Niagara County: Its Agriculture and Its Farm Bureau 2097 



needed, and that he may give information as to the best means of estab- 

 lishing and operating them. The cooperators may constitute themselves 

 into a buying organization or they may trade through the regular dealers. 

 The responsibility of the business relations should lie with the people 

 or with their regularly established commercial representatives. 



" Inasmuch as the farm bureau is for all the people of its region, so 

 should all these people accept the privilege of its support. I like the 

 idea of a public membership organization, on which the farm bureau 

 rests, every member paying his annual dues. A man will not derive 

 much benefit from a farm bureau until his mind is flexible enough to 

 allow him to contribute money. * * * 



" I know that persons ask why they should contribute to the farm 

 bureau if it is the duty of the State and the Nation to support it. They 

 may feel that they pay for it in their taxes. It may be a question whether 

 it is the duty of the State or Nation wholly to support such work. Govern- 

 ment will found the plan, provide the machinery of supervision; but 

 even government action must be cooperative with the people if it is to 

 be effective. Taxes support government, rather than the special welfare 

 work of comhiunities. It is not the function of State and National govern- 

 ment to carry the details in the localities. The localities should be 

 themselves self-acting. The residents cannot expect to exercise much 

 control over the work if they do not make direct contribution to it." 



THE NIAGARA COUNTY COOPERATIVE FARM BUREAU 



In the summer of 191 2, some of the leading men of Niagara County 

 became interested in establishing a county organization known as the 

 farm bureau. These men solicited and received the cooperation and 

 support of the Board of Supervisors of Niagara County, the United States 

 Department of Agriculture, the New York State Department of Agri- 

 culture, and the New York Central and Hudson River Railroad Company. 

 The bureau was supported in 1913 and in 19 14 by a fund amounting 

 to $2860, cooperatively contributed as follows: 



United States Department of Agriculture $1 , 200 



New York vState Department of Agriculture 600 



Board of Supervisors of Niagara County i ,000 



New York Central and Hudson River Railroad Company 60 



In addition to these contributions of money the bureau received 

 gratuitous privileges from the Lockport Board of Trade in the way of 

 office facilities, and from the New York Central and Hudson River Rail- 

 road Company in the form of a pass for the manager of the bureau over 

 its lines within the county. 



According to the constitution of the Niagara County Cooperative 



Farm Bureau, all persons are eligible to membership. The following 



officers are elected at each annual meeting: president, vice president, 



second vice president, third vice president, secretary, and treasurer. 



The Attorney for the New York State Department of Agriculture in 



and for Niagara County is also one of the officers. The officers of this 



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