Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1915-09-17
CITY OFFICIAL PAPER
A SLAP AT THE GRANGE.

Simmering down this attack County Agent
o. c. Van Houten there is only one thing back of
it all-Ase Rowe is at the Thurston County
Pomona Grange because the prominent Changers
were leaders in the Nom Partisan movement last
fall that unseated two of Rowe's colleagues and,
seeing this chance to take slap at the Grange,
Rowe has so far been smooth enough to get by
with it. It's ease of sour grapes, pure and
simple, brilliant example of peanut politics as it
is sometimes played in Thurtson county.
The Grange was one of the most active forces
in the movement which resulted in the establish
ment of the Thurston County Farm Bureau and
the employment of county farm expert, and,
being such leader, naturally took hold of the
work after the agent was appointed and in every
way possible has assisted him during this first
year of his labOrs in the county. 1t so happened
that the leading spirits in the Grange also
strong in their dislike Of the methods used in the
management of county affairs in the past and
were active in the campaign which resulted in the
defeat of Rowes two associates on the former
board of commissioners.
When it came to providing money in the county
budget next year for the county farm expert,
Rowe saw his chance to ''get even" and in ways
two commissioners, who certainly should have had
better judgment. In justice to them, however, let
it be said that, though apparently bulldozed by
Rowe in the first instance, Dodge and LittlejOhn
are in that temper of mind where they are open to
persuasion and conviction. They certainly
should be.
As an excuse for eliminating the item in sup
port of the county agent from the budget it is
given out for the commissioners that they had re-
ceived no reports as to whether the first year s
work had been satisfactory or not whether the
farmers of the county wanted it continued Of
all the excuses that might be advanced this is the
fmsiest. The commissioners had given no ndca-
ton whatever that they proposed to discontinue
this work even questioned it, had not suggest
ed by the faintest word that they doubted it's
advisability or whether proper returns were had
for the amount spent, and therefore had not given
the people of the city and county the slightest
opportunity to express their opinion it. 1t
would seem that they could have at least done
that
The work of the county agent should not be
stopped after such a short trial, particularly to
satisfy the desire of man for revenge polit-
zeal enemies The future of this county depends
on its agricultural development. AS the Tenno
journal, incensed the action of the commits
sioners, puts it: ''The employing of county
farm agent is one Of the best investments which
the commissioners can make. 1t will not be many
years before the lumber industry of this county
will be thing of the past, then agriculture will
be the available resource. A practical man en-
ployed now will save the farmers of this county
years Of experiment in finding the best methods
by which farming can be made to pay
The point there made should be obvious as
to need no argument whatever
We are heartily in favor of the county agent
plan and always have been, and we believe, too
that every wide-awake, progressive farmer in the
county-the farmer who is helping the county
push ahead in an agricultural way and the only
farmer who is worthy of consideration-is anxious
for the work to be continued, not chopped of
without warning before it has hardly begun TIC
the retort that it means more taxes, will merely
reply that Thurston county could much better
spend the eighteen hundred dollars the county
agent costs than to cut that item out and tack on
ten or twelve thousand dollars for roads and
brdges-there. with the expenditures already
running $1O52 $50 and proposal that they be in
creased to $1160 900 is where the budget should be
cut, if it is to be pruned at all. In comparison
$1,000 is insignificant.
If the friends of the county agent plan, the
farmers who have benefited by it so far this year