The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1914-1938, 1931-09-17
AGENTS. COST
INSIGNIFICANT
Tax Payers Cost Small,
According to Actual
Tax Figures

I:.h much interest, the report of
WINS mass meeting called for tn pur-
80 If considering tax reduction
have resided in Benton county
.ha mast seventeen years and have
va ~ our portion of the taxes each
Dor AS a taxpayer I am deep
= interested in the manner in
ybich our public money is spent.
also realize that in times of
,arression like we are now passing
through many of us are not only
- danper of losing our homes,
Int in fact have already lost them.
CIR c,,cb conditions always have a
tendency to arouse people from
tbeir peaceful slumbers. We sit
~ rub our sleepy eyes and be-
IN talking about tax reduction.
Ne scan the list of expenditures
irving to find something that we
can cut off. We find three appoint
i've officials which were unheard
If when we were boys 40 or so
years ago.
The county nurse, the county
club leader and the county agent.
Immediately the question is
asked aWhy these officials? We
cot along without them 40 years
ago why not dispense with them
now?"
When we were children, we had
teeth needing attention, adnoids
q be removed, poor eyesight and
snv number of other things, all of
which our hard working parents
land you will have to admit that
our parents worked) knew moth
inr about. We foundered along,
cot through our antiquated and
poorly equipped schools. Please
hear in mind that / am writing
Of schools for the farmers boy
and girl Of 40 years ago. AS a re-
suit. due to lack of expert atten-
ton at a tender age, many of US
are going thru life handicapped.
! Why keep the county club lead
) er?
We didn't have club leader
40 years ago. We as boys and
girls didn't fool away any time
learning to Judge live stock or can
fruit and vegetables. No. we milk
ed our scrub cow, we raised scrub
hogs and scrub chickens, we had
10 interest in the county fair ex-
cept to mingle with the crowd,
drink red lemonade and play the
part of a sucker at the various
get-rich-quick games. AS boys we
worked like slaves with poor
equipment and the farm work
vas carried on by main strength.
As girls they shaved in a poorly
equipped kitchen, first because
the farmer knew little of any
thing about modern conveniences.
When travel thru this valley,
stop at the homes of various
friends for visit and hear the
enthusiasm of the boys and girls
and realize lust a little of how
much Of this enthusiasm and
knowledge is due the efforts of
the county club leader i cannot
begrudge the small amount we pay
toward the support of the office
Of county club leader.
Then there is the office Of the
county agent. There is no use in
my taking time and space discus
sing the merits of dement's of the
county agent. Every farmer should
be familiar with the county agents
work. am unable to understand
hay any man can farm in this
county without deriving great
benefits by making use Of the
county agent. If you are in doubt
get a copy Of the county agents
annual report and read it.
Forty years ago the boys and
girls on the farm were looking
forward to the time when they
would be old enough to leave the
parental roof where life had been
continuous drudgery and seek
employment in the city. You old
er people know the results. How
ever, out of this slavery and this
drudgery on the farm, the idea of
county agent, county club lead
er and county nurse was originate
co. Some of the more intelligent
VINO We're forced to leave the
iarn in order to obtain an educa-
1on, looking back over the hard
snips of their own young lives,
nave devised ways and means of
making the burden a little lighter
ana making farm life worth liv-
ing Tor the coming generation.
IT seems to me that the average
farmer attempts to start at the
wrong end of the line to relieve
me so-called tax burden. In the
irst place it is impossible to re-
uuce taxes. The farmers them
serves will not be satisfied with
less than they are now getting
purchased with the tax dollar.
Why not work and vote for tas
reform?
we are living under an anti
quaEed tax system adopted in ter
rltorial days. What individual o.
corporation would attempt to run
a business in such an antiquities
fashion?
By abolishing the three office
mentioned above, approximate,
100000 would be saved.