The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1898-01-28
VENICE FARMERS CLUB.

The Northeast Venice Farmers club
met at the home of Mr.. and Mrs. b. Augs-
bury, Jan. 10, for the round up of the
years work and the election of officers
The president called the meeting to or.
der by asking the young folks to lead in
singing, which they did in an excellent
manner. After devotional exercises by
Frank Long, the president, w White,
gave short talk on the benefits of the
| club during the past year. 1t had been a
| help TO him by getting him to thinking
| about things that he never thought of be-
fore. He said we could get more benefit
| the coming year by going into it with
more vim and push and do what we could
| to help others. A collection of one dol.
lar was taken to pay for joining the state
| association.
The club then proceeded to the election
Of officers resulting as follows: w. H.
White. president; Ii. Martin, vice presi.
dent, j. E. Lawcock, secretary and re.
porter; +. Long, chaplain; ID. Bowden
treasurer; w Persons, committee on mu.
sic; Mrs. j. Harmon, committee on pro-
gram.
Adjournment was then taken for din.
two persons sat down to the tables filled
with the good things of this life. 1t was
enjoyed by all and some one said they
ought to have had lunch so that it would
not take them so long to cat dinner.
The township unit system was then
taken up by J. E. Lawcock. Do we as
farmers want it. 1t is taking the power
out of our hands to control the schools
| and giving the power to some one else,
| but the taxes will come just the same. 1t
| would equaliZe the taxes OF small and
large districts, but the man five or six
miles from school would have to pay the
same taxes as the one who lived within
half a mile. Our present system is good
enough, and we are 10 blame for not max.
| ing them better by not visiting the schools
| and taking more interest in them than we
do. Will it he easier TO visit the school in
the center of the town than it is now?
G. Shipman thought our present system
| was good enough and the bad roads and
nclemency of the weather in this country
will make it impracticable to change
S. Anthony thought it would be rather
long ride for the little ones In winter
and would not favor the change.
Mrs. White thought the unit system
would be better by having the schools
graded as they are in cities and villages
| better teachers and better supervision of
| the schools.
w, II. White said we would be losing
something of vital importance to us by
making the change. We would be giving
away what the people of the old world
were trying to get. and that was home
rule. Russia has her nihilists, Germany
| her socialists, trying TO get voice IN the
affairs of government. France was bet
ter as a republic and England was still
better by having home rule and still
they wanted more. The unit school sys-
tenn and good roads system went hand In
hand to get the power from the people in
districts to town, then to the country and
then to the state. We would be losing
privileges which we do not know the value
of TIL we have lost them, and it would be
a hard matter TO get them back. The
consensus of opinion Of the club was that
we did not want to change.
A recitation, "Little Things for Jesus,
oy little four years old lilly Persons, was
well rendered +. Long had papar on
"In what way can we practice greater
economy on the farm?" He replied by
having a place for everything, and every
thing in its place. N more land sh ould
he cultivated than can be taken care Of
All grain should be fed into beef, pork OF
mutton. b. Augsburg said we should
have racks TO iced stock In, so ne not &c
waste. and have water for the cattle al
the time. j. Moore SAID he liked TO have
his tools all under cover, but his wife
would leave the hoe in The garden 10 ge
rusty.