Bonners Ferry herald. [volume] (Bonners Ferry, Idaho) 1904-current, 1920-12-21
COUNTY COMMISSIONERS ARE
EXONERATED FROM ALL BLAME

Among many people of the county,
including farmers who might be ex-
expected to have affiliated with the
farmers organizations to such an ex-
aent as TO acquaint themselves with
actual conditions, the impression has
been allowed 10 circulate that the
county commissioners are at fault
that Boundary county has not had
the services OF county agent during
the fall months; In fact q local news
paper allowed the commissioners to
be fisparaged and severely called to
task on this account in its columns,
when both the management of the pa
per and the person VINO wrote the arti-
Gle knew the actual conditions and II
they did not, the fault was theirs in
that they made no attempt to ascer-
tain facts, which was clearly their
duty.
Parties have even gone so far as to
attempt to make the public believe
that County Agent Oman was forced
TO leave this county on account of the
attitude of the county commissioners
They have tried to make out that the
county commissioners were at fault
in not Immediately securing a man to
succeed Mr.. Oman, who resigned last
August to accept another position in
Montana.
The unfairness of unsupported re-
ports of this kind is apparent. Mat
ters finally reached stage when the
question was brought up before the
Kootenai Valley Commercial Club, this
organization last week voting to urge
the county commissioners to secure a
new county agent for coming year
Secretary Palmer wrote to Assistant
County Agent Leader w. Kjosness, of
the Extension Division, University of
Idaho.
A reply was received from Mr.. Kjos-
ness this week which is published be-
low, as Mr.. Kjosness explains the
county agent situation in this county
in all fairness and his word in the
matter should put at rest the talk that
has been going the rounds
my Dear Mr.. Palmer:
II have copy of your letter of De- |
cember 14th sent to the board of /
county commissioners.
Thank you very much for taking
me into your confidence and for your
offer of cooperation.
las you remark, it was unfortunate
that Mr.. Oman, the last county agent /
left the service at the time he did, and +
still more unfortunate that the Elk
tension Division did not make pro-
vision for continuing the service fol-
lowing Mr.. Oman's departure.
You probably know that it is diff
cult to secure men at the time you
need them and at the price you can
afford to pay, and 1t is still more diff
ficult to secure men with the qualifi-
cations We find necessary to carry on
county agent work satisfactorily.
Il now have some of these men avail
able, one man who is especially we'll
fitted for conditions in Boundary
county.
ION November 9th and 10th visited !
Bonners Ferry and waited upon the '
board Of county commissioners to talk
over the proposition of continuing the {
service and of employing one of these i
men.
1 found that number of the people. Y
including the board of county commits
'ioners, had become disaffected with 4
he county agent service because 1t t
allied to deliver at time when most V
leeded. / also learned that a number
Il people believed that the Extension c
Division Of the University and the v
'oard of county commissioners were e
for Mr. Oman leaving Il
Boundary county or that they had a
omething to do with HIS change of Ii
5cation to Montana. il
I'm this respect ! wish TO state that n
he board of county commissioners b
ere quite well pleased with Mr.. Oman b
nd that they would have been glad