriculture. If the Voice of 

 Agriculture is a single voice it will com- 

 mand greater respect and attention. If 

 the Voice of Agriculture is strong and 

 powerful it will be heard by more of the 

 people. If the Voice of Agriculture pre- 

 sents a righteous program that is just and 

 fair to all groups it will be accepted. 



May God grant us farmers the wisdom 

 to think clearly and fairly on all of these 

 problems whose solution means so much 

 to the future welfare of our democracy. 



Continue Quest 

 For Improved 

 Rural Schools 



{C">::!t:!,tJ 



pjge ^ 1 ) 



buildings which one might want to build 

 in about five years. The prices of the 

 buildings depend on the architect's ability 

 and willingness to utilize the materials 

 which will cut costs. The present rates 

 run from ?7 cents to Si. 16 per cubic foot. 



LJitdstroDi: Wouldn't it be better to 

 keep the elementar)- schools small and 

 close to the children and use them as com- 

 munity centers rather than put money 

 into big buildings where it doesn't mean 

 anything to the majority of the people? 



Fesherst'in: Put the building in the 

 hands of the architect with the idea that 

 "Here are our educational needs. Design 

 a building to house these needs." 



Cox then suggested two films for 

 school groups — "School House m the 

 Red" and "Priceless Cargo." He reported 

 that he had been assured that the office 

 of the state superintendent would furnish 

 a copy of either film to local groups free 

 of charge with sound machine and oper- 

 ator upon recjuest. 



Catlron. Fiilloii county: What is the 

 function of a county superintendent in a 

 unit district? 



Cox: The county superintendent has 

 some functions which the district super- 

 intendent in a unit district cannot assume. 

 TTicre is still need of a link between the 

 state and the local school district although 

 the county superintendents' duties will 

 have to be redefined in counties where 

 there has been w idespread rc-organization. 



Question: Does the district have the 

 right to petition out once it has been 

 voted into a unit district? 



Cox and Bl.uk : Yes. 



JANUARY, 1949 



43 



