Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1910-12-17
$4,000 VELVET.

The pes Moines commercial club.
thru a committee is urging support for
a demand to oe made on the Legislature
to appropriate $4,000 for the purpose
Of holding short courses in Iowa. The
chairman of the committee who IS con-
nected with a farm paper published in
Des Moines says the scheme Is APPROX
ed by prominent legislators. prominent
agricuIturalists and thousands Of far
mers with whom he has come into con-
nection. 1t would. he asserts. be of
great value 10 Iowa and indirectly 10
Des Moines''
There will be TO argument over the
value Of the ea-fiicrs short courses.
They are of large value as educative
and social influences and as mediums
of interchange of opinion and exper-
fence between farmers Marshall county
has held several of them and Will hold
more because they are valuable and
worth the money they cost. Outside of
some salutary effort the cost of the
short courses has not been onerous TO
the Marshall county farmers and others
who have paid for and proited thereby.
And this brings up the question why
should the state pay for farmers snort
courses in Iowa? The farms are high
" pros porous; the farm money in the
banks is a golden food; the community
which desires a short course in Iowa
can have it and pay for il without
hardship. In fact We're The good far
mers of the state to be polled Il seems
them are ready TO ask the state 70 pay
for their snort courses.
The good roads appropriation was
cut to $50 county The most advo-
Gates of appropriations for good roads
had nerve to ask the Legislature was
$4,000 And yet the question OF good
roads intimately and Immediately af-
feets ;i;re GU, oe ten Iomsns. So of
course does agriculture. but the diff
ference between county institutes and
short courses paid for at the rate Of
$1,000 a county and $50 for highways
is pretty we'll manifest, both in scope
and cost.
1t is time we fell away for the theory
and its pernicious practice that money
obtained by hook or crook from the
state treasury is plain velvet Over
in Illinois county fair may draw state
aid up to s17OO under conditions. Here
in Iowa the county fairs got about 1925.
Now in Iowa as in Illinois the county
fair which can not survive and cover its
expenses under good mana cement
ought to die and get out Of the road Of
somebody who can run. The Iowa pay
ment to fairs is a stimulanr. first aid
to small beginnings. Nobody will OBJ
iect to it, but approve it. But there is
no reason why the state should make
l1p deficits which are the result OF lazi-
ness and bad management. Every Iowa
county can have its short course-if il
desires-without appealing to the state
for a thousand dollars, OF practically
the cost of the course. II it can not il
should be helped and the fact would
thus fix it's status in comparison witt
other and more progressive counties
There is something about appropriat-
ing $4,000 for short courses which vii
not appeal to the thousands Of mel
who work for 81 day and pay taxe
on 81. 900 to $500 homes. He will Yer.
naturally wonder why those who di
rectly profit by and are entirely able t
nay for the courses, the farmers, mer
chants. and dealers. should ask him t
assist in carrying it.