100 THE COUNTY AGENT'S SERVICES 



pie themselves on the problem, is an important means of 

 meeting the problem. Public agricultural institutions are, 

 therefore, supporting the theory and the practice of co- 

 operative organization among farmers for buying and sell- 

 ing and are endeavoring to teach the sound principles 

 based on world experience which should govern it. 



The attack on the activities of county agents and farm 

 bureaus in this field seldom, if ever, comes neither from the 

 mass of consumers nor from the mass of producers. It 

 usually comes from certain of that small percentage of in- 

 dividuals who are directly engaged in the handling of farm 

 products between producer and consumer and who fear 

 what they call interference with their business. Their 

 fears are unfounded if they are really performing useful 

 and needful services. Instead of county, state and na- 

 tional legislatures cutting down their appropriations for 

 county agent work as they are so often urged to do by 

 these interests, because it is complained that too much of 

 the agent's energies and time go into this field of coopera- 

 tive organization for marketing purposes, these bodies 

 should increase their appropriations. The consumer is 

 even more vitally concerned with the working out of this 

 problem just at this time than he is with the solution of 

 the problems of production. The same is true of farmers. 

 This is the issue and it should be squarely met. If legis- 

 lators choose to fight the personal battle of this small 

 minority against the interests of the great majority of 

 producers and consumers, then the issue should be made 

 perfectly clear to all concerned. This is the only basis on 

 which it can be settled. 



It is then sound public policy to regard the establish- 

 ment of a cooperative organization to buy farm supplies 

 or to sell farm products, when such an organization is 

 based on a real need and upon a real desire of the group 



