Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1915-10-08
CITY OFFICIAL PAPER
FARM EXPERT COSTS NOTHING EXTRA.

Further investigation of the farm expert situa-
ton this week developed this fact whether Thurs
ton county has a county agriculturist next year
or not, your taxes will be just the same.
The budget is fixed, as told elsewhere in this
ISSUE the amount allowed for current expenses,
the fund from which the agent was paid this year
and will be paid next year. is specified, and the
tax levy has been adopted. If an agricuturst is
employed the eighteen hundred dollars the county
pays him will come out of the current expense
fund if he is not employed, it is pretty safe bet
that the money will be spent for something else.
Whatever happens, your tax levy is fixed; you
will have to pay certain amount whether there
is agriculturst or not why not see to it, then,
that this eighteen hundred dollar portion of the
current expense fund is used in this constructive
work?
If it were an item by itself in the budget,
whereby it's elimination would affect the total and
therefore the tax levy, the employment of a
county agent next year would cost the average
Thurston county farm from four-and-a-half to six
cents, as we said two weeks ago; but the situa-
ton really is, with the budget determined, the
current expense fund specified and the tax levy
fixed, the employment Of an agriculturist will not
mean the addition of solitary cent to your taxes
next year. The man who tells you it will, the man
who goes ranting around about what the farm
agent is costing the county, is actually ignorant
Of the real situation; he doesn't know what he s
talking about.
The opposition to the county agent plan which is
based upon such high tax holler therefore falls
of its own weight. ssThere amt no sech thing =
You will pay just as much taxes next year whether
you have county agriculturist not; if an agri-
culturist is employed, the work started this year
can be carried to more efficient and satisfactory
development, we will be building for the future in
this county, and the immediate future too, in the
way most essential for the betterment of this
county, its agricultural development, combining
the twin factors of production and marketing. We
will be doing constructive work-even most Of
the opponents of the plan admit that, providing it
were carried on satisfactorily to them personally
land we will be doing it without its adding one
cent to our taxes
So if you have signed one Of the opposition petit
tons under the misrepresentation that its success
would mean reduction in your taxes, take your
name off before the petition is presented at the
commissioners meeting next Monday. Then go
to the commissioners and tell them frankly and
honestly, without any bitterness, mud-slinging or
prejudice, whatever objections you may have -
the methods used in the work SO far this year,
point out what you think have been Mistakes sug-
gest ways in which the work can be improved, and
tell them you want it carried on another year..
That is the way to 60 about this proposition.
If limb on one of the trees in your orchard is
diseased you cut out that limb, you don't chop
down the whole tree. So let it be with this farm
agent question if there is something wrong, some
thing improperly done see to it that that particu
lar thing is fixed, but don't kill the whole propo-
sition for some such fault That would be non
sensical.
And don't forget this: if you want an agricul-
turist next year you can have him without adding
single solitary cent to your taxes; if You DON
want him You will pay just as much taxes anyhow.
Is there any doubt, then, when you get right down
to ''brass tacks which is the proper thing to do,
having in mind not only your own personal good
but that of the entire county as we'll?