'/ 



n 



Number 11 



Nevembw, 1949 



The Recoru 



OFFICIAL PUBIICATION 

 THE IIXINOIS AGRICULTURAL ASSOCIATION 



To advance the purpose for which the Farm Bureau was organized, namely. 

 t9 promote, protect and represent the business, economic, social and educa- 

 tional interests of the farmers of Illinois and the nation, and to develop 

 apiculture. 



OFFICERS 



CHARLES B. SHUMAN. SuUivjn, President 



FLOYD E. MORRIS 



Vice-President 



PAUL E. MATHIAS 

 Secretary 



ARTHUR F. SCHUCK 

 Treasurer 



GEORGE E. METZGER 



Field Secretary 



CLARENCE C. CHAPELLE 

 Comptroller 



DONALD KIRKPATRICK 

 General Counsel 



•OARD OF DIRECTORS 



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

 Minonk; Homer Curtiss. Stockton; J. King Eaton, Edwardsville : C. J. 

 Elliott, Streator ; John T. Evans, Hoopeston ; Edwin Gumm, Galesburg ; 

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

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

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



DIVISION HEADS 



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

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

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

 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, Publicity ; R. E. Gish. Soil Conservation Activities ; Roy P. 

 Johnson, Special Services & Office of the Building ; C. E. Johnston, Gen- 

 eral Office : Donald Kirkpatrick, Legal ; Ellsworth D. Lyon, Young Peo- 

 ple's Activities ; Judson P. Mason, Dairy Marketing ; CuIIen B, Sweet, 

 Rural Road Improvement; S. F. Russell. Livestock Marketing; W. E. 

 Scheer, Personnel ; John A. Lake, Safety and Public Health ; and Bert 

 Vandervliet, Property Taxation. 



ASSOCIATED COMPANY MANAGERS 



Darrell L. Achenbach, Country Mutual Fire Company ; C. H. Becker, Il- 

 linois Farm Supply Company; L. R. Downs, Producers' Seed Company; 

 Forrest C. Fairchild. Prairie Farms Creameries ; Sam L. Hassell, Il- 

 linois Grain Terminals Company; Judson P, Mason. 111. Milk Producers' 

 Assn. ; R. S. McBride, Illinois Fruit Growers Exchange ; Howard McWard, 

 ■ 111. Grain Corporation ; C. F. Musser. Ill, Farm Bureau Serum Assn. ; 

 J. L. Pidcock, 111. Co-op Locker Service; A. E. Richardson, Country 

 Life Insurance Company; Dale Rouse, Illinois Wool Marketing Assn.. 

 C. E. Strand. Illinois Agricultural Auditing Assn. ; H. W. Trautmann. 

 Illinois Livestock Marketing Assn. ; and F. V. Wilcox, Country Mutual 

 Casualty Company. 



EDITORIAL STAFF 



Creston J. Foster 

 Editor 



James C. Thomson 

 Ass't. Editor 



Editoral Office 



43 East Ohio, Chicago 11 



The Illinois Agricultural Association RECORD is published monthly 

 by the Illinois Agricultural Association at noi W. Washington Road. 

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

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

 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 Association RECORD. Postmaster: Send notices on Form 

 3578. Undeliverable copies returned under Form 3579 to editorial offices 

 43 E. Ohio St.. Chicago 11, III. 



THE STATE FARM BUREAU PUBLICATION 



Unanswered Questions 



By Charles B. Shuman 



President, Illinois Agricultural Association 

 FEW MONTHS ago many people, in advocating 



abundant production, said that agriculture's prob- 



r% lem was not one of surplus but rather of under 

 consumption. Today consumers are using farm 

 products at near-record levels. Yet we are faced with 

 dangerous accumulations of practically every major 

 crop. Corn, wheat, cotton, hogs, po- 

 tatoes, eggs, apples, citrus fruit, 

 vegetables — these and many others 

 are in trouble. Vi'here are the folks 

 who predicted that population 

 growth had caught up with our pro- 

 ductive capacity and that the days of 

 surpluses were over? 



This complex puzzle seems to have 

 no easy solution. Government stor- 

 age programs only postpone the day 

 of reckoning • — - crops produced must 

 be either used or become a burden- "' "* " «"""" 



some surplus. Prospects are not good for any great in- 

 crease in consumption at home or abroad. As distasteful 

 as it is to farmers, reduced production now seems to be 

 the only alternative. The recent debate in Congress was 

 not concerned with whether there should be a farm pro- 

 gram but rather how much responsibility government 

 should assume in maintaining prices and controlling 

 production. After reading several of Secretary of Agri- 

 culture Brannan's addresses as presented to labor groups 

 it might be interesting to ask a few unanswered questions. 



CAN ILLINOIS FARMERS be classified solely as 

 laborers or are they also business men? Are we inter- 

 ested in a political union with organized labor? If, un- 

 der the Brannan plan, the price of wheat were reduced to 

 10 cents per bushel would city consumers be satisfied 

 with a one cent reduction in the price of a loaf of bread, 

 or would they demand that government take over all 

 processing and distribution to secure further price cuts? 

 After becoming accustomed to low food prices would the 

 public again be willing to pay a fair price if the scheme 

 should fail or be abandoned because of increased taxes? 

 \^"ould labor groups who support the Brannan plan be 

 willing to accept lower wages in a free labor market and 

 depend upon the federal government for a subsidy to 

 bring them up to a living wage? 



WOULD SECRETARY BRANNAN'S guaranteed high 

 income plan encourage efficiency in agriculture? \^'ho 

 would decide which farmers were to be retired and who 

 would approve their replacements? \^ hat would be the 

 effect on land prices of a rush into agriculture by those 

 desiring a government assured income? If increased 

 taxation is necessary to assure high level agricultural 

 income, would not consumer groups feel justified in de- 

 manding that farm income in excess of the support level 

 be recovered through special taxes on farmers? Finally, 

 will taxpayers be willing to add extra billions to their 

 present heavy tax load? 



IF THESE QUESTIONS seem complicated and confus- 

 ing it may indicate that Secretary Brannan's plan is not 

 as simple as it has been portrayed. \^'hat is the answer 

 to our dilemma? It will pay you to attend the annual 

 meeting of your state organization in Chicago Nov. 14-17. 

 Perhaps you can help us find an answer. 



NOVEMBER, 1949 



n 



