The Coolidge examiner., 1946-01-18


Florence left Friday with a group
OF Arizona engineers. farmers and
businessmen for Washington. ID. c..
20 lobby for the Poage Bill. which
has been presented in congress and
on which Fiscel was selected 10
represent the local interests AZ
meeting OF officials from Coolidge
Florence. West Coolidge. Selma.
and Seven Eight Soil Conservation
Districts in Coolidge Community
church Thursday night.
A. L. Bartlett. director OF Ari-
zona State Association OF Soil Con-
servation Districts. and supervisor
OF COolidEe-Florence District. called
the meeting. az which each OF the
four local districts raised 500 TO
defray the expenses Of Fisce's
trip.
The Poage Bill was introduced
by Representative Vim. poaEe OF
Texas and outlines a program OF
government ALLEGATION OF surplus
equipment used during the war TO
the soil conservation districts Of
western states. The districts will
in turn rent this machinery 20
farmers In the soil conservation
program az nominal fees TO cover
upkeep. operation and wear and
tear OF the machinery In this
manner farmers will receive the
benefit OF modern and expensive
machinery they could not other
wise afford for the improving and
levelling OF their farms. In turn.
II Is pointed out. each community
In which this program is followed
will benefit with the increased
prosperity and buying power OF It's
farmers. Texas. Oklahoma. Ari-
zona and other western states are
sending representatives % Wash
ington 20 lobby for the bin
Officials present az Thursdays
meeting were X X. Henness. coun-
~ agricultural agent: Henry +.
Collins. district soil conservation
ist OF Tucson. and his assistant.
BIN Anderson: Harold J. Fulton.
George u. Tatum. r. Gordon Smith.
and A. T. Ray. OF the Soil COnser-
vation Service. Coolidge: G. J.
Moody. project engineer. San Car
los project: f. G. Attaway. John
Bowling. A. l. Bartlett. Howard
Holland. p. r. Hannah. r. w. Ven
sell s. c. Mcfarland. w. X. Sellers.
O wv Rugg. supervisors Of local
soil conservation districts. and
other association officials.
A field trip over district ranches
under the Soil Conservation Pro
gram was conducted Friday to ac-
quaint farmers with work being
done in this locality The tour be
gan al the Adamsville 1.0S0 acre
ranch north OF Coolidge-Florence
highway. where the general opera
ton OF the program was explained.
The first step is the peutioning
By residents of each district for the
formation OF n soil conservation
district 10 operate In their locality.
After routine procedure has been
followed and the district organ
lied an office is established from
which the soil conservation ex-
perts and engineers work. The
districts are non-taxable and non
assable for this service and CO.
operation by the farmers is en-
tirely on a voluntary scale.
The soil conservation law was
passed in 1910 following the Dust
Bowl disaster and became effective
in 1871. as a preventative means
OF repetition of a like catastrophe.
Farmers were quick 10 see the wis
dom OF such a program and at pres
ent there are applications ahead
on file for this service in the local
districts. with approximately II
local districts.
Conservation experts interview
the farmer who wishes TO cooperate
in the program and from his past
knowledge of the land. through
trial and error. a plan is drawn up
for him TO follow. This plan takes
into consideration the amount Of
money the farmer wishes 10 use
toward the improvement OF his
land. and the farmers record OF
his problems. From this basis the
most feasible program for the par
ticular farm or ranch is worked out.
At the Adamsville ranch bench
system OF levelling has been used
and borders placed widely apart
for more convenient handling of
irrigation. The land is first staked