New Ulm review., 1917-12-26
d E l r.
COUNTY AGENT is
not MUCH WANTED
NIcoLLET co. FARMERS NOT
SATISFIED WITH THE
RESULTS
OTHERS FEEL SURE PLAN
IS EXCELLENT.-HEATED
.s DEBATE

dC CQ6 ul6cClllS uclu az CuC OlCCpy A1yC
Auditorium for the purpose of discussing
the feasibility and advisability Of organ
izing Farm Bureau for Brown County,
decided by vote Of 40 to 80 to decline
the proposition, efforts are under way
to make such Farm Bureau a reality.
This all came after meeting lasting a
couple of hours and which was marked
by more or less acrimony. It even
went so far that the lie was passed be-
Z, tween two Of the speakers.
The meeting at Sleepy Eye was called
by the County Commissioners Of Brown
County to determine the sentiment of
the business men and farmers with
reference to the employment of County
Agent. The National Security and De-
fense Organization has secured from the
Federal Government an appropriation
of $11,0OO,OOO which is to be spent for
the purpose of stimulating agricultural
production. It is the intention of this
organization to pay to each County
organizing a farm bureau annually out
of the Federal Treasury the sum of
, $1,000 for this purpose. The other
expenses which are incurred must be
raised either by the county or by the
farmers and business men Individually.
Federal Agent Speaks
All of the members of the Board of
County Commissioners attended the
meeting and sat On the platform and
listened to The speeches that were made.
The meeting was presided over by Chair
I man Polkow. The first speaker was the
5 Federal Governments representative,
kHR.-A. Kirkpatrick, who spoke for nearly
an hour setting forth the objects and the
need for such an organization. He
stated that the Federal Government was
back of the movement and that the pro-
ject had the hearty Endorsement of the
best minds in America. He pointed to
/ the wonderful work that had been ac-
~ &complished in Germany, where the
. Aspeople had yearly increased their pro-
Ftluction of both cattle and agricultural
products and had raised their production
from almost nothing 40 years ago to
stupendous proportions to-day. This,
the speaker stated, was all brot about
: by system of travelling teachers who
went about all the time over the country
and talked to the people and instructed
them in advanced agricultural methods.
The work was started in Germany over
forty years ago and the accomplished
results are best apparent when it is con-
sidered that the German Empire has
practically kept the whole world at bay
for over three years.
# The speaker stated that there is no
reason why America could not do as
we'll if SIZE gees at it in the right way
and in his opinion one of the ways to
obtain results is to organize every County
! < tie United States for cooperative
Salcng agricultural lines. The
speaker admitted that mistakes had been
made under the old system of the County
agents and that by experience and closer
supervisor Of the work all these short
ccmings will be overcome. Under the
sche me at present outlined, no less than
go farmers in the County should band
semselves together to direct thru their
pwn elected officers the work of the
Bureau to control under the best and
mcst approved methods the program
of work by the agent. The speaker also
stated that the work would not be done
effectively unless tie County Agent had
an assistant so that there would be some
ore at the ofce who would be at the.
beck ard call Of the farmer whenever he
needs kelp, ard also said that it had be-
come the fixed rule to allow fee Of e
cents mile for travelling expenses while.
the County agent was attending to pro-
Afessional work among the farmers.
Out of 568 counties in Minnesota that
have as yet no County agent IS have
been visited by representative of the
Sn of