The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1922-11-23
WHAT THE VOTERS
WILL EXPECT


have been brought to light regard
ing taxes, cost of government and
the way the farmers and business
men in the towns act about it.
A series of free lectures on farm
problems was held at Blackfoot last
week, and altho the state expended
quite sum of money for speakers
and their expenses to bring the
latest and best messages to the
farmers of this locality to guide
them in the big vital problems OF
the day, the farmers were absent
from the meetings. The attendance
usually ranged from a dozen to
twenty farmers and about as many
town people who are not farmers,
One evening meeting that was to
provide pictures and lecture on
how to build, how to make lawns,
how to arrange the trees, shrubs and
vines to make the place attractive
and comfortable, started off with six
farmers, six people who were not
farmers and five who might be
classed as either one. Two or three
came in during the lecture, thus
making total attendance of about
twenty.
During these meetings III Q
weather was fine and the roads were
good. Last winter similar meetings
were held, but with larger array
of speakers, when the weather was
cold and there was some snow to
make the roads difficult to travel.
At that time the attendance was
small, and the farmers and stock
men gave the weather as the rea.
son they did not come in.
I Of course it is their own affair
meetings If they do not wish to-
Farmers in the Blackfoot country
have been ignoring such meetings
for upwards of twenty years, and a
few years ago there was a great
agitation to oppose the existing
management of state and county at
fairs on the ground that the farmer
was getting the worst of it, and that
nothing was being done for the
farmer 1t was said that everybody
was organized but the farmers,
everybody had protection but the
farmres and they decided to make |
some radical changes thru political
channels.
All the while they were talking |
about these matters and condemning |
things in general, more public |
money was being spent to encourage
agriculture than for any other in
dustry. The department of agricul-
ture with its cabinet officer and his
of workers in all the
states and foreign countries, the
agricultural colleges, the depart
ments of agricultural extension, the
farm bureaus, the experimental sta
lions, the department of animal in.
dustry, the horticultural inspectors,
the livestock sanitary commission,
the predatory animal tax, the recla-
nation department-no such array
Of aids have been operated for the
benefit of other industries, yet the
agitators who declared that nothing
Is ever done for the farmer, had
packed houses who applauded and
when the hat was passed around it
was loaded with coins. But when
the peoples own experts came to in
struct them, their expenses paid out
Of the peoples own money collected
thru tax channels, they were
ignored.
1t has often been said that these
lectures were dry, and that farmers
and their families did not find them
1t has often been sug-
yested that anything that was free
vas not sufficiently appreciated, and
hat this might account for the lack
If attendance. The chautauqua was
,rought in as change. 1t was full
# fun and pep and up-ot-date ideas;
t was something that people could
ay for, yet it was not at all expen-
i've, and it has been so poorly
atronized- people have been so
isloyal to the local guarantors, that
hose who have been covering the
1sses are Disguised and refuse toll
ign for future business on that
Ian. 1924,
Now that the chautauqua has
cen cut out, why not cut out the
lrmers' institutes, the farm bureau, {
10 experimental stations, the agri-
lltural colleges, the normal t
hools, the teachers institutes and a I
hole raft Of other things that {