The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1932-03-25
THE FARM YOUTH AND
THE COUNTY AGENT

I'LL VUUV11 HUEIVI
One Of the main demagogic arguments of those
in favor Of retaining the county agent in those
counties where widespread resentment has dsvel-
oped against the extension work is that he means
so much to the work among the farm youth.
Thus fer example in Sheridan County, Mon
tana. The Plentywnod Herald, the mouthpiece of
the county agent and all other enemies Of the
telling masses wrote on March g.: zone prominent
farmer this week :. stated that the office of
the county agent is of more benefit among the
younger farm residents than are the schools; that
the farm clubs, projects, ETC. and the good infu-
ence they have rural youth, will be without
leadership, and their effectiveness will be worth
less" (The prominent farmer" mentioned, is a
farmer whom the Commercial Club use to "rep-
resent" the farm masses of the county at their
banquets)
The following week the Herald returns to the
same theme and asks, "Will the q boys and girls
clubs in the county with some three hundred mem
bers go on with this work without a county
agent?"
Why do the organs of the capitalist class bring
forth the youth work Of the county agent in his
defense? For one thing they know that no farm
er will believe them if they give the reason that
the farmer has himself benefited from the work
Of the county agent The privation and destitu-
ton of the masses of the farmers Of the country
after years Of extension work by the county ag-
ents-AND PARTLY BECAUSE OF THE Elk
TENSION WORK OF THE COUNTY AGENTSi
lis too brutal fact for the toiling farm masses
that the organs Of the capitalist class would open
~ try to say otherwise.
Therefore they ring in the work of the county
agent among the youth as a reason why the far
mers should continue 10 support this breed of
parasites and finks.
We do not say that the work of the county ag-
ents among the youth is not important. 1t is
among the most important work carried on by the
county agent. BUT 1T is DECEIT, HYPOCRI-
sly, MISEDUCATION PRACTICED ON OUR
YOUTH-THE YOUTH OF THE TOILING
FARM MASSES-FOR THE EXPLORERS This
IS the "good influence they have on rural youth"
The capitalist class realizes the Importance of
this work in the exploitation Of the farm masses
For what other reason do the implement and fer
tizer trusts, the railroads, the banks, and the
rest of the exploiters support the extension work
THEIR COUNTY AGENTSI
THE MAIN WORK OF THE COUNTY AGENT
AMONG THE YOUTH is TO TRY AND CON-
VINCE THEM THAT THERE is A POSSIBLE
TY FOR A DECENT LIVING FOR TIL E FARM
MASSES UNDER CAPITALISM. For this rea-
son, the county agent entices the farm youth into
raising pig or a cow, or putting in an acre of
wheat or corn, and keeping record of the results
These farm boys and girls who make the best go
of it are given prize of some sort and the win
ners IN a state are sent to Chicago or elsewhere
to the grain fairs or stock shows
The expenses Of these trips are paid by the i'm
plement trust, or the railroads or by some other
section of the capitalist class WHICH Is Elk
PLOTTING THE FATHERS AND MOTHERS OF
THE YOUTH WHO PARTICIPATE IN THESE
EXPERIMENTS. They exploit not only the far
mers and their wives. Thru the pressure thew ex
ert on the farmers to make their interest and
mortgage payments and to meet the tax demands
Of the capitalist state THEY FORCE THE FAR
MER TO DRIVE HIS CHILDREN ON THE
CAPITALIST TREADMIIL
While the county agents, under the direction of
the capitalist class, keep thousands Of farm hovs
and girls interested In some project or other the
capitalist class exploits to the utmost the farm
masses who depend on these products for living.
The task of the county agent Is not pnlv To keen
NE farmers ground down in the miserable expIoi-
tation that capitalism means for them, but 10
train the farm youth to take the places of their
fathers and mothers IN shaving their lives awav
Tor the bankers He is the lieutenant of the CAM
talist class among the farm masses His task is
30 bind the farm youth in the profit-making ma
enlnery Oh the bankers just as their parents-the
million masses on the farms-are now bound
OUR YOUTH-THE SONS AND DAUGHTERS
OF THE TOILING FARM MASSES BELONG
10 U.s. They must be with us in the STRUGGLE
Our struggle against the oppression of the CAPT
taist class against foreclosures against sales for
taxes, against evictions-THIS STRUGGLE IS
OUR STRUGGLE, FOR OUR YOUTH Their
demands for decent school facilities, for medical
attentlon and dental care, for sports facilities.
THESE MUST BE A PART OF OUR sTRTJC-
GLE The struggle for immediate relief for The
small and middle farmers, the struggle AGAINST
the imperalist war; for the defense Of the Chinese
masses and for the defense of the Soviet Unicn-
tins is part of the struggle for the lives of our
children.
Our struggles are the struggles Of the tOiling
farm masses, the struggles of the exploited We