Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-12-18

mortgages or other obligations; other
wise the field for speculation will be
clencd and more harm may result
than good.
IF direct federal aid is 10 be eX-
pended for good roads. i. should be
doas only under such conditions as
viii guarantee a dollars results for
every dollar Of expenditure. and as
has been stated. the emphasis should
be placed cn the community road. on
the necessity of Improvement in an
economical manner of the dirt roads
CT the country, particularly through the
cheaper forms of construction, such
as sand clay. gravel and earth. Leg
islation should provide for cooperate i
between the federal government and
the states. and that the state through
an expert highway commission should
be the lowest unit with which the
federal machinery should deal.
1T is the purpose of he department
with as little delay as possible, through
every proper medium to give the
knowledge which the department pos
sesses as the result Of investiga ions
end field work to all the people who
desire it or should have ii.
AS the result of careful survey,
the department reached the conclusion
tina, aside from the conveying OF in
formation by competent persons di-
rCCuy to farmers on their farms, the
most efficient medium for reaching the
farmers was the agricultural press
and tina next TO this. the most efficient
me 1iums were the daily aad weekly
newspapers which devoted space TO
agricultural matters. II was ascer-
tanned that these journals would glad
~ use material if it were furnished
% them in such form as 10 be readily
available. II seemed desirable to
have an Office OF information, which
C-Cli do this.
During the fiscal year 1914 the
stat CT the Office prepared and issued
I'm meCgraphed form to the agricul-
tural press and newspapers 542 sum
maries or condensed statements; OF
fac. In addition each week from 10
10 20 pages CT typewritten material
have been prepared specially and sup
piled to rural weekly papers. In
every case the summary was circu-
lated TO editors in the geographic or
agricultural territory TO which the in
formation WAS directly applicable. the
Office also cooperates with many edi.
tors, or their representatives. in the
preparation OF agricultural articles.
Blu. personal contact in this field OF
education. as in others. is essential.
The method Of demonstration by com
petent individuals has been justified
by its results and has been formally
sanctioned by congress in the recent
agricultural extension &C This
IN 1asure IS one OF the most striking
measures ever adopted by
any government II recognizes a new
class OF students-a class comDosed
OF men and women working az their 7.
daily tasks on the farm. This measure |
provides fer cooperation between the !
states and the federal government.
Providing for an initial appropriation /
or $4,000 10 each state. to be expend- I
ed through the Immigrant colleges in /
rooperaticn with the federal derart- .
ment Of agriculture. II stipulates that /
the amount shall increase by approx
mately a half million dollars from the |
federal treasury each year until 1921
p. and that each state accepting the !
sct shall appropriate an amount equal
10 the increase above $4,000. The re-