Industrial freedom. [volume] (Edison, Wash.) 1898-1???, 1898-12-10

spects the meat as it is received at
our great cities Is not the town in
terested toknow whether hog cholera,
or trichinosis, or tuberculosis is rag
ing among the livestock on the farm?
What kind of bacteria makes the fla
vor of your butter, or whether milk
or oleomargarine fills your cheese, is
matter of some concern to the city
jewellers. And beyond this the nutri-
tive quality of the meat, flour, and
vegetables your city markets afford
may affect your life and happiness.
Your purses, too, will be affected by
the kind of farming done in the neigh
bOrhood OF your city. In the vicinity
of a certain city the farmers are too
ignorant or too lazy to raise good
chickens or vegetables. The market
men are obliged to send long distances
to get the grade of produce demanded
by their customers. | have no doubt
both farmers and citizens in and near
that city curse the middlemen for poor
returns and high prices. Can city
afford to be surrounded by an unintel-
ligent and shiftless yeomanry?
happen to be the representative of
the United States Government in it's
efforts to make more intelligent far
mers by means of agricultural colleges
and experiment stations, and to teach
the people that there is a relation be-
tween good, pure, and sufficient food
and the vigor and progressiveness of
the population. Are not the interests
of town and farm in such questions
~ 4x-<,s l1aA
ter farmers, and to produce better
food, do we not at the same time sub
serve the welfare of the city jewellers?
| am glad to note that people are be-
ginning to appreciate the INTERPOLATION
of farm and town in these f1ndamen-
tai matters. only wish that such a
spirit might be reflected in the debates
and in the organization of committees
under the dome of the greatcapitol at
Washington. Too often a narrow
class-spirit seems to pervade those
august halls, and there seems to be
delight to stir up strife rather than to
consider the best interests of all the
people. Let us have men from both
farm and town on the committees
when measures affecting agriculture,
manufactures, or commerce are being
considered 1t is the peoples business,
not that of any class or clique.
The great changes which recent times
have brought in the summer habits
of city people is an ever-increasing
means of bringing into clearer light
the common interests of farm and
town. In New England especially,
the value of the farm and of its prod
ucts depends more and more on its
availability as a summer residence for
city people. And these city boarders
are beginning to see that the farmers
surroundings and mode of life may
largely affect them for veal or woe.
Bad cooking at farm table has
ruined the digestion and health of
many a city dweller who fondly inn
agined that the larger air space of the
country was all that was necessary to
give him renewed vigor of mind and
body. Many a sojourner on a farm
has brought back typhoid fever to
blight his happiness all winter, if not
to end his life altogether. The loca-
ton of the farmers barns and out
buildings, with reference to the pollu-
ton of the domestic water supply, has
thus become a matter of vital import
ance to thousands of city jewellers.
OF still more Importance are the
mental and moral conditions of the
farmers family and his hired help, as
affecting especially the boys and girls
who go from the city to spend their
summer vacation on the farm. And
on his side the farmer may well con-
slider what sort of people they are
whon he brings from town to ASSOC
ciate so closely with his own children.
Do they come to inculcste extrava-
giant notions of living, and SOW the
seeds Of discomfort in his family! Do
they brias . low moral atmosphere
with tksm, or are they ready to throw
off prov~r restraint of manners or
mora&s GnsViy becansc they have
cone sato the country? Nave We sot