Elbert County tribune and Elbert County banner., 1921-03-11
CIRCULAR FARM BUREAU LET
TER SENT BY PRESIDENT.
Feb. I. 1921

The Farm Bureau is an organfza-
tion of farmers working collectively
in communities. counties. states and
in national way to benefit agri-
cultural conditions.
Purpose: To place the farming
business on an aqual basis with 9th
er Industries.
Necessity for an organization: The
fact that the farmers took the hrs
defation before 1t materially affec
ted any other lines. This could
not have happened II the farmers
had been as wsl ofEaa:<ei as the
other Industries.
All other industries have Stats
tics ON cost of production and mar
keting, and have a publicity depart
ment to keep the general public in
formed as to their side of the cost
The farmers have neither statistic
nor publicity.
| The Farm Bureau is public in
stitution on, being non-secret. non
partisan, and non -sectarian. 1t Is
based by the U. s. Department of
Agriculture and the State Agricul-
tural College.
There are forty-two states in the
American Farm Bureau Federation
with a total membership of one mil
lion, five hundred thousand.
90 percent of the farmers of Iowa
are Farm Bureau members.
80 percent of the farmers OF Mina
ouri are Farm Bureau members.
80 percent of the farmers of Hi
nois are Farm Bureau members.
s percent of the farmers of Colorado
are Farm Buereau members.
| Colorado has the? smallest mem
bership of any State in the American
Farm Bureau Federation.
The Farm Bureau is based on the
! community plan of organization.
Each community chooses the things
they wish to carry out as commun-
/ ity, such cooperative marketing,
club work. corn improvement, pure
bred sires, poultry culling. etc. The
county agent assists the communities
in carrying out their progress OF
work. Owing to the rapid increase
| OF the Farm Bureau, 1t has become
physically impossible for the county
| agent to give time in farm to farm
service. He must now work thru
the community group Il all the peo-
| pie are to be reached.
Some of the Activities Of the Ma
tional Federation.
Maintains Congressional Repre-
sentative. Mr.. Gray Silver. at Wash
| ington, who is on the job at ell
times to look after legislation whic!
| in any way will affect the farmers
l of the U. s. He conducts refer
endum votes with all Farm Bureau
Members ON important measures.
Has employed Clifford Thorns Of
Chicago as legal advisor for the
/ Farm Bureau Federation. He is
paid at the rate of 100000 per year
for the time actually employed. The
farmers need Just, as good legal ad-
vice as any other industry. and they
must be willing to pay for IL.
| Prevented passage OF the Nolan
Bill at last session OF Congress-
This bill would add l percent tax
to all land value in excess OFFS o.
900 under one ownership. This tax
would be in addition to the present
taxes. Conducted a referendum vote
on this bill and 1863 900 farmers ,o
ted against it. and 2200 voted for it
Secured Is percent. reduction in
freight rate increase asked for. The
farmers pay 55 percent.of the freigh
charges in the u s.: thus the saving
amounts to millions of dollars yearly
to the farmers.
Appropriated s10Oo,-sor 4 freight
survey and found 100000 freight
! cars which the roads claimed were
/ lost These cars were placed in op-
eraion or handling grain and live
stock.
Has secured Mr.. Mckenzie of New
York state as representative for the
farmers on the United States Tax
Commission. This is the first time
farmers have been represented on
this commission.
Went before the Interstate Com
merce Commission and had the phys
ical valuation OF the railroads cut
one and three-quarter billion dollars
The roads were guaranteed per
cent. on their valuation, so this
means saving of 100000 dollars
per day to the people of the United
! states