The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1922-09-15
||OCII1ION
SIX YEARS Old
- orgnaisatlsl Formed q Asst.
- Of County Units b
1915

~ Illinois Agricultural associa-
~ tss formed at q meeting Of
...nly farm bureaus in 1916 ont Of
4. realization that 4he county
- was not fitted to cope with
4. immense and complex prob
- which the progress Of the
,onnty farm bureau had taught the
fsrmer to see and to face. The
',oundation Of the Illinois Agricul-
,,ral association was significant of
- development and broadening Of
the original farm bureau ideas it
~ IN the years from 1913 to 1916.
Dlring these four years the
eosrfy farm bureau had brought
aricultural leadership as it had
never existed before. These lead
n saw that larger agency than
4 county organization was essen
mi. For visions Of service to the
agriculture of the state had become
larger than the agencies for shch
service. The solution Of the prob
lem, in the far-seeing eyes OF these
leaders. lay in the creation Of a
state association.
Meeting Held in 1916.
A meeting OF farm leaders and
farm bureau officials was called at
Urbana on Jan. Is, 1916. At this
meeting it was recognized by all
that perplexities arising from ad-
verse legislation, taxation burdens,
inadequate finance. incompetent
marketing and transportation diff
dculties could never be met BY the
county alone. A committee was ap-
pointed to draw up constitution
for state organization. This com
mittee called a second meeting a.
Ottawa. LaSalle county. where on
March 16, 1916. the permanent or
ganization Of the Illinois Agricul-
;ural association was formed.
"The object of this association
shall be to promote the general in.
terests Of agriculture by studyine
the methods of production and dis
tribution OF farm products with &
view to working out a system o.
greater economy in handling tn,
same" it was stated in the consti
tuition. And again Ito encourag,
and cooperate with educational in
stitutions. departments. societie.
and the several local organization.
in all efforts to solve the questions
relative to rural betterment ant
agricultural science; to make /:
study of all legislative matters an,
use our influence in securing tn
enactment Of wise legislation ant
the defeat Of unwise legislation.
The last paragraph Of section
two OF the constitution complete
the platform upon which the mel
who aided in forming the Illinoi
Agricultural association felt tina
its success would depend.
1T is intended to secure cooper
alive action in advancing the com
mon purpose Of its members: uni
formity and equity in business an,
laws and proper consideration an,
concentration upon questions af
fecting the financial. Commercial
and civic interests of the state"
Six years have passed. Tremen
dous progress has been made II
the development Of leaders in ag
ricultural thought and activitie
through the cooperation Of the Hi
nois Agricultural association AM
the county farm bureaus.
Reorganization In 1918. p
A huge contribution to this ad
vancement was the step taken fl
1919 when it was seen that the Hi
nois Agricultural associations pos
sibilities were much larger thai
had been foreseen in 1916 and tina
more funds and more membership
were necessary to bring about tn
fulfillment of the vision. The goa
Of 100000 members was set an
was achieved by 1920.
The enlarged funds led to tn
creation Of departments in charg
Of experts to devote special stud
10 the various phases of farm in
ierests, marketing, finance, trans
portation. legislation, organization
publicity. taxation, soil improve
ment. Some Of these department
became larger than the origina
Illinois Agricultural association o
1916
The intelligent expenditure o
The half million dollars a yea
was in the hands of men trained t