Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1916-12-15
FARM BUREAU
N COMM ERC|AL
CLUB ASSURED
Eighty-four Farmers Sign
for Membership at the
Close of Meeting
COUNTY AGENT PLAN
WILL BE TRIED HERE

The open meeting for farmers held
Tuesday by the Commercial club was
a success beyond the dreams of the
county agent committee and Secretary
Weidenfeller, in whose hands the
project was placed. The creation Of
farm bureau as a part Of the club,
making the organization in reality a
community center in which the rural
and urban members cooperate for the
good of the community is now assured
The best evidence of this lies in the
fact that the signatures of no less
than efghty-four, men from the country
were signed to application blanks
and furthermore these men were en-
thusiastic. Many of the newly signed
took application blanks with them
when they left the club in the middle
of the afternoon. They started out to
gather in many other farmers from
their own neighborhoods in order to
get all the rural citizens possible into
the organization.
The gospel of community interest
and cooperation, the county improve
ment and community development as
preached by ]. w. Coverdale, state
leader of the county agent movement
in Iowa, was listened to with close at
tention and deep interest. That it
pleased his hearers was proven by the
fact that practically all Of them sign
ed application blanks.
Meeting is Prolonged.
Although the speaking started at
the close OF luncheon served at
noon, the afternoon was half gone be-
fore the meeting broke up and the
various persons present had all left
Before they left they were gathered
about in groups discussing the talk
and what farm bureau in connection
with the Commercial club can do for
the community. Nearly every town.
ship in the county was represented
and some by large delegations. 1t is
assured that no corner of the county
will be left uncombed for members If
the enthusiasm manifest by those
present continues.
The movement that eliminated in
the successful meeting of Tuesday
has been under way for long time
The plans were handled carefully in
order that they should carry through
when launched. Secretary Weidenfel-
Ter wrote State Leader Coverdale re.
,garding the project before it was
launched and asked the latter to come
here for an address to the farmers at |
a luncheon at which 1t was hoped to |
get forty or fifty representatives of |
the rural districts to attend
When the committee got busy large |
number of letters were sent out to
the farmers inviting them to attend |
and the results were most pleasing to
the committee. The regular Tuesday
meeting of the directors was turned in
to an open meeting and luncheon for
the farmers of the county and over 1901
persons were present, the overwhelm-
ing number being men from the coun-
try.
Short Talks Are Made.
Following the address of Mr.. Cover
dale, short talks were made by l.. r.
Clausen of the county agent commit
tee and by several farmers present, in
Guiding George w. Dickins, D. w.
Johnson, w. A. c. Brown and w. g.
Arnold All of the talks showed en-
thusiasm for the movement and when
the application blanks were passed
among the audience more than half
farm bureau was reached.
The plan included getting 100 farmer
members Of the club and creating a
farm bureau as part of the clubs or
ganization. The memberships are $40
and with the amount thus realized and
the $1,000 to be received from the gov
eminent. "a fund would be established
that would insure the carrying out of
the county agent plan.
The committee and the club gener-
ally does not limit the size of the farm
bureau to 100. but expect to make it
reach several hundred until 1t
axes in practically all of the farm
ers of the county and thus make the
community club in
stead of purely city organization.
Uroe Farmers to Join Club. II
Mr. Coverdale dwelt upon the propo-
sition of the Commercial club strongly
urging the farmers to ally themselves I
with the organization and thus start
out as bigger and stronger body than
II they started independently He ad {
vised county wide organization and {
explained the proposition of the Com {
nercial club to he farm bureau I
within the club but In all respects a {
'armers' organization which is to have {
is own officers consisting of presi-
lent. secretary and treasurer and nine I
directors No two directors shall I
,ome from any one township and as f
ar as possible the board will be made g
10 of men that specialize in various
of farming
Each director will be chairman of
hat branch Of agriculture in which he
pecializes such as truck crops. or =
hard men. dairying, farm crops.
Iorse, beef, sheep or hog raisers. etc |
The county agent will take up these .
arious branches with the respective d
hairmen and when the agent is not a a
pecialist in that particular class of
arming, he will bring in an expert to 5
meet the conditions that arise with I
rhich he may not be familiar. !.
Is Not Dictator.
The fear in the minds of some farm o
RS that the county agent would be d
L