FARM BUREAU: RELATION TO COUNTY AGENT 223 



tion with local papers and therefore not good policy ; though 

 it could probably be shown without difficulty that the use 

 of the News stimulates rather than reduces advertising else- 

 where. Because of the high grade of the circulation of 

 these little papers, many national advertisers are now seek- 

 ing space in them and this is probably in competition with 

 local papers. This is a matter of policy for each local com- 

 mittee to decide. Advertising revenue usually defrays from 

 one-half to all their cost. The News belongs exclusively to 

 the local organization and the member's fee includes the 

 subscription price. In the absence of such publications 

 frequent circular news letters are used to keep the members 

 informed. 



Some persons have asserted that there was no need for 

 these publications and that they were competitors of local 

 newspapers who could and would be glad to perform all 

 the service that they render if given a chance and necessary 

 material to do so. This is the newspaper man's point of 

 view. No house organ can or should take the place of a 

 regular news service to local weekly and daily papers, 

 which will give them what their readers want to know of 

 the bureau's activities. The specialist in organization 

 knows that it is desirable to have a house organ owned 

 and controlled by the membership it serves which can 

 publish what and all that it desires to get to its members 

 when it wants to do so. The rapid spread of the county 

 "News" idea is the best evidence of the need for it unfilled 

 by other agencies. 



Another disputed question is whether or not the county 

 agent should serve as editor of the "News." The United 

 States Department of Agriculture and the American Farm 

 Bureau Federation have agreed in a memorandum that it 

 is best that he should not. Theoretically, the executive 

 committee, which is responsible for the paper, should ap- 



