ELEVENTH ANNUAL YEAR EOOK— PART V 279 



"Whereas, much publicity and unfavorable press comment has been 

 made because of the state's decrease in population as shown by the last 

 national census, and. 



Whereas, we believe the rural educational system to be one of the 

 prime factors in the depopulation of our rural communities, be it 



Resolved. That we commend to the earnest attention of the incoming 

 legislature the necessity of reorganizing and readjusting the educational 

 system of the state to the end that special instruction and training be 

 given along agricultural and vocational lines. 



Resolved, We recommend that provision be made for such instruction 

 in agriculture and home economics in the rural schools of Iowa, and to 

 promote same we favor the consolidation of rural schools so far as prac- 

 ticable. We further recommend that state aid be granted for a limited 

 number of county agricultural or industrial high schools under conditions 

 to be prescribed by the legislature. 



Resolved, That we heartily approve and endorse the action of the 

 State Educational Board in establishing the two-year course in agriculture 

 at the state college. 



Resolved, That we have noted with regret the inroad made by other 

 states upon the faculty of our state college, and we earnestly recommend 

 liberal increases to the support fund for educational, experimental and ex- 

 tension work in agriculture, to the end that we can retain the services 

 of trained talent of the highest grade of efficiency. 



Resolved, That we recognize the value of strong local fairs for the 

 promotion of the best agricultural and industrial interests of the com- 

 munities they serve, and we urge a generous policy on the part of the 

 general assembly toward the increase in the support fund now given the 

 county and district fairs of Iowa. 



Resolved, That it is the sense of this convention that the legislature 

 should make suitable provision for the establishment and maintenance of 

 a publicity bureau to properly present the agricultural and industrial 

 opportunities and resources of our state. We believe the state should 

 be represented at all conservation congresses, expositions, and national 

 meetings at which our sister states are presenting to the people of the 

 nation their claims for consideration. Our own residents have little ap- 

 preciation of the wonderful fertility of soil, opportunities for investment, 

 and splendid rewards awaiting the intelligent application, energy and in- 

 dustry. 



Whereas, This meeting will close eleven years of active official rela- 

 tions on the part of Vice-president W. C. Brown, as a member of the Iowa 

 State Board of Agriculture, be it 



Resolved, That your committee realizes its inability to express the 

 real value of his services, or its appreciation of the high character, busi- 

 ness ability, unfailing courtesy, loyalty and labor through all these years. 



Resolved, We regret that election to the generally assembly removes 

 from our board, by resignation, one of the great cattle men of our state, 

 Chas. Escher, Jr., director from the ninth district, and his loss to our 

 board will be keenly felt at this time. We hope and believe that the new 



