Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1907-04-17
Manchester Gets the Short Course.

Your committee having in charge
the effort of Del. Co. to secure a
Short Course date and incidentally
to assist before the committees on
appropriation in House and Senate
at Des Moines and securing provi-
sion for the extension work Of Ames,
have to report that the bill setting
aside $4,000 for such work has
after much tossing about on the sea
of dissension become law. This
will enable the faculty to furnish us
the necessary teachers and assist
ants in the work and practically
makes it possible to complete the
arrangements for the short course at
Manchester some time the coming
winter. We were promised the
first place on the list Of the added
courses and that some Of the Ames
management will meet our people
here at some future date to plan
with us for the details of the school.
The Ames contingent expressed
themselves as very much prejudiced
in our favor on account (they sadly
Of the earnest work done by the
Delaware county delegation before
the legislative committees and the
splendid assistance Of our legisla-
tors, Senator Durham and Repre-
sentative Bixby. This added to
their personal knowledge of our en-
thusiastic seeking after agricultural
Improvements in our Farmers In
stitute has so won their favor that
they have sent the word to Delaware
county that it will give them great
pleasure to help us in all ways with
in their power. So next winter we
are expecting a corps of seventeen
specialists from Ames to duplicate
the short course as held there and
by hard work and the earnest as
sistance Of every one we hope to
make it one of the star sessions Of
the state.
AS to the four agricultural high
schools, one Of which we hoped to
get located either here or accessibly
near. In spite of the very earnest
work done by our own and other
Legislators in behalf of these schools
and of the eloquent and forceful
presentation of arguments in their
favor by delegates from other parts
of the state, including the splendid
addresses Of Carrothers and Robin
son, the bill was defeated in the
House by few votes. The Regis
ter and Leader has it by 3 votes.
So we have apparently witnessed
the small envy Of Cedar Rapids,
Linn county, whose representatives
voted against the schools and de-
feated the bill when their amend
ment locating one of them at Cedar
Rapids was voted down.
We protest that Delaware county
would have shown more magnanim-
ity in so good a cause and it was
good cause and there is crying need
Tor these schools. The business
men all over the state are as en-
thusiastic for tile schools and are
as willing to pay the small tax Of
one tenth mill (only about 25 cents
per 100 acres) needed to establish
them as the farmers themselves, for
they know that Judging from the
results Of Holden's Corn Gospel and
the general teaching Of Ames that
every dollar put into these schools
will return a hundred fold in added
wealth to Iowa every year and they
always get their share Of the agri-
cultural prosperity.
1t is fact that il the business
men of Iowa had the say we should
get these schools at once and for the
asking. We are expecting or hop
ing that elementary agriculture may
be taught in the common schools
and the farm children thus form an
early liking for the mysteries in
their vocation and a growing appe-
tite for the fullest agricultural
knowledge. But without these
schools there is no practical means
of giving our teachers this knowl-
edge that they may teach it. Ames
begins too high up and out of reach