The Robesonian. [volume] (Lumberton, N.C.) 1870-current, 1910-08-04
FARMERS UNION DEPART.
MENT.
THE RECENT STATE MEET
INGOF THE FARMERS UNI
ION.
Edited by NJ G. Mckenzie and w. P.
Barker.

of the State Farmers Education
al and Cooperative Union as
your representative fromRobeson
county feel called upon to tell
you a few of the things that
we're done.
The delegates that were in
attendance from the county
were Messers. Giles Robson
of Rowland, Jim Prevatt Of
Raft Swamp, Bass of Marietta
and myself.
Tuesday, July 26, at ID a. M,
the meeting was open to the
public with an address of
welcome by Mayor Pro Tenn.
Jos. G. Brown, response by JIM.
Kestler ofCleveland county. Then
followed an address by JIM. Tenn
pleton of Wake county, State
vice president; address by Major
w. A. Graham, Corporation
Commissioner. At 8p. m. there
were addresses byDr.J. Y. Joyner,
State Superintendent of Public
instruction, and Secretary of
State J. Bryan Grimes.
The sessions were held at the
A.and M. College, Raleigh, and
were considered the most impor-
tant in the history of the organi-
cation. About 800 delegates and
several hundred others attended.
A program of interest was CARR
ed out which means much to the
organization and the agriculture
al interests of the State. Stats
tics show that the North Car
DINA Division of the Farmers
Educational and Co operative
Union of America has had a
remarkable growth since the
first State meeting in Charlotte
in April, 1908. State Organizer
and Lecturer j. z. Greene. of
Union county, signed up the
Union as follows: The State
organization Of the Farmers I'm
ion is a little over two years old.
There are now about 1900 local
unions in IS counties. The North
Carolina Division of the Union
has an aggregate membership of
about 35, 900. Surry and Stokes
counties each has over 1000
members. The other counties
have from 200 to 1,50O. The
largest local union in the State is
in Yadkin ounty. 1t has Isl
members"
TIE ls ,alswill he furnishedwitf
the proceedings of the State meet.
ing.
w. P Barker.
With the above Mr.. Barker en-.
closed the following, which is evil
IDENTIFY partial report of some
report or speech (he neglected to
state what or to mention the pa
per from which it was clipped:
Compared with other kindred
organizations the Farmers Union
is moving slowly. If it succeeds
in becoming the gre; t and potent
influence hat is to uplift and
transformrural life conditions,
it must stay within the bounds Of
conservatism. The most notice a ole
change in the manner of an audi
ence made up of Farmers Unior
members is their quiet attitude
Spell-binders do not sweep then
off their feet as in former years
With the establishment of rura
mail service farmers are reading
more and are thinking for them
selves. Many of them take daily
papers and quite a number OF
them read leading magazines, ant
since they have put their head
to work, oratory does not SWEEP
them off their feet as it once did
While there are many ways il
which local and countyUnions ar
cooperating to secure direct tan
gible benefits, probably the great
est benefits are those that com
through the educational influenc
Of the organization. tits also dev
clipping a better socialrelationshi
between farmers, which is great
iy needed and we must have
our brightest boys and girl
remain on the farm. The rura
mail delivery and rural telephon
sare helping to remove the isols
ton of countrylife, but there mus
be some plan of getting togethe
in a social way, and the local U1
ion is an important agency
bring this desired result. All owe
the State the summer Union pit
MICS have already begun and tt
State officials can scarcely supp
the demand for lecturers. Unic
County Farmers Union is arranl