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The Record 



OTFIClAi PUBLICATION 

 THE lUINOIS AGRICULTURAL ASSOaATION 



To adrtnct tbi pnrpost far uihich tht P*rm Bureau wai organized, namely, 

 to promote, protect ami represent the bui'tness, economic, social and educa- 

 tional interests of the farmers of Illinois ana the Nation, and to develop 

 agriculture. 



omens 



CHARLES B. SHUMAN. SulUran. President 



FLOYD E. MORRIS 

 Vice-Prejjdent 



PAUL E. MATHIAS 

 Secretary 



ARTHUR F. SCHUCK 

 Treasurer 



GEORGE E. METZGER 

 Field Secretary 



CLARENCE C. CHAPELLE 

 Comptroller 



DONALD KIRKPATRICK 

 General Counsel 



BOARD or DIRECTORS 



Lyman Bunting, EUety ; Thomas H. Lloyd» Girard ; Lester S. Davison, 

 Mioonk ; Homer Curtisa, StodctoQ ; J. Kiog Eaton, Edwardsville ; C. J. 

 Elliott, Streator ; John T. Evaiu, Hoopeiton ; Edwin Gumm, Galesburg ; 

 Earl M. Hughes, Woodstock ; Chester McCord, Newton ; Russell V. 

 McKee, Varna; K. T. Smith, Greenfield; Otto SteSey, Strooghorst; 

 Frank L. Simpson, Farmer City ; and Albert Webb, Ewing. 



DIVISION HEADS 



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

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

 and Personnel; Arthur F. Schuck, Treasurer's office; C. C. Chapelie, 

 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, Rural School Relations ; 

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

 H. Iftoer, Grain Marketing ; Roy P. Johnson, Special Services & Office 

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

 Legal ; Ellsworth D. Lyon, Young People's Activities ; Judson P. Mason, 

 Dairy Marketing ; CuUen B. Sweet, Rural Road Improvement ; S. F. Rus- 

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

 Property Taxation. 



ASSOCIATE COMPANY MANAGERS 



C. H. Becker, Illinois Farm Supply Company ; Sam L, Hassell, Illinois 

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

 Darrell L. Achenbach, Country Mutual Fire Company ; Judson P. Mason, 

 111. Milk Producers' Assn. ; R. S. McBride, Illmois fruit Growers Ex- 

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

 Farm Bureau Seriim Assn. ; T. L. Pidcock, 111. Co-op Locker Service ; A. 

 £. Richardson, Country Life Insurance Company ; Dale Rouse. Illinois 

 Wool Marketing Assn.; C. E. Strand, Illinois Agricultural Audit- 

 ing Assn. ; H. W. Trautmann, Illinois Livestock Marketing Assn. ; and 

 F. V. Wilcox, Country Mutual Casualty Company. 



EDITORIAt STAfr 



Creston J. Foster 

 Editor 



James C. Thomson 

 Ass't. Editor 



Editorial Office 



45 East Ohio, Chicago 11 



The Illinois Agricultural Association RECORD is published monthly 

 by the Illinois Agricutural Association at 1501 W. Washington Road, 

 Mendota. III. Editorial Offices. 4} East Ohio St., Chicago II. III. Entered 

 as second class matter at post office, Mendota, III. Sept. II, I9}6. 

 Acceptance for mailing at special rate of postage provided in Section 412, 

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

 munications for publication to Editorial Offices, Illinois Agricultural 

 Association 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 Associatioo RECORD. Postmaster; Send notices on Form 

 3578. Undelivcrablc copies rcumcd under Form 3579 to editorial offices. 

 43 E. Ohio St., Chicago 11, IIL 



THE STATE FAIM RUIEAU PUILICATION 



Free Markets 



By Charles B. Shuman 



A FEW days ago I stood in the visitors gallery above 

 the trading floor of the Chicago Board of Trade 

 and watched the traders in the corn and wheat pits 

 go wild. The "bears" really "cleaned up" that day as 

 they hammered prices down the limit. On the basis of 

 a rumor regarding pending legisla- 

 tion, the value of corn stocks held 

 by Illinois farmers was reduced by 

 $30,000,000 in one day. This was 

 certainly a market free to reflect 

 changes in supply and demand — 

 free even to reflect rumors. 



That same day, attracted by a sale 

 ad, I walked into a shoe store. I 

 soon found that the only reductions 

 were on odd sizes and unknown 

 brands. The well-known shoe that 

 I wanted carried a price tag affixed by the manufacturer 

 and could not be sold for one cent less. In vain, I 

 pointed out that leather was lower in price and that due 

 to reduced sales the factory was laying off workers. 

 This was another kind of free market — I was free to 

 walk out, which I did with some little satisfaction. 



SELLING as they do in a free market, and buying 

 in a fixed price market, it is little wonder that 

 farmers have demanded some degree of price pro- 

 tection. This price protection is contained in the Ag- 

 ricultural Act of 1948 which provides for flexible 

 supports designed to prevent collapse of farm prices. 



OUR ACCEPTANCE of price protection, however, 

 does not mean that we will not attack the monopo- 

 listic production control and price fixing practices 

 of business and labor on every front. If we could 

 eliminate these practices and their accompanying price 

 rigidity, we might not need to have government price 

 protection in agriculture. We would be operating in 

 a truly free economy with labor and industry following 

 the abundant production practices of agriculture. But 

 labor will not give up its feather-bedding, make- work 

 practices and rigid wage structure without a fight. And 

 it will not be easy to secure tariff reductions, repeal of 

 the Miller-Tydings and state fair trade practice laws 

 used by industry to maintain fixed prices. If industry 

 and labor would encourage greater flexibility in their 

 pricing systems it would reduce the need for govern- 

 ment price support programs. 



ORGANIZED agriculture is aggressively attacking 

 the fixed price system on two fronts. We are urg- 

 ing action by Congress to reduce or eliminate the 

 many legislative barriers to free prices and abundant 

 production in business, industry and labor. The other 

 attack is through expansion of our farm cooperatives. 

 Cooperatives in the fields of marketing, processing and 

 distribution can do much to increase competition and 

 bring about a more flexible pricing system. I hope 

 every farm family in Illinois will actively support their 

 own Farm Bureau-type cooperatives with their invest- 

 ment, membership and patronage. 



MABCH. 1949 



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