The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1901-01-17
INSTITUTE
Close of the Most Successful
Meeting Ever Held.

ASNA' @Ao mOCbnB hdo bCCu buO
most successful ever held and all who
have been in attendance express
themselves as well satisfied with the
annual SCHOOL, for such it is proving
to be. The more so as the older the
organization becomes. The repre-
sentation of the best farmers OF the
county has never before been so gem
eral andEthe feeling that prevailed
was the best that there has ever been
known. The topics discussed were
nearly all to the point and much
practical value has been carried away.
Some remarked Friday that there had
not been as many discussions upon
stock as was desired, and the answer
came that this was the year for other
subjects to.be talked about as stock
had ruledEin previous years.
The show in the contest for pre-
miums was better than ever before
and it will be observed that the dis
tribution of the premiums is as good
or better than it has ever been. go
The institute is growing AMI at
rapid gait. 1t has outgrown the Ma
haska county court room and it is
doubtful iflthe meeting will again be
held therein. Z True the court room
is convenient and the advantages are
not to be overlooked, but it was OBJ
served at 1.-THE several sessions that
the accommodations for those in at
tendance were not what would have
been possible had the room been
larger. 1t isipossible the next insti-
tute will be held in the Kalbach hall
where the seating capacity is greater.
FRIDAY AFTERNOON.
The closing session of the institute
was we'll attended and it proved to
be one of the best and most interest
ing sessions of the week.
The meeting was opened by some
music by the Braslin Choir of Beacon
and members of the same appeared
on the program of the afternoon at
frequent intervals.
The first paper of the afternoon
was Resolved that the scrub farm
or Is a necessary evil" There were
number of names listed to take
part in the debate or discussion as it
was intended to be, but ]. H. Will
holt, of Oskaloosa, was the only one
that was present. The gentleman
had no difficulty in occupying the
time allotted tot his theme. He took
the side of the scrub farmer and told
of his place and his work in the farm
ing community. He told how things
in general and particular pIeared to
I'VE in the hollow" The gentleman
is somewhat of an orator and he
stirred things up as they have not
been stirred during the other sessions
of the meeting. There was consider
able of wit and humor in his talk and
he was accorded frequent applause.
Some of the words of the speaker did
not meet with the entire sanction of
all in the meeting, but as the after
noon was limited President Taylor
ruled that the subject which had been
well handled would have to give
place to the closing topic.
"How can we reduce taxes and
court expenses?" This interesting
and important subject was handled
by ]. B. Bolton, of Oskaloosa, end he
gave a careful but hurried analysis
Of the subject He gave much valu-
able information during the course.
Told what made the taxes, whore
they came from and of the DISPOSE
ton of the funds. He told of the
state, county, township, school dis
trict and city taxes and showed where
in the court expenses were not 80
great as some of the others. He had
no remedy but economy. The gentle
man went after the schools and the
amount oflmoney spent on them in a
needless way. He made the state
ment that the schools of the city of
Oskaloosa'came within S12, 900 of cost
ing as much as all of the other schools
of the county put together. He cried
out against the fads and the top
knots" of the day and said cut them
out. They were unnecessary and
cost a lot of money. The country
school was best and he lauded the
statement of County Supt. Dodds to
the effect that there must be return
to some of the old methods and es-
pecially to the old fashioned spelling
school. The present school book law
again came in for an attack and the
gentleman advocated that the state
print the same. The talk of Mr..
Bolton was thorough from beginning
to end and will be considerably talked
about.
The meeting closed with the auc-
ton of the articles that were in the
show and things went at lively rate
under the hammer as welded by the
experienced hand of Col. J. IL. Will
lis. The total amount of the sales
was SIS, which is about five or elk
dollars in Eexcess of what was OBJ
tanned for the articles last year.
The treasurer of the association
was at the farmers club room today
settling premiums and will be there
again next week for the same pur-
pose.
NOTES AND COMMENTS.