Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1918-01-16
AGENT IS
NEED OF COMMUNITY
FARMERS BELIEVE
JOHN f. KOHN. CLINTON GREEN
LOUIS HALL AND OTHERS
TALK AT LUNCHEON

The agricultural luncheon held by
the board of commerce last Thursday
evening was without exception one of
the best and most profitable meetings
in the history of the board. This Is
the opinion Of the men who have been
acquainted with its history from the
beginning.
The agricultural meeting was plan
ned for the purpose of bringing to-
gether representative men in our
community that they might consider
some of the things that would be most
helpful in the proper development of
our rural and urban interests. The
questions of the day were very ably
presented by III. b. Blandford who is
deputized by the federal government
to organize the counties of Michigan
into units under the county agricul-
tural agent plan. Mr.. Blandford as
serted that the true duty of county
agent is not to deliver theories to
farmers but rather to help them to
find the right method to overcome
their present NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
soil, poor seed, poor stock, or any 9TH
er things that may be wrong and for
which they seek the right advice. He
also explained the need of good mar
kets in order that the producer may
get fair profit for all his effort and
that the consumer may not have TO
pay too great margin for his living.
John f. Kohn brought on the lues-
ton Of county agent and expressed
relief that conditions now warran.
the securing of an agent. Ed. Woold-
ridge also advanced the opinion that
trainers would welcome a county
agent if the matter was presented to
them in the right way, using the idea
of close cooperation in place of the
too often used methods of patronage
with too thinly covered profiteering
intention.
Clinton Green gave some very in
teresting statements on the cost of
production of potatoes and the ques-
ton of marketing them. This same
thought was further discussed by
Louis Hall who said that the blight
had compelled him to believe that
some reliable advice on blight con-
troll was of great Importance if farm
ers were to save the crops they plant.
Supervisors b. c. Curtis and w. b.
Travis were present. They thought
that there was little doubt of favor
able action being taken if the real
needs of the agent was presented to
the supervisors. Accordingly on mo-
ton a committee of the following: Jno.
f. Kohn, Earl Norton, Ed. Woold-
ridge, II. s. Gardner, and G.. f. Wort
ley was appointed to go before the
board Of supervisors and advocate the
selection of a county agent. Since
the government pays the salary and
the county has only to pay the ex-
penses it seems like folly to be with
out the services of an agent. The
county's assessed valuation is over
$34, 100000. On this basis the cost to
the farmer of average holdings would
be only few cents. All farmers,
however, have the privilege to call
for aid as often as they like.
B. F. Hall of the Belding-Hall COM
pany said that he was certain the in
dustries of the city would be willing to
pay their share of the taxes for the
sake of having the enterprise go
through.
It was proposed that the various
heards of the farmer organizations get
together in the near future and plan
for a cooperative market for the
next season. The idea of co-opera-
tive markets seemed to be most
popular.
George Phillips and Lawrence
Green also gave short talks.
The music in charge of Bert Rumm-
Ter and the singing under the direction
of George Wagner, was an excellent
feature. (Signed):
F. A. Puffer,
Secretary.