The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1920-01-09
THE FARM BUREAU

Farmers organizations have been
in existence for many years. Under
many names and for many purposes
organizations have been attempted
and carried out with various degrees
of success. Some of these organiza-
tons We're strong and prosperous for
a season, and then persisted for lack
of interest and failure to accomplish
the purpose for which they were or
gained. The chief cause Of the fail
ure of many, was the attempt to reg
ulate the prices of manufactured ar
ticles. Instead of trying to better
their own condition by improved meth
DDS and intensive farming they sought
to regulate the business Of others. EX-
perience, the greatest of all teachers,
has shown the unwisdom of such ac-
ton and the farmers of today are pro-
filing by the mistakes of others. The
Farm Bureau is the one organization
today that is drawing within its ranks
the most progressive farmers in many
States. The Middle West States are
among those which have tie greatest
membership of the Farm Bureau to-
day and the results obtained by fol-
lowing the lines mapped out for the
Farm Bureaus are in the main very
successful.
The Farm Bureaus of Missouri will
take up the proposition at their an
nual meeting, to be held in about two
weeks at Columbia, Mo-, the question
of financing the organizations on a
different plan than that upon which
they have operated before. The plan
suggested is to make the membership
fee SIS year and to enroll members
for term of three years. The plan
will in all probability be adopted at
the Columbia meeting. The expert
ence of Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska and
some other States has shown the wis
dom of adopting such plan. In a
number of counties in Iowa hundreds
of wide-awake and active farmers
have taken out life membership in
the organization and pledge them
selves to pay the sum of SIS a year.
In Illinois some of the counties that
are the strongest in the Farm Bureau
movement have put their organization
on firm financial basis by enrolling
their members for three years with
an annual membership fee of $15.
The chief benefits of organizing
along these lines are two-fold. In the
first place, it puts the organization in
a shape to know how to plan their
work and how much can be done; in
the. second place, it has been demon
strated that where people pay moro
they take more interest in the work
that is being done.
The Farm Bureau of Cape Grardeau
county hes been in existence for abo1t
two years. During this period much
good has resulted as the result of the
cooperation between the farmers Of
the county and the County Agent. Bet
ter live stock and better methods OF
farming are apparent on every hand
But the organization today is in need
of more members and more finances to
carry on the work that has been un-
dertaken. The executive committee
of the Farm Bureau, at meeting held
| yesterday, went on record as endors.
ling a higher fee for membership and
ENROLLING members for longer term
The proposition will be discussed full.
ly at the annual meeting soon to BIZ
held, and unless some new plans are
devised the organization of this ant
every other county in the State will
be seriously limited in their usefulness
Cane Gircrdcau Sun.