FARM BUREAU: RELATION TO COUNTY AGENT 215 



priations of county commissioners or boards of supervisors. 

 In several states this power is limited to the funds derived 

 from membership, and county appropriations pass through 

 the college as in Ohio and Indiana, the county board advis- 

 ing only as to expenditures. In many states the local 

 board has so little control even over local funds as to make 

 its powers and responsibilities nominal in character and 

 confined to "incidentals" and advice. Apparently about 

 the same condition exists in the South, with a considerably 

 larger degree of state centralization, and less actual control 

 and management because of a less amount of local funds 

 and in some cases no local organization. 



In most of the states, the counties, properly, have an 

 important part both in the determination of policies and 

 in the making of programs ; but the degree of responsibility 

 varies somewhat with the amount of funds contributed. 



In all of these points the Southern states fairly con- 

 sistently retain full supervision of the agents at the college, 

 fixing and paying the greater part of the salaries and often 

 the expenses also, and using local county organizations, 

 where they exist, in a purely advisory capacity in making 

 up programs. 



Perhaps in one-half of the states the local boards make 

 written agreements with the college concerning finances, 

 program, and employment of county agents, and many of 

 those who do not have such agreements now are planning 

 them. In most cases this is provided for by the state law. 



Most states in the North and West recognize the county 

 association as an independent association over which the 

 state has no control, except in so far as their acts must be 

 "cooperative" under the laws, and as is "mutually agreed 

 upon" in connection with the county agent's work. 



Eecognition of this independent association as a partner 

 ;with the public institutions in the conduct of ' ' cooperative 



