The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1921-03-31
lBy E. NJ. Gilligl

ed with the question relative to what
policy should now be pursued. Shall
the Farm Bureau organization and
it's County Agent be abolished
Shall it be continued, or shall it be
supported and changed in a way to
meet requirements more amply than
in the past?
If we truly understood the PROPOSE
ton and plans of the Bureau and it's
agent, we shall certainly consider this
a very important question. The work
and, proposition of this organization
was stated in the last issue. To put
it in nut shell, the Farm Bureau
is an organization of farmers, man
aged by farmers and operated for the
benefit of farmers. The scope of it's
work as has been explained, reaches
even nationwide. To this end, each
County Farm Bureau employs an
agent who is their representative,
their manager, or if you please, their
watch dog" in all matters that per-
tain to their interests. Is not this or
ganization a good practical one, built
on a sound workable basis?
/. In the past decade the rural pop
ulation has been constantly looking
for someone to champion their cause.
They feared that something had to
be done in the way Of organization,
leadership, or something, they knew
not what, in order to cope with the
present day affairs. They were very
prone, as we know, to follow and ag-
itation or any propaganda which pre-
tended to foster their cause. We all
know their ups and downs in this at
tempt, and we know what sad dis
! appointments they met with. And it
is only natural that such procedure
should meet with disappointment on
their part. They must not look
around for somebody else to help, but
they must get out, step lively, and
help themselves. If they wait for
some good angel to come out and
foster their cause solely in their in
terest, they are badly mistaken. To
i use a common term in expressing it,
everybody is usually out for number
one," and if any organization does
not play the roll of number zone, they
will automatically be given an infer
Tor number. What is meant by this
is, that if the farmers want to work
to their own advantage they can't
sit and wait for someone to come ano
help them out. They must proceed
to organize themselves and set out
on their own plans and use methods
and employ agencies to accomplish
what they propose to do.
. The only organization that comes
nearest to this, and in fact which ha:
this as it's aim is the American Fed
Grafton of Farm Bureaus. This Fed
Grafton is composed of units which
are the individual County Farm Blu
reaus, that are in operation today
under the plan above stated and ar
employing an agent to foster thei
cause. AS we have seen, the farme
has been disappointed in all othe
agencies which have pretended t
foster his cause, and it is, probabl,
right to suppose that he has aban
doned them. Now comes the ques
ton in our county as to whether W
5 shall abandon the Farm Bureau an
) the work of its agent. In the mind
: of some of us it seems that the coun
) ty agent work and the Farm Bureau
r organization should be abolished
) This seems, however, to be the wron'
thing as was explained in the last is
!, sue. When farmer is not willing
, to cooperate with his own neighbor
in an organization Of them, manage
$ for and by them, he is hardly usin,
( keen judgment. 70 use Lincoln
E words, the Farm Bureau is of tn
! farmers, by the farmers and for tn
E farmers. If it is not rendering salts
| factory service as some of us seem t
think, it was explained in the las
. issue of this paper, that it is becaus
adequate funds and proper supper
|, for the work were not provided.
7 The Farm Bureau organization ha
: a connecting link with the Unite
|. States Department of Agricultur
( which is represented in the Presi
dents cabinet. Hence, the Farm Blu
| reau is in direct touch with nationa
affairs and if it will use the channel
] open to it, it can have very great in
fluence in matters which are of vita
interest and importance to the rura
( population.
Il If the farmers will only use tn
) possibilities that lie before them i
: this respect, they can have as muc
{ to say at the State Capital and at tn
5 National Capital as they seem to be
], lieve that the commercial and fnan
! cial interests have. Here are a fez