The Coolidge examiner., 1945-07-13
Farm Leaders
Tell of Need of
Large Membership
Membership committee be-
gins work to increase local
lists to ESQ - state goal
set at 5000.

COOllQSe-F1OrenCe farm bureau got
its membership off to flying start
this week following the appoint
ment of special membership COM
mittee headed by Earl Smith.
Other members of the committee
are F. P. Jameson, Juan Feliz,
G. l.. Skousen, r. P. Sellers, Jr.,
A. l.. Bartlett and R. A. Faul, pres
ident of the local.
Each member of the committee
is charged with individual solicita-
tion and carries a membership
book with him.
Need for a combined local mem
bership in the State Farm Bureau
totalling 5000 was stressed Monday
night as l. N. Clausen, executive
secretary of the state group ad-
dressed members of Coolidge
Florence Farm Bureau. Mr.. Clau-
sen emphasized Arizona's lack of
strength in national farm problems
and the formation of national farm
policies because of tagging mem
bership unable to speak authori-
lively for the majority of Arizona
agrarians.
Admitting that summertime was
not the ideal period in which to
conduct a membership drive the
speaker declared, 1--WE know this
is the wrong time of year to make
a drive. We know you're terribly
busy on your farm. We know that
with the hot weather it will be i'm
possible to hold the old-time get
together meetings.
But, the need of a powerful, ag-
gressive farm bureau to represent
us in Phoenix and in Washington
can't wait for cool weather.
why do we need a powerful,
aggressive organization to repre-
sent us in Phoenix and Washing
ton?
Because labor, big business,
small business, and every other i'm
portant group in this country is
already represented by large, eff
fective and growing lobbies in our
national and state capitols.
'The American Farm Bureau is
doing a swell job in Washington.
In recent weeks, for example, the
House of Representatives passed
or approved five measures support
ed by the AFBF.
"But-and here is something
that will hit you like bucket of
cold water on a frosty morning
Arizona has no voice in making
the policies of the American Farm
Bureau!
why? Because the AFBF takes
one look at our membership-and
laughs! We haven't enough mem
bers to shake stick at. Until we
get EN-, the southern states, and
mid-western states and California
are going to run the AFBF to suit
themselves. Arizona farmers will
be left out in the cold as far as
national legislation is concerned!
"The same thing is true here at
home. The plain fact is that we
don't have as much voice in our
own government as, for example,
the insurance industry, and not
near as much as organized labor.
"At the last session of the state
legislature out of total of II
members only three were farmers.
And what happened? Of the four
bills the Farm Bureau tried to get
across, we were lucky to get two
passed.
That's the story . -.
What are we going to do about
it? We're going to do everything
we can to sign up 5000 new mem
bers between July 9 and 21. That
would make us the biggest Farm
Bureau in the Southwest, bigger
than New Mexico, Nevada and
Utah. The American Farm Bureau
Federation would then look to us as
spokesman for the Southwest farm
er and rancher. And those boys
and girls in our own legislature
Well, they would have to sit up and
take notice of us tool"
Other speakers Monday night
included X. K. Henness, county
agricultural agent, Keith Taylor,
state chairman of the membership
drive and VIM. E. Springer, chair
man, Agricultural war commodities.
All urged local bureau members to
increase the local membership to
the highest possible point.
Membership dues vary according
to the type of agriculture practiced.
Farmers pay SIS plus 21a cents an
acre for each acre over 40. Cattle
growers pay $5 plus 21a cents per
head for each cow unit over 40.
Cattle feeders pay S. plus 11a cents
for each animal sold over 40. Wool
growers and goat raisers pay $5
plus u cent for each sheep or goat
over 200. The same rate applies
to sheep and goat feeders.