The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1903-04-07

part they play in the upbuilding OF the ma
ton.
The other stops Of the day were made at
woonsocket. Scotland. Tripp. Parksan. Al
pena and Redfield.
In his first speech at Sioux Falls, the
President said:
FeIlow-Gtizens: There are many. many lesser
the huge and complex problems OF our modern
Industrial life.
Each Of these problem. s. moreover. connected
with many others Few indeed are simple or
stand only by themselves.
The most important those connected with
the relation Of tho farmers. the stock growers
and soil tillers TO ths community At large
and those affecting the relations between en-
ployer and employed.
ToILERs' wELL-BEINo.
In q country like ours it Is fundamentally
true that the well-being Of the tiller Of the soil
and the wage worker Is the well-being OF the
State. II they are well on. then ve need con-
cern ourselves but little as to how other classes
stand. for they will inevitably be well OF. too.
general prosperity unless based on the founda-
uon Of the prosperity OF the vzge-vorxs- and
tie tiller of the soil.
But the needs Of these two classes are often
not the same The tiller OF the soil has been OF
all our citizens the one. on the whole. the least
affected in his ways Of life and methods OF In
dustry by the giant Industrial changes OF the last
half century. There has been change with him.
too. Of course. He also can work 20 best adyan-
tage IL he keeps IN close touch with his fellows:
and the succezs Of the National Department Of
Agriculture has shown how much can be done for
him by rational action OF the Government.
Nor In Il only through the department that the
Government can act. One OF the greatest and
most benehcent measures passed by the last Con-
gress. or indeed by any Congress in recent years
is the irrigation act which will do for the States
Of the great plains and the Rocky Mountain re-
E1or at least much ever has been done for
the States Of the humid region by river and har-
ra1~
put upon the statute books Of the nation have
done more for the people than this law will
frmly believe. directly and Indirectly accomplish
for the States In question.
DEPARTMENTS WORK.
Ths Department Of Agriculture devotes ~,
whole energy to WORKING for the welfare Of
farmers ana stock growers. In eyery ,.ection
OF our country IL aids them In their constantly
increasing search for better Agricultural edu-
cation. II helps not only them. but all the na-
tion. in seeing that our exports Of meats have
clean bills Of health. and that there Is rigid
inspection OF all meats that enter into inter
state commerce Thirty-eight million carcaSses
were Inspected IN the last nscal year. Our stock
growers sell sf5.oOoooo worth Of live stock an
nualiy. ana these animals must be kept healthy
or else our people will lose their trade.
Our export OF plant products to foreign coun-
tries amounts TO over $500 900. 600 $ year and
there is branch Of its work to which the
Department OF Agriculture deyo;es more care.
Thus the department has been successfully
waters Of the Volga, which grows successfully
in ten inches Of rainfall. and by this means
wheat growing has been successfully extended
westward into the semsarid region Two mill
lion bushels Of this Fheat were grown last
year: and being suited to dry conditions. ft
can be used for forage as well as for food fer
man.
Inc Department OF Agriculture has been help
Ing our fruit men 20 establish markets abroad
ty studying methods Of fruit preservation through
refrigeration and through methods Of handling
and packing.
thanks 10 the Department Of Agriculture. rice
sultable 70 the region was imported from the
Orient, and the rice crop Is now practically
equal 20 our needs In this country, whereas .
few years age It supplied but one-fourth of
them.
The most important Of our farm products "a
the grass crop: and TO show what has been done
with grasses. need only allud. TO the striking
change made in the entire West by the extend
ed OF alfalfa.
SAVING FORESTS
Moreover. the department has taken the Leaf
in the effort 10 prevent the deforestation Of the
country. Where there are forests we seek %
preserve them: and the once treeless plains
and the prziries are doing our best TO foster
the habit Of tree planting among our people In
my own lifetime have seen wonderful changes
brought about by this tree planting here 10 your
own STATE and IN the States Immediately
around II.
There are o number cf very important ques-
rcns. such ss that Of good roads With which