The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1919-03-17
FARMERS HELD A
LIVE MEETING FRIDAY

A good-sized party of farmers
some of them accompanied by their
wives, met at the courthouse Friday
afternoon, to discuss county affairs. A
number of fOcala business men We're
also present. Among those in at
tendance and taking part in the de-
bate were Senator w. j. Crosby,
Representatives w. j. Folks and N.
A. Fort, State Marketing Commits
sioner L. M. Rhodes, Messrs. <. L.
Wartmann, r. F. Rogers. J. M. Mef-
fert, Walter Ray, John l.. Edwards
and many other workers for the good
of the county.
Never in the past few years have
more prominent and influential farm
ers and business men of the county
met for the purpose of discussing and
advising the legislators of the county
in regard to certain measures that
are of vital interest to the farmers
and citizens of the county at large.
The meeting opened at 1:30 p. m,
with H. Blackburn, county agent, act
ing as chairman. A roll of the agri-
cultural committeeman was called and
the questions and purpose of the
meeting explained.
The first question that came up
and probably the most important one
was introduced by Col. r. F. Rogers.
The motion for a, bin to read as fol-
lows: Resolved that our legislators
be instructed to vote for a bin pro-
viding for free hog cholera serum to
the extent of 1000 C. C. for each
farmer" An amendment was offered
by Mr.. w. ]. Folks and accepted by
Col. Rogers "that each farmer owning
hogs be compelled to vaccinate." A
lively discussion followed in which
many facts were brought out. Mr.
Z. L. Wartmann, member Of the
board of control, expressed some
good ideas along this line and was
heartily in favor Of the proposed bill.
A serum plant should be established
at the state university at Gainesville
TO furnish serum to the farmers and
stockmen of the state at half the
price we are paying now. After the
discussion closed a vote was taken in
which all present expressed them
selves in favor of the proposed bill.
The second question that was
brought up was introduced by Mr.. L.
S. Light: Resolved, that this meet
ing petition our board Of trade and
recommend that it cooperate with
the Tampa board of trade and other
moards of trade to assist in educa-
tional work in adjusting of taxes"
Mr.. Light gave a lively talk on the
topic he presented, followed by others.
Mr.. M. L. Payne offered an amend
ment to the above bill, ~that our leg
islators be instructed to vote against
any changes in the tax system unless
a better system be provided" The
above petition with its amendment
carried
Tax Assessor Alfred Aver was
present and spoke on taxation He
is decidedly against the separation Of
state and county taxes Mr.. Aver in
troduced a recommendation, which
was seconded by Mr.. Payne, .s'That we
instruct our legislators to vote
against separation of state and coun-
ty tax" The assembly voted in favor
cf the above resolution.
The state marketing bureau, a live
institution, established by the Iegis-
lature of 1917. with Mr.. L. M. Rhodes
as commissioner, has done the farm
eTs of the county and state much
good. Mr.. Rhodes was present at the
meeting and had with him facts and
figures to show just what the mar
keting bureau has done. In the past
twenty months of its operation it has
done eleven million dollars worth Of
business. 1t has, saved the farmers
Of the state more than three million
dollars which otherwise would have
been lost. The bureau has been in
strumental in selling everything from.
], ,760, 900 bushels of sweet potatoes TO
two cars of scrap iron. and waste
products around farms The bureau
has an able system Of putting the
consumer and producer together. It
does not collect or handle money ex-
cept in the case probably Of small
local shipments. The bureau charges
no commission whatever for handling
products or buying anything you need
on the farm It is maintained from
the sale of fertilizer stamps. After
Mr.. Rhodes talk. questions were ask