The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-09-06

to get together" prevents concerted action, and multiplies the cost to the farmer who pays the bill, it is evil dent.
 The Bureau Federation
 There is of course great interest in the phenomenal growth of the American Farm Bureau federation, which comparatively very young, has outstripped all rivals, which, with membership of 100000 maintains highly paid officials in Chicago and Washington in luxurious offices.
 Gray Silver. Washington represen- tative of this organization. declared it to be "a voluntary organization of farmers with local clubs of less than county unit, of county unit bureaus; county units bureaus feder- ated into state bureaus; and state bureaus federated into the American Farm Bureau federation" Mir. At keson, heretofore quoted, declared that the bureaus came into being as result of the appropriations for county extension agents under the Smith-Lever act Mir Marsh, rep resentative of rival organization said: AS I understand 1t. 100 men got together in Chicago and each underwrote s10O. With this they Tt
 
 The Governments Aid
 From testimony adduced by con- gressional investigation. the Ameri- can Farm Bureau federation was lifted into it's high state on the wings by many people, some of them rivals of the bureau. that farm agents of the United States were utilized by the bureau in forming county branches and developing a member slip roll There was certainly a strong cooperation between the gov ernment and the bureau. The bureau prospered, and probably the intensive drive for increased. production during the war, instituted by the depart ment of agriculture. was beenfited as result of the cooperation. Other and older farm organizatio how ever, were practically put out of business"
 pr. A. c. True, director of states relation service> >department of agri- culture, before the banking and cur rency committee, defended the above referred to cooperation. He was asked by Chairman McFadden: County agents are government em- ployes, receiving federal, as well as state. county. and Smith-L Lever funds, are they not?''
 The County Agent
 In replying in the affirmative, Dr. True added that the county agent was a cooperative employe and that usually there were three and some- times four or five parties to his em- ployment, the government. the state, the county, and "the organization formed especially to cooperate with the agent"
 Representative Strong of Kansas, inquired: Why did the department use the farm bureaus and help to or ganize them any more than it would help to organize the Farmers union or the National Grange? Why did tkey particularly get behind the farm bureau"
 Dr. True gave as reason his be- lief that the farm bureau was a gen- eral organization having no restric- tions as regards membership. At this point, Representative Wingo of Ar kansas, demanded specific informa- ton as to restrictions. It developed from an admission by MT. Silver of the bureau, that while a lawyer was Farmers union, he was eligible for farmers union, he was aligible for memb ership in the bureau. Dr. True was finally cornered to the extent of admitting that the union was dis criminated against because the de- partment thought 1t secret organi- zation.
 The True, Admissions
 Chairman McFadden was anxious to develop the fact that the government by use of its money was furthering the development of an organization uithout government connection. He asked pr. True: Suppose the county farm bureau is paying part of the expenses of the county agent?
 pr. True replied: That makes no difference"
 Do you think 1t proper for coun- ty agent to engage in commercial activities?" persisted the chairman.
 NO, sir" returned Dr. True.
 "Is 1t not a fact in some of the large bureaus that the county agent is an active agent of the bureau and