28 IOWA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



The effect was that the legislature last year, in the State of Pennsyl- 

 vania, passed a satisfactory road law, appropriated six millions and a 

 half for public roads, and established a Highway Department, the super- 

 intendent being a member of the governor's cabinet. This was brought 

 about through the education that was given the country people by the 

 farmers' institutes. 



Here are two instances that have come under my personal observa- 

 tion, showing the power of central control and of consolidated organiza- 

 tion. This consolidation does not mean that the localities shall give up 

 all of their power to this central authority. It simply means that we 

 shall do in a degree that which we did when we, organized the govern- 

 ment of the United States, or conferred sovereignty upon the State; we 

 gave up merely a portion of our rights to these governmental powers for 

 the sake of the better administration of our affairs. The States gave up 

 a part of their rights to the general government for the protection it 

 could thereby throw around them, and they retained so much of their 

 individuality as was necessary to make their home government effective. 



Central control in instittite work gives power to the institute organi- 

 zation to take up any great fundamental truth of general interest or im- 

 portance, and bring it promptly and effectively to the attention of -the 

 people of a State. This is a most valuable power to possess, whether it 

 be exerted for schools, roads, or agricultural improvement in crops ani- 

 mals, or methods of culture. 



There is another thing that central control accomplishes. It secures 

 better institute teachers, and elevates the standard of work. The life 

 of the farmers' institute is in the teaching. Your institute will not rise 

 higher than the ability of your teachers. If you have third-rate teachers, 

 you will have third-rate institutes; if you have high class teachers, you 

 will have high class institutes. If the school in your locality has a first- 

 class teacher, you will have a first-class school; its grade depends on the 

 teacher. 



The organization of the institute under central control enables the 

 State Directors to select competent men for institute service. The 

 teachers that are to give instruction must be men of superior attainments. 

 One of the most serious difficulties is to know where to get such men. 

 Where there is a central authority the opportunity for becoming acquainted 

 with men of ability and for securing their services is greatly 

 increased, and you are able to bring into your work the very best instruct- 

 ors that the coimtry contains. It enables them also to so organize the' 

 work in the several districts that the lecturers can be used to the best 

 advantage. The meetings can be arranged to come in consecutive order, 

 and more committees have the advantage of the teaching of your most 

 capable men. Men of the quality needed are very scarce. In order that 

 their services may be utilized to the best advantage, it is necessary to 

 have the work so distributed that they can go from point to point with 

 the least amount of travel: whereas, in the go-as-you-please method, 

 institutes frequently conflict with each other. There is no co-ordination 

 and the result is that many institutes are left without competent teachers 



