138 

 ESSAY. 



BY FRAN'CIS H. APPLETON. 

 REFORM. 



Where is it needed and how shall it be brought about ? I 

 think that I can safely say that there only a comparitively small 

 number of the members of our Essex Agricultural Society that 

 do not need to reform in their actions as members. 



According to the By-laws a committee is appointed at the an- 

 nual meeting, by nomination from the floor, consisting of one 

 member from each city or town, whose duty it is to meet before 

 the first of the following July and nominate a list of officers and 

 Trustees to be voted for at the next annual meeting. Each 

 member of the Society should therefore take the greatest care 

 to have a public spirited man of unquestionable character rep- 

 resent their home on this Committee. 



With a Committee thus carefully appointed, none but the best 

 officers could be nominated and it would be better for us to thus 

 always vote the Society's regular ticket, 



It must be remembered that the Trustees have power to do 

 what they please with the funds of the Society ; so it will be at 

 once seen that should an incompetent or selfishly disposed board 

 of Trustees at any time be elected, they could immediately 

 squander the Society's funds in whatever way they chose. Thus 

 the present excellent financial condition of the Society, which is 

 the result of years of care, might be destroyed in an hour. 



It is fashionable at the present time to cry reform. While 

 reform is unquestionably much needed in the Country at large, 

 it might also be advantageously applied to some customs of our 

 Society ; but it is of the utmost importance to be sure that the 

 people who cry for reform are honest in their intentions and 

 that they are not at the same time aiming to gain some selfish 



