The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1923-09-05

The recent announcement VI Tic
state board of education in placing
the agricultural extension division
under the direct control of Dean e.
J. Iddings of the college of agr1cul-
ture calls to mind once more the
considerable number of people in our
state who do not realize that ever
since it's creation this extension d.
vision has been an essential and IN
separable part of the agricultural col
lege of the University of Idaho. Even
of those who have recognized this
fact there are so many who are con-
fused and uncertain about the exact
relationships that this seems an APP
propriate time to explain the whole
situation. This task gives oppor-
tunity also to assure the farmers OF
Idaho that the new arrangement is
thoroughly in accord with policy
established by the state board OF edu-
cation years ago and with the prac-
tice of a number of representative
states; that it will not remove the
offices of the extension division from
Boise or in any way curtail the ser
vice to any part of the state.
State Agricultural College
The agricultural college of the Uni
yersity of Idaho is just as much the
state agricultural college as II 1t mad
been organized on separate founua-
ton and with a distinctive name. me
Morrill, act of 1862, which provided
for grants of land to the several states
TO foster the teaching OF "sucn
branches of learning as are related
TO agriculture and the mechanic arts,
left it to the several states to select
the institution which should receive
the income from this land grant ana
plainly indicated that this institution
might offer "other scientific and
classical studies as the state might
direct. When Idaho accepted this
grant. the university was designated
as the beneficiary.
OF the 81 state schools sharing III
the benefits of the Morrill, act, "a are
state universities, known definitely by
that name Only nine are known To-
dav merely as agricultural colleges,
while II are called colleges OF agrl-
culture and mechanic arts. Practl-
calIy all of them offer four-year
courses in engineering, home eco
nomics. science and arts, and the like,
in addition to their courses in agrl~
culture. A few, indeed, have openly
eliminated the word agriculture "
from their official title.
In 1914 came the Smith-Lever act
providing further funds for agrlcul-
tural education in the several states,
but indicating clearly, even in the
title of the act, that its purpose IS
to provide for cooperative agrl-
cultural extension work between the
agricultural colleges in the several
states receiving the benefits of an
act of congress approved July 2, 1862
(the Morrill, act) and of acts supple
mentary thereto, and the United
States department of agriculture.
The act provides that the "instruc-
ton and practical demonstration to
be inaugurated under it in the several
states "shall be carried on in such
manner as shall be mutually agreed
upon by the secretary of agriculture
and the state agricultural colleges re-
ceiving the benefits of this act" The
Idaho legislature, in asserting to the
terms of this act, again recognized
the university as the beneficiary of
the funds and empowered the regents
to see that the provisions of the act
were carried out. Thus, under both
federal and state law, there can be
no question but that the agricul
tural extension service in Idaho I'M
der the Sith-Lever act is the definite
of the University of
Idaho through it's college of agricul-
ture.
Homes and Community Centers
The one great purpose of agricul-
tural extension work has been of
what it's name indicates-to
carry instruction directly into the
homes and community centers of the
farmers themselves and thus extend
The class room to the remotest farm
in the state. The program of instruc-
lion is comprehensive one to meet
he needs of the farmer and his wife
and to include the boys and girls as
we'll. The actual instructors have
fallen into two main classes, the |
statewide specialists in some distinct |
sers who are always on call and !
who are qualified and prepared with I
n their limits to advise in regard to |
Ill farm problems.
The specialist may be thought of as
college professor sent out through !
he state to deal with groups where
lie finds them; the county worker is
he schoolmaster who handles read
ng, writing and arithmetic all in one
lays program. Better still, the
pecialist is like the specialist in sur
gerry or some particular phase of
Medicine, who comes to our COM
nunity occasionally and on request;
he county agent is the good old
doctor who rides day and
light through sun or rain with
ill box in one saddle bag and a
ancet in the other.
The work of the extension division
) clearly defined over and over again
y law in one word-it is educational.
lmost as clearly do we have indi-
ated what it is not. 1t is not ex-
erimental or commercial or in the
ature of police duty. Experimental
-ork in agriculture is fairly well pro-
ided for with federal funds under
ne Hatch and Adams acts and with
tate funds appropriated to meet
lese. Commercial activities such as
marketing are now very
conducted by national, state