The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1916-05-19
ST. FRANCOIS COUNTY
FAR A Bureau
BERT L. FRANCE
Farm Adviser
County to that effect.


We are also wondering if these
men who are circulating these petit
tions believe that they will reduce the
taxes of the farmer, by eliminating
either the Office of County Agent or
that of Highway Engineer. Do they
now that the funds of these offices
come from the apportionment for
county officers, and that this levy was
The same before these officers were
started and will always be the same
after they are abolished?
The levy for county officers will
probably always remain at the same
figure as it is now, and when we con-
slider that of all the county officers
the Highway Engineer and the Coun-
ty Agent are the only two who are
continually rendering them a service
then it would seem that they would
be anxious to get all the benefit pos
sible from the money being expended
from the fund for county officials.
If this petition had originated with
any other class than that of the farm
ers, it would not have been so out of
place. But to think that there are
some farmers so ignorant as not to
take advantage of opportunities of
fered them, then we begin to wonder
if they really do want to do better
No doubt some interesting things
will develop in connection with thi'
petition. We will have occasion after
it is presented to the County Court
to publish in the county papers the
accomplishments of the Farm Bureau
during the past year. We will ther
devote some space to the source of
funds for the purpose, emphasizing
particularly the fact that it is onl'
costing the average farmer about IL
annually, and for this expenditure of
12c they are having spent in the
own county for their own benefit and
welfare $1,000 or about 81 each from
state and national funds. We wiz
then follow this statement with thu
petition presented to he Couny Cour'
and a careful analysis of the name
appearing thereon, ascertaining the
number Of taxpayers, the amount of
taxes they pay, their part in the
County Agent work, and other things
which will be of interest. We believe
that the people of the county deserve
to know these facts, and we are go
ing to make an effort to explain thr
whole thing carefully, not because we
are afraid that these men will &C.
complish their purpose, but in order
that the work of the County Farm
Bureau may have the good wishes Of
the people Of this county and to the
end that it will become stronger anC
stronger, and that its influence will
be felt by every person. This car
be easily done if we can have little
boosting and less knocking.
"When the Creator had made al
good things, He still had some dirty
work to do, so He made the beasts
and reptiles and poisonous insects
and when He had finished He haC
some pieces that were too bad to put
in the rattle-snake, the hyena, the
scorpion and the skunk. These He
put together in a bundle, wrapped il
with suspicion, covered it with jeal.
ousy, marked it with a yellow streak
and called it knocker This product
twas so fearful to contemplate, that
He had to male something to coun-
teract it. So He took sunbeam, put
it in the heart of child, and the brair
of man, gave it mask of velvet
and a grasp of steel, covered it with
brotherly love, wrapped it with civic
pride. and called it boosters lover
of fields and flowers and manly sports
a believer in equality and justice, ant
ever since these two were, morta
man has had the privilege of choosing
his associates"