The Bozeman courier. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1919-1954, 1925-09-16
MKKELSON ISSUES
Signed STATEMENT
Head Of Farm Bureau Presents
Arguments for Retention
Of County Agent

OOmMlSoAOAGAo u b4S county
10 the effect that at their regular
meeting in October they would decide
whether or not to retain the county
office.
"And then the most significant
statement is made that their decis-
ion will be reached according to the
greatest number Of signatures of tax
payers for or against, in petitions or
by letter in their office at that time.
The cost Of the office is given as
$1,000 from the county, $500 from the
state, and $50 from the federal
government.
Gust why the board Of county COM
~missioners, who are elected to repre-
sent the people, whose offices are
Just across the hall from the county
agents, and who should be in a pc.
sition to knew exactly whether the
county agent justifies the nominal ex-
pense, take this method Of lodging
any responsibility for the office and
select this arbitrary method of Inak-
ing a decision, is not clear.
perhaps it is because a small
group, who apparently are opposed
to- progress or Improvement in farm
ing conditions, have been working for
! several months to get signatures to
a petition to discontinue the county
agents office.
"But, whatever the cause, the issue
is now clear cut. The number Of
signatures for or against are what
will count. This challenge should be
met by every red-bloOded taxpayer
in Gallatin county who believes in
progress and the development Of ag-
ri~culture along constructive lines; in
short, who believes that our farmers,
their wives and the boys and girls on
the farm should have the same
chance, the same opportunities, and
the same pleasures as their city cOus-
ms. In order that an intelligent de-
cision may be reached the following
facts and figures have been secured:
County agent work is now being
carried on in 1882 counties in tn,
United States. It is supported b!
federal, state and county funds, ant
over 90 per cent Of all agriculture
counties in the United States nov
/, have a county agent. Many cOuntie
and states have had county agents 70
10 or more years. There r 2
i; county agents in Montana; and YET
GalIatin, the greatest agriculture
county of them all, is wOnderin
: whether she should have a count
! agent. High authorities including
! former commissioner of agricultur
of this state, have declared that Ga
latin county has the most efficieI
county agent program in the entiI
state.
Locally, what has county ager
work meant to- us?
"Our county agent was probabl
the first mar in the United Stat'
q to suggest the area method Of testir
cattle for tuberculosis, and Gallat
=. county was one of the first thrl
counties to have all of its stO'
\ tested. It meant the actual testil
and retesting Of 96,4S9 cattle. Eve
~tubercular COW in the county was d
!. stroyed and a chance given to o
babies, little folks and grownups :
have milk free from the dread d
ease.
'Did you ever hear Of boys a
girls clubs before we had a cOur
agent?
Over 800 Of these little folks hs
been enrolled and helped to raise b
ter livestock, cook better, and s
better and be better citizens. L
4; year these httla folks took aim
every prize in that division at
state fair, giving Galatin coul
more constructive advertising Il
a general exhibit costing SIEVE
p thousand dollars could have done
"This week over a full carload
.d. boys and girls club livestock win
la5 from Ganatin county to the Mi3l'
'od Empire fair.
en- eve never had a Gallatin day
ler til our county agent, backed by
ne Farm bureau, started it. Over
nm people have attended it during
e four years Of its existence.
a. "Grasshoppers have gone for
ter time being, and how easy it is to /
te- getl Some Of the very men who
now crying that we cannot forget
lre expense, were, a year or two /.
acn looking to the most effective mac.
re cry that any county agent ever B
its up. to furnish the materials 8
which to poison gheppels
save their crops. The saving
the r-.-- --errk