TABLE 11.-Percentage distribution of funds for cooperative extension work, by source and by State, fiscal year ended June 30, 1937 1 Contributions of funds from farmers' organizations represent the widest extremes in extension finance. No such funds are used in 29 States; 6 States secure less than 1 percent and 8 States secure between 1 and 5 percent of their extension funds from such private contributions or membership fees. In only 5 States do private funds support 5 percent or more of the extension program. These States and their respective amounts are: Illinois, 38 percent; Iowa, 13 percent; North Dakota, 10 percent; Kansas, 10 percent; and Connecticut, 7 percent. Connecticut is the only non-central State in this group. These States, with one or two exceptions, have strong farm bureau organizations closely associated with the Extension Service. It would seem that in those States where the extension work is supported in considerable measure by farm bureau membership dues there is danger that it will be restricted at times when the service is needed most, i. e., in periods of agricultural depression. Contributions from local farmers' organizations represent a small part of the total funds, yet the acceptance of such money in some situations places the county extension workers in embarrassing relationships to these and other organizations, their members, and nonmembers.58 Moreover, these contributions vary from year to year and it is difficult to anticipate receipts from them. Organization and Administration of Extension Work The Cooperative Extension Service, as organized, involves the cooperation of the Federal Government through the United States Department of Agriculture, of the States through their land-grant colleges, of the counties through their governing boards, and of the local communities through their cooperating organizations and committees. This general organization is presented graphically in Figure 1. The Cooperative Extension Service coordinates the various extension activities that were carried on independently by the States and the United States Department of Agriculture previous and subsequent to the passage of the Smith-Lever 58 MacDonald, op. cit., p. 67. Act. This coordination avoids duplication of extension activity and expenditure among the same farming people and makes possible a more systematic and coordinated attack Farm Management, etc. Home Management, etc. 4-H Canning Clubs, etc. FIGURE 1.-Organization chart of the Cooperative Extension Service on the whole extension problem. All cooperative agricultural extension work reaches the people through the county extension office regardless of the source of funds, and thus tends to insure the recognition of local needs and conditions. The key workers in the Cooperative Extension Service are the resident agents in the counties and their assistants. Resident agents are: (1) The agricultural adviser, generally called the county agent; (2) the home demonstration agent; (3) the boys' and girls' club agent. A county may elect to support an extension service by action of its legal governing board. In so doing it assumes responsibility for providing certain funds from county tax sources, establishes an office, and selects the county extension workers from those approved or nominated by the State extension officials. Organizations of local people, or individuals, may contribute to the expense of maintaining the county office and its workers. In some States the Farm Bureau is designated as the only organization legally authorized to participate in the extension program. The man selected as agricultural adviser is generally considered to be in administrative control of the county extension office, although home demonstration agents and boys' and girls' agents and their assistants are allowed much independence in organizing and conducting their respective activities. Frequently the agricultural agent is the only extension worker employed in the county. All workers must be approved by the State and Federal officials, and this approval makes them employees of the agricultural college which acts for the State, and of the United States Department of Agriculture. The county extension agents, with the assistance of their local organizations and their district supervisors, plan the extension program for the county, submit it for approval to the county governing board or to the county advisory board, administer the program, care for local needs as they arise, report their activities, and account for expenses. The county extension agent renders individual service when called upon but generally utilizes group meetings as a more efficient use of his time. For this reason the extension projects are organized for group teaching, each project being in charge of a local leader. The agent trains the local leaders in group meetings, and the local leaders hold meetings in their townships or neighborhoods and relay the work to their neighbors.59 The agricultural and home economics extension work is managed at the land-grant college by a director of extension and his staff. The extension service is organized as a division of the land-grant college. The director of extension is coordinate with the dean of instructional work and the director of the experiment station and is usually responsible to the dean of agriculture or to the president of the college. Responsible to the director are the clerical force, one or more assistant directors who may be the State leaders of the various phases of extension (agricultural, home economics, club work), and the supervisory or district officers each of whom oversees in general the work in about 20 counties. Located at each institution is a group of subject-matter specialists. The county extension workers are jointly responsible to their local county officials and to the director of extension. They are the local representatives of the college, the point of contact between the college and the people.60 Federal activities in connection with cooperative agricultural extension work are carried on under the direction of the Secretary of Agriculture by the Extension Service of the Department of Agriculture. Following a recent reorganization, the internal organization of the Extension Service consists of the Office of the Director and four Divisions.61 (See Figure 2.) In addition to the Director and Assistant Director, who carry on general administrative functions, the Office of the Director includes three Principal Technical Analysts. These officials review State budgets, projects and plans of work, making recommendations for their improvement; make periodic inspections of State expenditures; and prepare annual and special reports of the Service. The four Divisions of the Service and their respective functions are: 59 Smith and Wilson, op. cit., p. 47-8. 60 Ibid., pp. 13-5; Blauch, op. cit., pp. 193-4. 61 Information supplied by the Extension Service on the basis of the reorganization of February 1, 1939. Extension Service Memorandum No. 34, January 26, 1939. |