The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1917-04-13
JUDGE DES VOIGNES OFFERS
100000 IN PRIZES TO YOUNG
PEOPLE OF CASS AND VAN
BUREN COUNTIES.
RENDERS PATRIOTIC SERVICE
Special Premiums to be Awarded at
Van Buren, County Fair Next Fall.
Chance for Every Boy and Girl.

To encourage the young people of
Van Buren and Cass counties to help
solve the problem of an adequate food
supply during the present national
crisis, Judge l.. B. Des Voignes, cir
cult Judge of the thirty-sixth judicial
circuit, has offered over $500 in cash
in food production during the coming
summer, the premiums to be awarded
at the Van Buren county fair to be
held in Hartford from October End, to
9Th.
After serving twelve years as Cir
cult Judge, desire to render some
service to the boys and girls of the
two counties which comprise his cir
cult has prompted Judge Des Voignes
to contribute over $500 to encourage
their interest in agricultural matters.
Plans to offer his special premiums
at the coming county fair were evol-
we'd by Judge Des Voignes several
weeks ago, but he declined to make
them public until after the election of
April End, at which he was a can
didate for reelection as Circuit Judge.
The agricultural experts whose assist
ance he sought in arranging his
schedule of premiums were pledged to
secrecy, and not until last Friday did
the generous action of the Circuit
Judge become known.
Judge Des Voignes characterizes
the production of food as a patriotic
service, and the newspapers of the
two counties have an opportunity to
share in that service by giving the
widest publicity to his offer and en-
couraging the young people for the
premiums.
The True Northener is privileged
to present the plan in detail as an
nounced by the Judge, together with
the premiums to be paid. He says:
To THE BOYS AND GIRLS OF VAN
BUREN, AND CASS COUNTIES.
Our country is preparing for a war
of self defense, possibly a series of
such wars, and sooner or later univer-
sal service may be required of US.
Do you know what universal service
means? 1t means that the days of
"richmen's wars and poormen's fight"
have passed, and as every ones life,
property and labor rightfully belong
first to the country, that each shall be
required to give life, property or SER
vice in such way as shall seem best
for the general welfare whenever the
country is in need.
The basic problem of equipment for
successful warfare is food production
and our government is wisely seek
ing through its many agencies to
arouse those who have this in their
keeping the farmers, to realization
Of its coming need, and to the fact
that never within the memory of
those living has there been so univer-
sal a demand for food and so univer-
sal a lack Of it.
In the countries now at war far
mers and men essential to food pro-
duction are exempt to all other SER
vice, and those who have volunteered
for the trenches are furloughed at
seed time and harvest.
We have the soil to feed the world,
if cultivated with the same efficiency
as we have developed in manufactur-
ing and commerce and patriosm may
be as well shown in zeal to support
armies as in the actual service there
in.
For the purpose Of stimulating you
to the study and practice of agricul-
tural efficiency, in a field that offers
rich rewards and most satisfactory
and Independent of lives, ! offer the
following prizes for accomplishments,
to be competed for and awarded at the
annual county fair at Hartford this
fall, viz:
AGRICULTURAL DIVISION.
CORN GROWING CONTEST.
Limited to young men not above