The Denver star., 1917-03-10
By W. ANTHONY AERY.

other. l was out west once and was
looking for a man l shall call Mr..
Smith. l met an old colored man and
said to him, Does Mr.. Smith live in
this community He said, What's
dat, boss? l said again, Does Mr..
Smith live in this community He
said, knows Mr.. Smith, but what's
dat last word you say?' L said "com-
munity." Don't you know what that
means? 1t means a place where peo-
pie work together, have common inter-
ests and help each other he said,
oh, boss, dis is no community; dis lis
jes' place."
| The sixteen local Negro demonstra-
ton agents who are working faithful
| ly and efficiently under District Agent
John B. Pierce to improve farming
methods in seventeen counties Of Vir-
ginia entered heartily into the spirit
Of Mr.. Knapp's story, which empha-
sized the Importance of the community
idea.
They accepted gladly the larger in
depreciation of the cooperative exten-
sion work, work which is growing
in proportion to the increase in funds
provided by the Smith-Lever act.
They listened attentively and re-
sponsively to the timely addresses de-
livered by officials of the extension di-
vision of the Virginia Agricultural and
Mechanical college and Polytechnic in
stftute at Blacksburg and the United
States department of agriculture.
Among those who spoke were:
Charles G. Burr Of Blacksburg, in
charge of boys clubs for Virginia and
assistant state agent of farm demon
stration work; L. A. Clinton, assistant
chief Of states relations service, north;
f. 8. Farrar of Burkeville, district
agent for white farm demonstra ton
work; Charles K. Graham, director of
the Hampton institute agricultural de-
partment; I. w. Hill. chief OF boys
club work in the south; Jesse NJ. Jones
Of Blacksburg, director Of extension
work for Virginia; John B. Pierce, dis
trict Negro agent for Virginia; T. o.
Sandy, Virginia state agent of farm
demonstration work; B. L. Taliaferro,
superintendent of the Sanitarium For
Colored tuberculosis Patients, Burke
vile; Thomas c. Walker Of Gloucester
and members of the Hampton stan.
For a week in February the local
demonstration agents worked early
and late preparing themselves to carry
out, even more effectively than they
had been doing, the instructions of the
states relations service. They worked
over plans for organizing community
clubs for adults and farm makers
clubs for boys ranging in age from ten
to eighteen.
Hampton institute put its resources
at the disposal of the demonstration
agents. instruction was given by
ment stair in the care of horses and
mules, cows, hogs and poultry, in the
management of farm crops and in the
best methods of rural organization.
Serious problems face these faithful
pioneer agents as they go about their
daily round of demonstration work for
four days in the week and cultivate
their home farms for two days each
week, receiving for their services $50
per month, with no allowance for car
riage hire. These problems may be
briefly stated thus:
What are the best methods of win
ming local financial aid from the Vir-
ginia county boards Of supervisors for
the salaries of local demonstration
agents?
What can be effectively done to
make white and colored people alike
realize the fundamental Importance of
having a community Of alert, intelli-
gent, well trained, thrifty farmers?
/ What can be done to make it posi-
BILE for competent men to receive
enough salary so as to be able to af-
ford to serve their communities as To-.
cal demonstration agents and work
their own farms for at least two days
week?
These problems involve three impor-
tant factors-fnance, education, admin
istration. A partial solution is indicat-
ed by the following facts: Fourteen out
Of the seventeen counties In Virginia
In which farm demonstration work is
now being done give financial aid. One
industrial school helps to finance the
demonstration work in two counties.
In two other counties the farmers oon-
tribute financial aid and in still an
other county the Teachers association
makes a contribution in addition to the
money which is given by the county
board Of supervisors. The local agents
reported that they had received the
moral support and hearty cooperation
Of country bankers. merchants and
landlords. In several cases prominent
white men have appeared before meet
ings of the boards Of supervisors to
ask that appropriations be made to
help cnrry on the Negro demonstration
work. The hearty cooperation of Jesse
NJ. Jones. director Of extension work
for Virginia. is very valuable.