Great Falls daily tribune., 1919-02-04
EDITORIAL PAGE
HASKIN LETTER
By FREDERIC J. HASKIN
THE F4AMPDEN COUNTY LEAGUE
l.-Making the Farmer Pay.

| Hampden county league can best be
stated by saying that it does for the
farmer what the county agent OF the
department of agriculture ~tries to 90.
The department plants one man IN
county to advise farmers on all matters
Of agriculture, stock-raislng and market
ing The Hampden county league mas
eleven experts on its staff, and tney
have four automobiles in which to travel
sabout. It has subsidiary organizations Id
each community, and the league has
representative in each Of these commn-
mites. Ii the community cannot solve
any given problem for itself, 1t appnfs
to the league for help. The mainte-
nance Of this league machinery costs
S37 900 a year. of which the federal gov
ernment pays three thousand, the state
Of Massachusetts half Of the remainder,
and the manufacturers, bankers and mer-
chants of the county the rest.
This league exists for the intensely
practical purpose Of producing more food
in the county, getting it to the towns,
and selling it at Il reasonable prlce. 10
this end it maintains marketing dlVl-
sion which both buys and sells. 1t buys
at wholesale and sells ut cost such
things as fertilizer and seed. 1t bought
two thousand sheep and sold them TO the
long deserted hill pastures might be
converted into mutton. 1t has distrbut-
ed hundreds of bIooded hogs in the same
way 1t has opened a local market,
which consists simply of a large store
room. its rent guaranteed by the league.
where any farmer can have stall and
sell his own produce. Thus do the
Hampden county people accomplish that
much-talked- thing, the bringing to-
gether of producer and consumer, IN
simple and direct manner.
The Hampden county league will lnl-
tiate almost any sort OF activity that
! promises to help along the purpose Of Its
existence 1t frequently finances needy
! farmers out OF revolving fund kept tor
/ the purpose. It boasts that it can take
/ Il man who never farmed. who has three
! or four thousand dollars, 4 fair lntelli-
/ gence and Willingness to work, and make
/ a successful farmer out of HIM new
/ farmer in Hampden county is just so
/ much more food for Hampden county.
/ Hence this new farmer is watched over
by the league with love more than
+ brotherly. II will give him advice. IN
] the first place, as to the farm he buys
| and how much he should pay II Will ac-
! quaint him with all the agencies from
! which he may borrow money. from the
/ loca! banks 10 the farm loan boards. and
/ II will be very careful that be does not
/ get stung. II will show him just how TO
/ raise whatever be wants 10 raise. and II
t one Of his crops is ailing it will rush q
! staff Of expert crop doctors TO his aid.
I The Hampden county league says - the
] farmer that The soil Of New England
may be rocky and the winters cold, but
/ here. at least, is a region whore 4 farm
4 er il appreciated for what he u worth
and treated accordingly,
One child If the Hampden county
league, which promises to outgrow IT'S
parent organization. is the Eastern
| States Agricultural league, This is an
organization embracing the nine nOrth-
eastern states with special attention to
! the six New England states, and having
for it's purpose 10 organize county
] league on the IIanpdeu plan in every
county III the northeast section. Tins
/ larger pian originated 1T the time the
! National Dairy Show was held here at
{ SPRINGFIELD when Influential men all
over New England became Interested IN
the work Of the league. About % Of
these New England leaders have given
! their names their Influence and some
! Of their money to this new creed OF
/ Save the farmer because we nccl nun.
! With the great n-a 0f New England
business behind il. this movement can
/ not fail to move. Already there Is an
active canfpaign afapr to make every
manufactured tax himself for the sup
port of the league at tn" rate at - cents
on every thousand dollars that goes
through his payroll. II seems certain
that all New England viii soon be iamp-