THE DEMONSTRATION WORK 



something like an office of extension or demonstration work, and 

 shall have its staff of workers who shall reach every farmer in that 

 state. Now, it goes without saying that a state institution ought to 

 be able to get into more intimate and easy touch with the farmers in 

 its own state than the Federal Government can possibly do. 



Therefore, it seems to me wise that provision should be made 

 that the state shall develop this machinery. But the Federal Gov- 

 ernment has a responsibility. In the first place, it has information 

 that it wants to give out; in the second place, the Federal Govern- 

 ment proposes to make an appropriation, and it is desirable that it 

 should have machinery to see that that is carefully and wisely ex- 

 pended, and it does not seem to me to be wise and adequate to pro- 

 vide merely that after the money is expended there shall be an audit ; 

 a post mortem does not secure the best results, and it does not 

 secure the most desirable end. The thing to do is to have the two 

 work in close harmony, put their heads together, and adopt a plan 

 for getting their two sorts of information to the people." 



Dr. W. 0. Thompson, of Ohio, chairman of the Executive 

 Committee of the Association of Agricultural Colleges, en- 

 dorsed this provision very strongly. He said : 



"It looks to us as if we should get closer together, with a better 

 organization, a more efficient expenditure of money, and a better 

 understanding than ever before. These colleges and stations are the 

 places where the Federal Government has been pouring the money — 

 50 years in the colleges and 25 years in the stations. . . . The Federal 

 control of its own money is an essential problem and a very practical 

 situation. If any criticism could be made of Federal expenditure for 

 50 years in the colleges and stations, I should say that it could be 

 directed against the lack of careful supervision of the expenditure of 

 its money. . . . Now comes along the extension field, which admittedly 

 is the largest area, and therefore the least subject to supervision, in 

 which it is proposed that before the money is expended the Depart- 

 ment of Agriculture, representing the Federal Government, and 

 these colleges, representing the state governments, shall get together 

 in a friendly council and lay out the projects, and provide, as far as 

 human agencies can provide, for the wise, economical, and efficient 

 expenditure of this money. Gentlemen, it seems to me that that 



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