The Bozeman courier. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1919-1954, 1922-11-08
KNOWN TO
FARM BUREAU Man
Uncle Sam Hampton of Jordan, Knows
More Folks in Montana Than
Governor.
"Uncle Sam" Hamnton.

Garfield county, claims the distinc-
ton of knowing more people in Mon
tana than any other man in the state
more even than Governor Dixon.
He should, for in the last five years
as organizer of the state farm bu-
reau he has helped establish the 935
community farm bureau centers now
operating in Montana. These farm
bureau organizations have an aggre-
gate membership of nearly 10000
men, women and children, a consider
able proportion of the states popula-
ton of $4,000, as he figures it. When
he is not travelling around the state
working as a farm bureau organizer
with the extension service of the
state agricultural college, which keeps
him considerably busy" "Uncle Sam"
admits he is a genuine "dirt farmer"
with a ranch in Garfield county.
One hundred and fifty farm bu-
reau neighborhoods in Montana have
already built their own community
houses. The others generally hold
their meetings in school houses, but
are expanding just as rapidly as they
are able. Little democracies, the
finest kind of training schools for
citizenship" Uncle Sam terms the
community c~enters, which are the TO
cusing point of hundreds of rural
neighborhood activities. They are
the meeting places for the women's
egg clubs, where farmers wives can
determine the best markets for their
products; for the farmers extension
lectures and many other groups, in
Guiding the boys pig clubs, the girls
canning clubs, but best of all, the So
cial gatherings where country folks
have learned to know and appreciate
the meaning of the word "neighbor"I
better than people in the crowded cit
les ever can hope TO, he explained.
At present the work of the farm
community centers is much restricted
I because of bad seasons for several
/, years and the lack of money to pro-
vide adequate meeting places, central
!, lly located and always available to the
, people of neighborhoods they serve,
according to Mr.. Hampton.
: But ample funds for the erection Of
| community center buildings and
! money for the extension of their &C.
/ Invites would be available without
, increased taxation if every county In
the state would catch up it's loose
D ends and save the sums it now wastes
xxr,fL 0,,+ 0~xr ,~of,,rsoC 70 tho foZnQuaFc
"Uncle Sam" contends.
One hope for the expansion of rura
community life, Mr.. Hampton believes
h lies in the constitutional amendment
permitting Montana counties to make
n changes need for economy in Operat
ton, which will be submitted at TIT
November election. The great saw
ings SO effected, he declares, woul'
go far toward releasing money need
ed for making the country a bette
place to live in and in helping to keel
farm boys and girls in the whOlesom
environment of rural life "We ar
Y cheating ourselves and our childreI
Y if we don't remove these constitutions
# obstacles which are keeping us fror
1t getting many benefits that u hard
,e earned taxes don't bring US now" h
n says.
If Down in Texas, where l used t
live, the darkies had a saying that q
N you is gwine somewheres the bes
place to start from is where you ]
E. at The best place to start out /
lie getting better government, more fo
our tax dollar, is here at home IN on
Mt own counties. Years ago the stat
l. constitution was framed after a pa
is tern that didn't take into consider;
e. ton the present high cost of .livin
lie or modern business methods. TT
is farmers made plenty of offices *
at the politicians to fill.
n "But the majority of counties ca
ee get along with fewer officials tina
an the constitution requires them to en-
as ploy. Some others may find oth'
changes needed to get better result
us for the taxpayers. The amendmel
ry will simply give each of them a Ike
n with which to open the legislative be
tie and get out what laws they need
Up save money under a political bushes
be administration and at the same tin
use what they do spend to better a
:, vantage" he explained.
ST think it will be worth milhol
an of dollars to Montana" "a his esi
M mate of the amendment, which Of
he self will make no changes in the for
IN of administration of any county go
Is. eminent, but viii enable every cou
,e- ty desiring to secure desired leglsl
sly ton subject to a referendum vol
,he which will make these changes pos
,od BILE"
IDS
TO NJ Cprcrxx HIGHWAY RIGHT