The Fargo forum and daily republican., 1912-08-10
Why n. D.
Won CUP
Sen. Wesley Mcdowell Tells
Of Big Meeting
Remarkable Showing Made by
North Dakota

North Dakota can well be proud OF
winning that cup" said Sen. Wesley
Mcdowell, regarding the cup won at
the bankers and educators confer
ence in st. Paul this week, as an
nounced in The Forum last evening.
THE state made a remarkable
showing" continued Mr.. Mcdowell.
There were twenty-five states COM
peting but the most active competi-
tors were Minnesota, Illinois, Indiana,
Kansas and Nebraska.
'P. A. Pickett Of Leal, presented the
argument for North Dakota, using q
system of charts and his showing was
so good l would like the people of the
state to hear something about 1t
through the columns of The Forum.
"Cf course the biggest single show
ing made by the state was the great
work Of the Better Farming associa-
ton. Mr.. Pickett showed how the
business men Of the entire state had
united in backing the movement and
how it had the active support Of the
bankers. ... ....
Then Mr.. Pickett proved that North
Dakota has some of the best laws In
the United States for the develop
ment of practical education. He men,
toned the law which compels the
teaching Of agriculture. Another law
makes teaching of agriculture in the
normal schools a necessity, and there
were other laws mentioned to show
that the state realized that it's most
important asset is agriculture and
that 1t is training its boys along lines
which will make them really useful
citizens.
He made a strong showing for
the great work that the agricultural
college Is doing, telling Of the special
farm trains that have been run, the
institute schools that have been held
and showed that 1t was the only state
in the union where the citizens vol
unfairly went down In their pockets
and paid for better farming training.
"The Better Farming association now
has twenty-five men in the field and Is
organized in fourteen counties. Mr..
Pickett especially emphasized the
bringing of the eighty-nine boys for
an encampment at the state fair, and
showed what interest and enthusiasm
this aroused throughout the state.
He spoke of the rural aid for
school laws, which encourages the
country schools to take up agricul-
tural education, told of the five agri-
cultural high schools of the state,
drawing $500 apiece from the state
for teaching, maintaining separate
department OF agriculture, told Of the
COT1 CODIGSLS ldSL year III WHICH 1gOUV
boys were entered and OF the prizes
for corn growing given by the banks,
notable the $1,000 prize given by the
First National bank of Fargo.
Another thing which he mention-
ed was the giving of three scholar
ships to the A. G. by the Third Judi
cial District Banking association, In
cluding Cass, Trail and Steele coun-
ties.
"The North Dakota Bankers asso-
citation distributed $4,000 bulletins re-
garding good plowing and 10000 bulle-
tins regarding rotation of crops last
year.
"A somewhat amusing incident
came up when Minnesota laid great
stress on the number OF consolidated
schools in that state. The statement
was made that in the eleven years
| prior to last year only nine consogi-
dated schools were organized and that
| now the state has sixty schools. This
seemed like good showing until Mr..
Pickett showed that North Dakota
has ninety six consolidated schools, all
organized in the past few years.
"It made the North Dakota delega-
ton feel like doing some yelling. when
| it was announced that this state was
the winner. taking into consideration
that the population of the entire state
is only a little more tina that of the
twin cities in Minnesota
"Tfle judges were President Sander
son of the West Virginia Agricultural
college, President Soule Of the Georgia
| Agricultural college, and Mr.. Wood
side of South Carolina !"