Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-05-26

Not all the thrills have been theirs, however.
Dangers quite as great have sometimes been
experienced by those who have sought to over
come hostile public opinion by the use of mo-
ton pictures in the departments campaigns
for the eradication of plant and animal
diseases and insect pests.
Vigorous opposition has often been met in
some sections in the campaign for the eradi-
cation of the tick which acts as q carrier Of
southern cattle fever Some of the depart
ment's agents. provided with trucks equipped
with motion picture projectors have gone into
these communities with films showing the bene-
fits OF tick eradication. Threats have often
been made to blow up the tick wagon" and
beat up" the operator. In one such community,
long known to be hostile to the project the de-
partment's film, Molly of Pine Grove Vat"
was shown, despite such threats.
This three-act picture shows how plucky peo-
pie In one community eradicated ticks in spite
Of serious obstacles and opposition by q law
less element. The show began before an audi.
ence which included a crowd of bullies and
the local bad man. With the unweaving of the
story. however, which showed clearly that only
selfishness and prejudice oppose the useful
work Of tick eradication. opposition melted.
The leader, instead Of whipping the DEPART
ment's agent, as he had said he would do, shook
hands with him before he left. In other dis
tricts where opposition has been so strong as
to make the efforts OF tick eradication hazard
friends Of former opponents and is preparing
the way for better live stock and more pros
porous citizens.
County agricultural agents were asked their
opinion recently Of the usefulness of motion
pictures in their work. OF 982 replies, $40
agents favored using films, 149 were noncom-
initial and Is did not favor them at all. The
opinions of many agents are well summed up
in the following extract from the annual report
of the county agricultural agent of Lyon Coun-
ty. Kans. He said:
This was the first farm bureau in Kansas to
purchase its own complete motion picture out
tit Motion pictures have been exhibited at So
meetings. to q total attendance Of 6,608 peo-
pie The advantages Of using motion pictures
in education extension work are that they hold
the attention of audiences, increase attendance
at meetings, bring out more forcefully and mora
intelligently the points desired; a balanced
and varied program can be put on to interest
farmers; the agricultural agent can carry more
specialized work to the farmers and be indie
pendent of outside specialized assistance, and
the cost of maintaining extension work is ma
terially reduced"
THERE has been a large foreign demand for
the agricultural films in addition to their
exhibition by farm and community organiza-
tions. schools and colleges, women's clubs gar
den clubs, sportsinenS and breeders aSSocia-
uons, churches, Boy Scout troops. business
mems organizations, museums theaters fairs
and expositions. conventions, hospitals. peni-
tentiaries. hotels and Summer resorts in the
United States Since 1920 approximately 600,-
900 feet of the films have been sold to foreign
countries. Asia, South America and Canada
have bought over 100000 feet EACH while Europe
and Africa have each purchased more than
$4,000 feet.
Although urgent requests constantly
ceived, film is not generally loaned outside the
continental United States because the domestic
demand Is larger than can be met with the