Early in February, Farm Bureau rep- 

 resentatives testified before the House 

 Committee on Education and Labor on 

 the raising of the 40-cent minimum wage 

 for tlic nation to V) cents. 



The Farm Bureau asked that all exemp- 

 tions for agriculture in the present wage- 

 hour act be maintained. It also asked 

 that the minimum wage for non-agricul- 

 tural workers be tied to a cost-of-living 

 index if the law is revised . 



The AFBE' board also voiced its oppo- 

 sition to compulsory health insurance 

 programs such as proposed in the Afurray 

 bill. 



The board said. "We favor adccuiate 

 health services, accessible at all times to 

 citizens through voluntary programs pro- 

 viding hospital and medical care, facili- 

 ties to train more doctors and nurses, 

 establishment of local public health units 

 and broad programs of health education." 



Roy Yung, new direc- 

 tor of agriculture for 

 Illinois, shares farm 

 and Home Week plat- 

 form with President 

 Charles B. Shuman of 

 the Illinois Agricul- 

 tural Association and 

 Dean H. P. Husk of 

 the University of Illi- 

 nois College of Agri- 

 culture. 



LETTERS TO THE EDITOR 



:'^ 



1 



REGARDS FROM ED O'NEAL 



JT gave me a great thrill to see you folks. 

 as it always has, during your visit to the 

 TVA. I just wish the farmers of the U.S.A. 

 would get our soil fertility bill th.it we pro- 

 posed year before last passed. VC'e certainly 

 need it. 



Warm personal regards to the farmers ot 

 Illinois. 



Edward A. O'Neal 

 Florence, Ala. 



DISAGREES 



I CANT quite agree with the thinking of 

 ' President Shuman; re-Gold Bricks and 90 

 per cent of parity per the February issue. 1 

 firmly believe we should have 9<) per cent 

 of parity for all we produce, regardless of 

 what we produce. However. I don't believe 

 we should produce so much and here is how 

 1 would recommend correcting the situation 

 as listed under a 10 point progr.im. 



1. Estimate the Country and World needs 

 with respect to grain or other products, on 

 the basis of the last 20 years plus an ampli 

 reserve (after the first year the stocks on 

 hand would supply the reserve.) 



2. By statistics covering state averages and 

 etc.. divide the amount needed over the num- 

 ber of tillable acres under cultivation so that 

 each farm has a base. 



3. The balance of the acreage after a base 

 had been established must by law be put 

 into some soil conserving legume or grass 

 other than grain or other products. 



4. This type program should be voted in 

 or out 100 per cent by the farmers them 

 selves with "5 per cent of the farmers being 

 (for or against) the determining factor. 

 Either everyone in or everyone out of the 

 program. The vote should be taken two 

 months before the start of the next fiscal 

 year. 



5. Re-establishment of the steel type grain 

 bins used under the "Ever Normal Granar> 

 Program '. 



6. Change our reserve of stored grain for 

 current season grain each time .production 



warrants it or grain authorities deem it feas- 

 ible from the standpoint of grain deteriora- 

 tion. 



7. Complete administration by repre- 

 sentatives of farm organizatiofw duly elected 

 by the farmers in each individual state. Ab- 

 solutely no government interference other than 

 of a financial nature with backing on the 

 basis of 90 per cent of parity. (The finan- 

 cial outlay should be small since production 

 would not supply a ruinous surplus.) 



8. A complete re-estimate and inventory 

 as soon as the present crop is harvested so 

 as in the case of wheat, for instance, the 

 base could be established in time for fail 

 plantings. Other products would give more 

 time for estimates which could be deter- 

 mined before the start of the fiscal year. 



9. Extremely stiff penalties for violators 

 so as to make non-cooperation unprofitable. 



10. Reasonable dues according to need to 

 cover administration, research and etc. neces- 

 sary to make such a program function. Too be 

 divided on an acreage prorata basis. 



This plan may still .seem quite loosely 

 thrown together, but it comes from a quite 

 a bit of thought on the subject. If some 

 program isn't followed the surplus will be 

 tremendous regardless of the fact that the 

 government may get down to 30 per cent of 

 parity or behiw. Evidtnced by the fact that 

 in 192')-32 farmers still produced at full 

 capacity even thou.th prices were ruinously 

 low. Furthermore we would be keeping 

 our fertility on the farms where it belongs 

 and still be adequately providing income for 

 the farmers, food for the people and a re- 

 serve in the event of a cri>p below normal. 



How about sponsoring a ccmtest of some 

 sort to get some ideas along this line from 

 men who are much older and smarter than 

 I am ' 



Oliver J. Hem 

 Kane County 



In Jii'uer. Prei'Jent Shumjti ij)s in pjr: : 

 "I iipprecijle your thoiii^hllul iHggcftions on 

 ll.H i.irni f'ragr.im. I hilieic your ideas would 

 ht' J'tr\ fMu.ihle if ue do go to a comtanth 

 jdfNini^Terid t^rogrjr/j. I can anurt you that 

 we will gift your ^ugge uiont careful con- 

 sideration." 



BOUQUETS 



(HAVE just finished digesting the January 

 issue of the Record and 1 want to con- 

 gratulate you for doing such a fine job. 



1 have been going to write to you foj 

 sometime to tell you that I think the Rec- 

 ord is getting better and better, but this last 

 annual meeting issue is the best yet. 

 L. M. Knox 

 Whiteside County 



COMPLIMENT 



I RECEIVED the February issue of "The 

 Record" and want to compliment you for 

 the excellent articles on the AFBF Conven- 

 tion as well as the up-to-the-minute repojt 

 on the Illinois Grain Crop and the Livestock 

 Marketing Program. If it is possible I 

 would appreciate receiving two extra copies 

 of this edition. 



Lee R. Hayes, Agricultural Agent 



Pennsylvania R. R. 



Richmond, Ind. 



CORRECTION 



(NOTICE in the February 1949 issue of 

 the Illinois Agricultural Association Rec- 

 ord, page 29, you have one of my snapshots 

 labeled; "Restored Woolen Mill at New 

 Salem Park was powered by oxen when 

 Lincoln made village his home." 



1 wish to correct the latter error as I am 

 from Sangamon county. 



Winn J. Ross 

 Sangamon County 







CORRECTION 



N "Farm Bureau Folks in Pictures' page 

 for February the caption under picture 

 of baby in tub refers to her as "Judy Baith 

 of Henry county." Her name is Judy Bogner, 

 daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Eldon Bogner of 

 Henry, III. 



A. W. Barth 

 Marshall-Putnam County 



22 



L A. A. RECORD 



