Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1917-12-22
ASK FARMERS TO
WITHDRAW SIGNATURES
MIR. Plummer Addresses Let
ter to Farmers Who Signed
Opposition Petitions

UppOSItEOn TelhuOnS
Special Government Representative
Plummer is sending out the following
lletter to the signers of the petition
against the appointment Of county
agricultural agent:c
Dear friend:
You are one of a number of Mar
ion county tax payers who has filed
with the Marion county court a petit
tion praying that no appropriation be
made for a eouny agricultural agent.
believe that you signed this protest
without having the full facts of the
case before you, and that. you will re-
consider the matter after reading state
ments which follow.
The United States department of
riculture has sent me into this county
as their special agent appointment, and
my entire interest is in their behalf.
Enclosed you will find sheet containing
appeals made to the people of Marion
county by Secretary Houston, U. s.
department of Agriculture; Carl Vroo-
man, assistant secretary; w. A. Lloyd
in charge of county agent work depart
ment of agriculture; w. B. Aver, Fed
eral Food administrator for Oregon,
representing Herbert Hoover; from
Bruce Dennis director of state council
Of defense; and Congressman G. N.
Macarthur.
In all of these letters the absolute
necessity cf an agent in every county
is emphasized and particularly the inn
portance of this man during the time
of war. The county court of Marion
county signed an agreement with the
III. S. government obligating themselv-
es TO put in the budget for 1918 the
sum of $l700 to meet its share of the
cost of this work The state of Oregon
pays $500 more and the United sta
tes $1,000. making total of $4400
$4,000 of this goes to pay the salary of
the county agent. The balance of the
money is to buy an automobile and pay
for its up-keep; to pay office rent;
stenographer s salary; and such other
actual expenses that may be necessary
in carrying on the work.
The United States department of ag-
riculture is now about to make com
plete census of the labor situation of
the entire country, and expects to de-
pend upon the county agent for infor-
nation concerning each of the differ
ent counties. The U. s. government has
already spent $1,000 in Marion county
covering the expenses of temporary
agent, Mr. Brown, who has already or
ganized thirty different community
groups in this county. each of which
has a chairman, they in turn with three
to seven of number their local COM
mittee. He expects to continue this
work until Marion county is completely |
covered The labor department of the
u. S. government will therefore depend
upon Mr.. Brown to furnish them at all
times with the labor needs, and with
the production possibilities of this
county.
IL farmer needs two or three, or
ten men to assist in his farming opera
tion, a telephone to the nearest com
munity chairman will bring this fact
to the attention of Mr. Brown, who will
in turn telegraph the Federal authori- |
ties at Portland. Immediately the ma
chinery will be set in motion to furnish
you the required help. This is merely
one of the sidelights of the usefulness
of the county agent. At all times he IS
available in assisting in the organiza- |
tion of drainage districts; milk testing
and other community ac-
tivities. He brings you knowledge of
what some other farmer has done in the
distant part of the county, or carried
from your farm word of your successful
operations along a certain line. He is
not a 'fbook man. who wants to tell
you something all of the time, but rath'
er man who would confer with you
your farm situation.
In times Of stress, when America
needs every pound of food stuffs it is
possible to raise, an appeal is made to
YOU from a patriotic standpoint to sup
port the county court in making this ap-
oropriation of $l700. You may have a
)ov of your own who has gone to the
Front, or he may go shortly, and he
must be well fed. If we neglect to do
,nvthing which will more surely feed
his boy, and anything happens to him.
he balance Of our lives would be filled
With remorse.
The cost of this agent to taxpayers (
# Marion county will be 4e on every {
thousand dollars worth Of property on {
which they pay taxes. knowing these +,
acts / ask you as patriotic citizen OF
he United States to write to Judge
3ushey requesting that your name be
trieken from the petition of remons-
rance, and asking him as a war meas I
ire to include $1700 in the budget which !
viii come up for adoption and final pas I
are at 1000 a. m. Saturday, December .
9, 1917. c
Yours sincerely, G
o. NJ. PLU MINER,
pecial representative of U. s. depart
ment of agriculture. t
''In recognition of the county agent S
n Inc % o lnnnl lnn dor nnnrrnss has an