The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1921-12-24
County Agents Serve
People at Low Cost
Expense to Taxpayers Aver
ages Only 1853 Cents per
$1,000 Of Taxable
Property
BY w. W. Long. Director.

BY w. ". Long. Director.
Clemson College, Dec. 22.-Some
of our taxpayers, especially farm
ers. are in the habit of looking up
on the appropriations made by the
different counties irgthe state Tor
the purpose Of supplementing the
salaries ot county agents as being
more or less burdensome. and
therefore think that the county del
esations should refuse to make the
appropriations. In order for the
people in the various counties to
understand just what each individ-
ual taxpayer contributes to the
salary Of the county agent, the eX-
tension service has worked out a
table showing the exact amount
which each taxpayer contributes TO
the salary of the county agent on
each $1,000 of taxable property
which he may own. BY way OF IL
lustration, man in Colleton coun-
" who pays taxes on $1,000 con-
tributes 26 cents per year to the
county agents salary, while a man
in Lee county contributes "a cents
per year on each $1,000 Of taxable
property. These amounts for the
various counties vary from 2 cents
in PickenS county to 81 cents IN
Calhoun county. the amount ap-
propriated by the county for the
county agents salary. and other
conditions. The average for the ~
counties having county agents is
16.S cents.
figures are based on the tax valua-
ton OF property, which always IS
considerably less than the actual
value OF the property. It should be
remembered also that while the
county agent works almost entirely
with and for the farmer, the rail
roads, banks, merchants, and other
business interests contribute
through taxation the greater part
Of the county agents salaries.
After the war the United States
government withdrew consider
able part Of its support and made it
necessary for the extension service
to secure funds from the individ-
ual counties to surolement the fed
eral and state Smith-Lever funds
for the salaries Of county agents.
The extension forces at the present
time are performing possibly the
most important service in the his
tory of the organization, including
the organizing work of the cooper
ative marketing associations for
cotton and tobacco, the agents
working in close cooperation
with the organization committees
Of these two campaigns. The eX-
tension service, having previously
organized the South Carolina Sweet
Potato Association in cooperation
with the South Carolina Develop
ment Board, is now preparing also
to organize the truck growers in.
the Savannah Valley district Of the
state and the dairymen who supply
milk to our cities.
The campaign to meet the boil
weevil situation is continuous one
.;nd will be for the next several
years. For the above reasons the
question OF appropriations for the
support Of county agents assumes
greater importance today than at
any time heretofore, and the taX-
payers Of the various counties
should therefore be greatly inter-
ested in ascertaining how little each
taxpayer is called upon TO con-
tribute to the salary Of the county
agent.
The extension service is the only
agricultural organization that can
be modified at any time in the
interest of agriculture. and tax
payers and county delegations
should consider carefully the high
value and the low cos; Of maintain
ing such service.
Cost Per $1,000 OF Taxable Prop
erty.
Below is given the cost in cents
per $1,000 OF taxable property in
each Of the - counties having
county agents:
1Allendale. 227: Anderson, Il;
Bamberg, 10; Earnwell, 19; Beau
fort. 35: Berkeley, IS; Calhoun,
81; Charleston. i Cherokee, IA;
Chester, 13; Chesterfield, 16; Clar-
endon. %; Colleto1, 26: Darlington,
81: Dillon, 16; Dorchester, 10;
Edgefield, 25; Fairfield. s. Flor
ence. 10: Georgetown, 2S: Green
vile, Il: Greenwood. 13; Horny, IS;
KerslIaw. IS: Lancaster, %: Lau-
rens, Il; Lee, 81; Lexington. 6; Ma
rion, 20: Marlboro. 20; Mccormick,
p: Ncwbcrry. 9: Oconee. "a: Or
angebuIg, 10; Pickers, >; Richland,
I; Saluda. -; SpartanburS, Z;
Sumter, s: Union, IS; Williams
burg, 20; York, ).