East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1913-07-16
AUSTRIAN PLAN
HELPS FARMERS
AGRICULTURAL ASSOCIATION
AIDS TILLERS GREATLY
Details Of the Plan are Explained to
the American Commission on Agri-
culture-United States Department
of Agriculture Might Find Many
Benefits i'm Method,


VIENNA, July 16-(Special)- BY
means Of semi-official status given
to the principal agricultural associ-
alton of the country the Austrian
farmers possess an organization which
maintains a constant and intimate
touch between themselves and the
Ministry OF Agriculture, Details OF
the Organization We're explained to the
members of the American Commission
on Agricultural Cooperation during
their stay here. and may of the Am
orleans believe that the United States
Department of Agriculture and the
American farmers might consider
benefits of this system.
The association which thus CON
meets the farmers directly with the
government is the Royal and Imperi-
al Agricultural Society of Vienna All
o. the local agricultural societies of
the small communities are affiliated
with the central society. Through a
system of general assemblies held for
members of the various affiliated So
cieties an executive committee is ell
ected to carry on the affairs of the
central society. The government is
given representation upon this COM
mittee and the society enjoys subsi-
dies for certain classes of work from
the government.
Although the plan of government
support and even of direct leadership
in agricultural affairs is as thoroughly
accepted in Austria as in other Euro
pean countries, this semi official soci-
ETY. carries on work which no Ameri-
can would consider without the pro-
vince of the Department of Agricul-
ture. Undoubtedly the strong repre-
sentation OF individual interests in the
society enables it to do its work with
greater freedom than would be pos
sible for a department of the govern
ment. For instance, this society
studies the question of cost of pro-
duction of agricultural products and
based upon this data makes direct
recommendations of a semi-official
character to the government regard
ing the tariff to be fixed upon agri-
cultural products. 1t protects the
rights of the farmers in legal matters,
and even works to secure him a fair
freight charge on shipments of his
produce to market
Work of this character could hardly
be carried on by department of the
government. At the same time the
society carries on experimental work
for the betterment of agricultural
methods and breeding of cattle, dis
tributes farm literature, furnishes ex-
pert advice to farmers and does many
other things which in the United
States are carried on directly by the
government. David Lubin, delegate
of the United States to the Information
al Institute of Agriculture at Rome
believes that through such society
the government can be kept inscloser
touch with work of the farmers than
it could be when it depends solely
upon department of the government.
Such an organization, he believes,
could be formed to serve as a con-
Meeting link between the government
and important agricultural societies
which directly represent the indi-
vidual farmer. 1t would prove, he
believes a great force in the propa-
gandist work necessary to spread CO.
operation among American agricul-
turists.