The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1914-09-05

Forum Presents Some
Facts Regarding the .
Alleged A. c. Middle

| to be expended through the expert
ment station and the law provided that
| the extension work should consist OIL
the giving of instruction and practical
demonstrations in agriculture and
home economics to persons not in at
demonstrations. I
Now-in order for North Dakota to
avail itself Of this money-it was neo-
essary that the state should have ex-
actly the machinery that was already
| in operation In North Dakota-the or
ganization known as the Better Farm
| ing association. Every state In the
union that is planning to take advant-
age of the Lever appropriations. Is
planning to copy the scheme of county
agents, originated in North Dakota by
the Better Farming association.
What a ridiculous thing 1t would
have been if the trustees had dupH-
Gated the force that was already in
the field in this state.
But because the trustees took over
this organization, 1t is charged with
turning the affairs of the institution
over to big business"
That $4,000 "Debt."
Regarding the charge that the trus-
tees assumed debt of $4,000:
The Better Farming association had
an agreement with the various coun-
ties of the state to carry on the work
for 1914. Consequently when the board
of trustees took over this work they
also took over ethe agreement to car
| ry on the county work, which meant
that they, in cooperation with the
counties. assumed the expenses and
salaries of the men.
1t was like taking over any other go
| ing business, if a man bought a store
he would naturally expect to pay the
salaries Of his clerks.
To offset this agreement the Bet
ter Farming association agrees 70 turn
over to the board its agreement with
the department of agriculture, which
provided for $1,000 annually, and a
cash balance of not less than $1,000,
additional.
AS a matter of fact although the
Better Farming association agreed to
turn over only $4,000 cash it showed
how big the men back Of 1t were by
turning over a total balance of $12,-
09S. These men who had already
backed the Better Farming associa-
tion to the tune of thousands Of dol
lars out of their own pockets, gave
| the state of North Dakota $1,000 more
than they were required to do.
AS a consequence up to the present
thine the work has been carried on at
practically no extra cost to the state.
And now comes the Lever appropria- :
ton so that the work from now on will
be practically SELF sustaining
The Forum has told the story of the
Better Farming association before and
the people of North Dakota generally
are familiar with 1t, but for the sake
of newcomers The Forum will make
this statement:
The Better Farming association was
organized by business men Of North.
Dakota and Minnesota. These men
went down into their own pockets and
raised q fund, of almost If not quite,
$4,000. They asked the cooperation
of each county in North Dakota and
guaranteed to duplicate any sum that
the county would raise to put a prac-
tical farm expert in that county to go
from farm to farm and show the farm
ers just what had been learned in the
long years of experimentation at the
agricultural colleges and experiment
stations.
The work was an Immediate and
Tremendous success. Dozens of counties
in North Dakota took up the work.
The county commissioners, generally
that they believed In this work by
providing funds from the county to
carry on the work.
Since that time practically every
state in the union has taken up this
work. Everywhere the North Dakota
idea has caught on and everywhere it
is recognized as the solution Of the
better farming movement. {
And now the man VINO originated
this great plan and who took the risk
of carrying it through the experimental
stages by putting up the funds out Of
their own pockets, are denounced as
yhn
trying to get control of the states
institutions. And how have they gone
about getting this control? BY turning
over the absolute control OF their
organization into the hands OF the
trustees of the agricultural college.
The board of trustees separated the
work of the North Dakota Experiment
station and the agricultural college be-
cause they believed 1t was the best
thing to do, in view Of the greatly
| enlarged scope Of the work of the ex-
pertinent station, under the Lever ap-
preparation. The trustees have been
absolutely unanimous in this move,
and the law specifically states that
they have absolute control over both
institutions. =.
AS to the charge that the board was
trying to Dust Dr. Ladd, Professor
Bolley or President Worst, these
cDdTS6S are TlulCuIouSs IL Lllc DOdTQ
wishes to remove any of these men it
lhas full authority. There have been
/ efforts to get at least Ladd ousted as
The Forum has stated, by outside peo-
| ple but the trustees have made the
statement that they are not attempt
ling to oust any person.
The Forum refrained from answer
| ing these ridiculous charges until it
could lay before the people of the state
the full and complete facts