Shoshone journal. [volume] (Shoshone, Idaho) 1884-1931, 1921-06-10
THE FARM BUREAU
pRORI FMS

Pend DOreille Review
The probable loss Of home demon
stration work in Bonner county
through various agencies. chief ia
which. is lack Of county funds, IS
problem Of farm bureau wark which
not only affects that organization but
the county as whole. That this work
is important as a factor in develop
ing rural home life and improving
the lot Of the farm women is admit
tedly true II is also a fact. however.
that that branch Of the farm bureau
work has been scored in a number
Of sections by ultra keen individuals
and rural groups That its eontin-
uance here is very likely TO become
bone Of contention during the next
month with short-f funded county
commissioners and opponents on the
one side and the progressive sup
1orrers Of farm development on the
other brings the farm bureau prob
'elu close % the home OF the taxpayer
ueli as the people who would
benefit hy tie work II is problem
to DE solved by majority opinion and
circumsta noes
There IS within the farm bureau,
aaverer another problem which is
ae mucn grocer importance To the
county as whole than any field
work of farm lureau representatives.
That problem is marketing.
The tendency IN the county bureau
lend In IRE Idaho state bureau for
rhat ma tier is toward cooperative
marketing. AS marketing is quite ex-
reusiveIv known as competitive
game # may be well TO pause and
consider the merits of the PROPOSE
ton
In many rural communities. agri :
culture is hard game at best The
resources of the man wrestling ilv-
ing from the soil are not always OF
the most substantial variety and the
easiest and cheapest way of getting
his produce TO market is a big part
Of his problem. as well as securing a
price compatible with his effort IN
production and investment. Cooper
ton with his neighbors in bulk ship
ments. joblot buying and in transport
enter into his problem OF survival
But while cooperation is an adjunct
of government by bureaus and depart
ments. marketing is not; except in =
Sofar as il concerns the needs OF the
bureau or department itself.
The farm bureau is maintained al
most entirely by county tax levy and
university extension appropriations
state tax money and the dollar Of the
member is n small part Of the whole
II is nanifestfy unfair for a group
Of men. within an organization sup
ported by government funds, to or
sanize themselves into Il competitive
institution against individuals doing
business under that governments reg
ulations and restrictions. and who
support il by their taxes.
The first principle Of the farm bur
reau is education. the dissemination
of agricultural knowledge. and in its
adherence to that principle. and that
alone. the farm bureau achieves its
purposes. its cause and its effect.
II is well for the farmer to perfect
his cooperative marketing agenotes.
They are his only protection against
IegaIized robbery by such means as
have been employed to grade down
his products, the tactics that give
him pay for No. wheat when the
same wheat is sold for No. 1 to the
milIers. and kindred evils But he
cannot perfect these marketing agen-
cfes within a governmental body sup
ported by the taxpayers at large and
still do Justice to his friends.
President Howard Of the national
farm bureau federation has taken
decided stand against the entrance OF
the farm bureau into marketing COM
petitions and his attitude rs in large
measure due to his understanding
that such competitions viii under
mine the farm bureau structure and
eventually cause its fall People sup
porting a government viii not suffer
it to enter into competition with
themselves
The Bonner County Seed Potato
Growers Associa ton is an excellent
example Of what the farmer can do
outside the governmental agency Of
the farm bureau. It is an example
worthy OF emulation when similar
Drobleyns are in course OF solution.