The courier-index., 1919-06-27
DEMONSTRATION
 WORK TO 60 ON
E. B. WHITAKER SELECTED TO SUCCEED STAR GREGCr-EsfSS HARRIS TAKES PLACE OF MISS ANOERSON.

mASS MkvDEMoCLr.
 Farm demonstration and home economies work in Lee county will not be permitted to lag, according to decision reached at mass meet ing of citizens held the other night, at which time J. E. McKelI, district agent, stated he had man he was confident would be able. to prove entirely satisfactory to the people of Lee county.
 This meeting followed several other conferences that have becn held during the-p past aix weeks caus- ed by the resignation of Miss Ruth Anderson as home demonstration agent and Star Greig as farm dem onstration agent. Interested citixens have not been satisfied by the char acter of work done by the agents here and so expressed themselves ts the district agent. The attitude of Judge Hummer and members of the Commercial Club was that if high class agents could not be secured for work in Lee county, the county had better do without demonstration agents. MT. McKell agreed that Lee county was entitled to the very best talent obtainable and he fur ther acquiesced in the complaints to the effect that the work had not been properly done here. He stated several weeks ago he had one or two men whose services he knew would be satisfactory but at that time he did not know for a certainty they would be available for work here. The agent he had in mind was E. B. Whitaker, manager of tie Bemus plantation in the west end of Lee county MT. Whitaker has been in the demonstration work several years having last served as demonstration in Logan county. When the United States entered the war the govern ment called for several of the best demonstrators to do special organi- zation work in the state, and MT. Whitaker was chosen as one of these men. Consequently during the past two years he has been active in club work all over Arkansas. Now that the war is over his services are available for local work. He was offered $3,000 to go to Texarkana. and R. E. L. Wilson, big planter of Mississippi county, was also anxious to employ Mir. Whitaker. At the meeting the other night the Com mercial Club supplemented the sal ary paid by the government and the county by guaranteeing an addition ali S25 month in the event Mir. Whitaker would agree to come to Lee county. Judge Plummer yesterday received letter from Mir. McKen stating MT. Whitaker had decided to accept the offer and would Nre- port for duty on July 1.
 Tn the matter of continuing the home demonstration agent, it has been decided If the department can send young lady here who has had special training in health and hygiene and if she will combine this feature of her work with the regu
 lar duties as canning club and home economies agent, the county will agree to continue the appropriation for the work. The state and district agents say they have Miss Harris who is not only demonstration agent, but who is also trained nurse, and that they will place her 1 in Lee county. The local commit tees having under consideration these matters, believe there is q big field here for usefulness in teaching the people the fundamental rules of health, sanitation and hygiene. They want an agent to devote consider able attention to this feature of the work with view to laying the foun- dation for the employment of 8 trained nurse for her full time next year. It is understood Miss Harris has agreed to come to Lee county and enter upon the work in the near future.
 The factors that have always stood behind the demonstration work in Lee county know the field IS here and if the right kind of agents are placed here good results will follow. They are exceedingly anxi- ous that the favor in which the dem onstration work was once held in.the county be restored and they realize the only way this can be done IS by the employment of agents who have the experience, the executive ability, the initiative and the energy to properly carry on the work. It is thought the county will get this character of service in Mir. Whitta-
 ker and Miss Harris.
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