ILLINOIS STATE DAIRYMEN S ASSOCIATION. 93 



Patten : Could not be hired for fifty dollars to wade 

 through one of those lengthy state society reports, and he 

 had seen printed reports that had cost the state ;^ 2 8,000, 

 that he wouldn't give ten cents for. 



McLean : Kne.w that these reports were, as a rule, 

 uninteresting, but he was in favor of getting up some that 

 were readable. 



Dr. Tefft : Said it was a well-known fact that they 

 had better agriculturists on the other side of the water than 

 we had here, and there the^y had their schools and gave them 

 instruction in the matter. Our state had attempted such a 

 school at the state institution. The dairymen of this state 

 paid large taxes. All their property was taxed. Now, if 

 we could get any privileges as dairymen we should get them. 

 It was well known that we couldn't keep up a board, and 

 we must have a station of investigation. The legislators did 

 their work and got their pay, but didn't look to our interest. 

 If we could, in any way, advance or improve by such, the 

 standard of our products, we would make much. The but- 

 ter product of Illinois for the year was 42,000,000 pounds. 

 If we, by means of help, could make butter that would bring 

 us one cent per pound more than it does, we would realize 

 a nice little amount from it. 



Patten : Said if you got any thing like a state board 

 established by law you simply gave another chance for a 

 certain class of men to get office. He agreed with Dr, 

 Tefift fully, but he didn't want a government such as they 

 had over the water to rule over him. He wanted to see 

 this matter kept separate from the state. It only opened a 

 chance for the governor to favor a few more of his friends 

 by giving them offices. We were making good progress 

 and got along well any way, and ought not to complain. 



