Warren sheaf. [volume] (Warren, Marshall County, Minn.) 1880-current, 1922-02-22

REFERENDUM VOTE ON
COUNTY FAR BUREAU
The county board has decided to
submit the question of maintaining
county agent work in Marshall county
10 the voters of the various townships
at the spring elections. There is no
requirement of law for such action,
We believe, and the board would have
had perfect right to act in the
premises according to their best judy
Aent, yet, in as much as there is
some diversity of opinion in the mat
ter, the board thought it best to re-
Ter the question to the farmers for
their decision. AS we understand it,
only the rural townships and not the
villages, are to vote on the question
Altho the taxpayers in the villages
contribute their share of the taxes
for the support Of the bureau, and ex-
Guiding them from the voting may be
taxation without representation, yet
there will be no complaint on that
score. 1t is perfectly all right, we
think, that the farmers should have
the say, as they are the most directly
interested. We fear, however, that in
the short time before the election, the
question can not be thoroughly dis
aussed so that all the farmers in the
various townships will be able to vote
ntel1igently on the subject. The farm
bureau movement is new thing, only
three or four years old in our county,
and the benefits may not be tangible
or apparent to ALL In this short time
1t has been possible to make but a
begi ming in carrying out the program.
for agricultural betterment, that the
farm bureau has as it's aim. Some
may not understand, that the work of
the farm bureau is in reality part of
the extension work of the College of
Agriculture of the State University
and that the United States government
contributes part of the money for
maintaining the bureau in each coun-
y. the farm bureau, from money re-
ceaved as membership fees. paying a
part, and the county board appropriate
Ing the balance of the money needed.
The farm bureau is entirely non
poeftical and non-partisan. It is thru
he influence of the American Farm
Bureau federation that the agricul-
tural bloc in Congress has been organ
hed for the sole purpose of securing
legislation in favor Of the farmers. It
A. through the Bureau that those in
Washington from the President down
become acquainted with what is in
the farmers mind and what legisla-
ton he needs. The Farm Bureau has
been instrumental in securing lower
freight rates and is in the fight to
secure further reductions. 1t is by the
es6orts of the Minnesota Farm Bureau
federation that the State Board of
Control was induced to make a big
cut in self binders manufactured at
the states prison, a reduction that
will save the farmers of the state !
100000 at least, and compel other |
manufacturers Of farm machinery to |
reduce prices. The agricultural con-
ference called by President Harding |
md held recently at Washington, was
the result Of Farm Bureau work, and |
}. F. Reed, the new president of the
Minnesota Farm Bureau federation,
was a conspicuous member Of that |
conference and represented officially |
$1,000 Minnesota farmers belonging to
the Bureau. The movement to stop |
foreclosures Of farm mortgages owing |
to inability to pay the interest now
due and to delay proceedings until !
after another crop has been raised,
has been sponsored by the Farm Ru-
reau. This will give farmers another |
chance and will save them money and
perhaps q home, as most loan COM !
panies will no doubt be- disposed to |
be reasonable when conditions are ex-
p1ained to them. The Bureau is also |
active in promoting cooperative mar
keting of farm products. In short, the
Bureau is making itself useful to agri-
culture in so many practical ways
that it seems to us every farmer
should be interested in keeping up the
work AS we said in the beginning,
the farm bureau work in our county
has but fairly started, yet an I'M
partial observer will f1nd we believe,
that much Of value has been accom-
plished in promoting better farming
and marketing conditions and better
livestock. The securing of seed grain
for this spring will be a serious ques-
ton with many farmers and the Farm
Bureau, we are told, is trying to de-
wise ways and means for assisting
those that need assistance.
II the farmers look at the question
right, we think they will continue the
county farm bureau. The proposition
ie now up to them for their decision
at the annual town meetings.