288 ANNUAL REPORT OF THE Off. Doc. 



others like if — we have more calls for re.i^ular iusdfiites than we can 

 supi)l.y; that is, we have calls lor more places than we can locate the 

 institutes at. There are certain of these places that have had insti- 

 tutes constantly, not every year but perhaps every other year or some- 

 thinji: like that, and olheis of these jilaces lliat hav(;, as lar as I know, 

 never ha«l an institute located at them and therefore the atendance, 

 we anticipate, would he rather liijht. In fact, last year we located 

 an institute at such a ])lace whei-e there never was one before and our 

 attendance was ]\<x}\\. Now the (piestion is this: Is it best to locate 

 an institute where there nevpr was one and where we antici])ate a 

 small attendance or to locate them whei*e they have been and where we 

 know we will have from three to four times the attendance? 



The CHAIRMAN: In rejdy to that I would say if it is a good 

 farming country and the farmers want to hold an institute there, give 

 them a trial and if they make a failure the first year charge it up to 

 them and don't go back. That is the way I have adjusted some of the 

 troubles in m}' county, 



I feel that I have got (me of the counties of which I believe the Sec- 

 retary is proud with regard to the attendance in each and every year, 

 regardless of weather conditions. The farmers' institutes of York 

 county have bettered the schools, bettered the homes, bettered the far- 

 mers and bettered the Christianity of our county. We have in the last 

 two years been holding an institute in a hall adjoining a hotel and 

 even on Saturday evening we have had good order and I am proud of 

 the people, for during the institutes we have not been troubled with 

 drunkenness and we have never l)een disturbed. Our hall opened right 

 into the side room of the hotel and it was just as orderly as any 

 church that I ever sat in in Pennsylvania and I believe that the far- 

 mers' institutes have done a great deal toward bringing about this 

 betterment in our county. We advertise our institute meeting first 

 and after we have selected the places, on the sheet which I send back 

 to Mr. Martin I designate; for instance, if you are coming to our 

 county on the eastern side such an institute should be held first and 

 following on, coming down in regular order so as to make it con- 

 venient for the speakers, and in the last seven years I have always 

 been able to locate the speakers on Saturday night in a i)lace very 

 acceptable to them. 



DEPUTY SECKETAKY MAIITIN: I have been very much in- 

 terested in this discussion. It gives me information that I cannot pro- 

 cure in any other way. Sometimes, you know, men when they get into 

 the spirit of discussion Avill say things that they will not say in cooler 

 moments and they are apt to tell the truth there. I was so much in- 

 terested in that extended discussicm about landing our splendid lec- 

 turers on Saturday evening out in some remote section of the State 

 we would almost have supposed, had we not known Pennsylvania as 

 well as Ave do and the hospitality that is so universal in the State 

 amongst the farmers, that we had a lot of territory in Pennsylvania 

 that compared with the wilderness. Now, my friends, just a word or 

 two along this line, I think I am able to appreciate because I have 

 travelled with these gentlemen in season and out of season, in storm 

 and in calm, and I have experienced hardships and I know they exist. 



