208 ANKUAL REPORT 



people. This feature alone applied to our State would have saved 

 money enough in the last five years to pay all expenses of our 

 society for twenty years to come. 



Directors are required to report for their respective districts to 

 the annual meeting of the society, their necessary expenses in at- 

 tending that meeting being paid by the society. Thus the practi- 

 cal jurisdiction of the society and its benefits are extended to the 

 most remote corner of the State. 



If it is thought that the division of our State into so many districts 

 would prove too expensive, I venture to suggest that perhaps the 

 half of that number may secure nearly equal advantages at half 

 the cost. In the production of these twelve reports there must of 

 necessity be much repetition, and the reading of so many papers 

 in addition to customary essays on other subjects, seems to take 

 so much time that discussion, the great ^'Elucidator" is too much 

 circumscribed. 



Agaiu, the publication of so many papers of similar import will 

 swell the volume of the transactions till with diflEerences of opin- 

 ion so frequently expressed the tendency will be to confuse rather 

 than instruct. With a much smaller number of papers thoroughly 

 discussed and judiciously pruned, we may present a volume brief 

 enough to he read and comprehensive enough to he understood. And 

 I raise the question whether 10,000 copies of such a book in paper 

 covers, placed, in the language of the politician, "where they would 

 do the most good," would not be more beneficial to our people than 

 a volume of 5,000 nicely bound copies of over 500 pages, as an- 

 nually distributed by Iowa. 



By way of compromise can we not have a moderate supply of 

 full reports bound for exchange, etc., and 10,000 copies in greatly 

 condensed form for systematic general distribution? 



It was my intention to oSer these suggestions in regard to dis- 

 tricting our State volumes of transactions, &c., orally, but as I have 

 been honored by re-election which deprives me of that privilege, you 

 will excuse me for occupying so much of your time. And allow 

 me to express the hope that you in your wisdom will adopt and 

 elaborate some plan by which our labors may be extended so 

 as to secure equal favors and equal benefits as fully as possible to 

 every section of our State. 



