Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1915-12-10
AGRICULTURAL EXTENSION WORK.

At the meeting of the Police Jury
on Tuesday the matter of appropri'
ating the sum of 100000 to equal.
ize a similar amount paid by the
United States Department of Agri.
culture to Mr.. S. C.. Vance as repre-.
sentative of that Department in
Madison and Tensas parishes was
fully discussed and the Police Jury
decided that they were unable to
make this appropriation, which will
mean that Mr.. Vance will he with.
drawn from this territory next yeal
unless the Board reconsiders its
action.
The Gazette does not wish to crit
icise the action of the Board i'm re-
fusing to make the appropriation
necessary for the retention of Mr.
Vance, as we are fully appreciative
of the many duties and responsible
tiles devolving on that body and the
limited funds at its disposal. Yet
we regret that such action has be-
come necessary. Mr.. Vance has
rendered invaluable service to our
people during the epidemics of hog
cholera and Charlton that have
swept over our parish this year, and
even this week we understand he
has been busy in the lower end of
the parish vaccinating hogs that
have been suffering from cholera.
His services to stock raisers in this
particular alone have been worth
several times more than he has re-
ceived from the parish and in adj
dition he has rendered great aid to
our people along agricultural lines.
Mr.. Mason Snowden, chief of the
Agricultural Department for this
State, appeared before the Board
and urged an appropriation for the
continuance of this work, and was
greatly disappointed that same
could not he made. At the request
of the Gazette, Mr.. Snowden gave
out the following statement:
l regret exceedingly the failure of the
Police Jury to make the appropriation of
six hundred dollars to continue the SER
vice of Parish Demonstration Agent
Vance for 1916. The Farm Demonstra-
ton Work offers to pat up dollar for
dollar with the parishes OF East Carol,
Madison and Tensas to provide the neces-
sary funds for the employment of Agents
Vance and Watson who divide the terri
tory between them. The agents give
their entire time in the service OF the
farmers in their territories, and the Farm
Demonstration Work pays one-half the
bill. Surely good proposition for any
parish.
The failure of the Police Jury to ap-
propriate will mean the withdrawal of
the parish agent from Tensas Under
the cooperative arrangement between the
Extension Department of the State Uni
versity and the United States Depart
ment of Agriculture, the whole agricul
tural work of this department focuses in
the parish agent. A very large part of
the work of the specialist in all lines is
done through and in cooperation with
the parish agent. The follow up work of
the parish agent is necessary to the sue
cess of each specialists demonstrations.
There are (about) SO parishes appropri-
ating (about) 100000 to cooperate
with the Farm Demonstration Work in
the employment of parish agents. In all
justice these parishes must be given the
preference in all lines Of agricultural
work undertaken 10y the Extension De-
partment. Thus the loss OF the parish
agent in Tensas means in large measure
the withdrawal of all lines of agricultural
Extension Service.
When you think of the value of Agent
Vance's services in the development of
a better system or systems of farming, in
the encouragement OF the raising OF more
and better live stock, in the controlling
Of hog cholera and Charlton by serum
and sanitation, and i'm building up the
Fri Parish Fair. it does look as though
the action OF the Police Jury was penny
wise and pound foolish"