Western Carolina Democrat and French Broad hustler. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1913-1915, 1915-09-23
mr.. EWBANK WRITES ABOUT
RECALL OF FARM DEMONSTRATOR.
DEPLoREs FACT THAT PREJU DICE AGAINST sc1ENT1FIe
FARMING OR THAT PoLITI os HAS STOPPED DEMON
sTRATIoN WORK, WHO HAS BROUGHT GOOD
RESULTS IT'S IMPORT ANcE TO THE COUNTY

Editor, Democrat:
1t has just been called to my atten-
ton that at recent meeting of the
board Of county commissioners tae
proposition of contributing a sum to-
ward the employment Of county
farm demonstrator had been discuss
ed, and that said sum had not been al
lowed which action, I am informed,
affected the termination Of the ser
vices of the demonstrator who has
been serving the county for the past
two years. / remember that the en-
ployment, two years ago, of demon
strator, was effected by the board of
county commissioners supplementing
a sum contributed by the government.
Last year when : the matter was
brought up for consideration by the
commissioners this sum was not al
lowed. The amount was later raised
by public spirited people throughout
the county, and the demonstrator was
retained for the year. I learn now
that this latter method of supplement-
ing the government allowance has
been disapproved on the ground that
any community not sufficiently inter
ested in the matter to contribute the
necessary amount, which is indeed
small. in such a manner as that the
payment of the same shall fall on the
whole population rather than on a.
few, should not receive the assistance
of the government. INthink this posi-
ton is correct, though / am very sorry.
that Henderson county citizens should
take so little interest as to allow such
Q decision to be rendered where they
are concerned. AS 1 have heard it,
there are several reasons for the fail
ure of the board of commissioners to
allow this sum. Politics" has been
the most generally mentioned. There
are also a good many who contend
that the reason is that we want
Home" man and a. man raised on
farm. Inferring that the present
demonstrators is unsuitable on account
Of -ieing.za stranger and not having
bean raised on a farm. There are also
many who think the cost is not justi.
fed by the results. Some object to
the mani!
It is a sad plight if the county in
terests are pitched from pillow to post
as the ball with which the game of
politics" is played. If this is so it is
time that the people take the ball from
the players or a new nine selected
who will play the game fair. t.
Home" man idea is "bosh." If %
useful and profitable if we had a
Home" man for the job, then it shows
beyond belief what a narrow, SELF
centered, egotistical, cliquish buncE u.
folks we are, that we are unwilli' -
go beyond our boundary line to
ploy brains and experience which we
can not furnish at home. I don't be-
lieve many people feel this way about
the matter. l say this because as far as
/ can learn we have no man, native to
or living in Henderson county, who
would be accepted by the govern
ment as farm demonstration And for
my part, have faith enough in the
agricultural branch of the govern
ment to believe that when they in
form us that we have no man in our
county who is we'll enough posted tn
fill the requirements for farm demon
strator We had. better accept that as
fact until we do have a man that can
stand the examination and prove that
he is capable of holding the position
1 have not been over the county or
talked with enough people to say
whether or not the results so far have
been good or worth the outlay, meas
ured by the standard of visible re-
suits, but 1 am convinced that from
what I have. heard from various peo-
pie in the county that judging from
visible results plus very small al
lowance for results we can not trace.
the work has been very successful
taking all things into consideration
1t must be remembered that the best
results are those that show the least
many times, and there are many
things that demonstration work will
do indirectly and those results multi
ply until you will find in a county re
suits of demonstration where the di-
rect influence has been many times
removed. 1t is not always possible tn
get tangible results and. the growth
and prosperity and the general wei.
fare Of community must often be
the judge as to whether the expendi-