The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1906-12-05

welfare save where he is engaged in
work which nernits it to act under the
interstate commerce clause OF the Con-
stitution; and this is one reason why I
so earnestly hope that both the legisla-
tive and judicial branches of the gov
ernment will construe this clause Of the
Constitution in the broadcast possible
manner. we can, however, in such
matter as industrial training, in such a
matter as child labor and factory laws,
set an example to the states by enact
ing the most advanced legislation that
can wisely be enacted for the Dis
Of Columbia,
Agriculture.
The only other persons whose welfare
lis as vital to the welfare of the whole
country as is the welfare OF the wage
workers are the tillers of the soil, the
farmers It is a mere truism to say
that no growth of cities, no growth of
wealth. no industrial development can
atone for any falling off in the charac-
ter and standing of the farming popu-
lation. During the last few decades
this fact has been recognized with
ever increasing clearness. There is no
longer any failure to realize that farm
ing, at least in certain branches, must
| become a. technical and scientific pro-
! fession. This means that there must
| be open to farmers the chance for tech
I meal and scientific training, not theo-
retical merely, but of the most severely
| typical type The farmer represents
| peculiarly high type of American citl-
zenship, and he must have the same
chance to rise and develop as other
American citizens have. Moreover it
is exactly as true of the farmer, as IT IS
Of the business man and the wage
worker, that the ultimate success of
the nation of which he forms a part
must be founded not alone on material
/ prosperity, but upon high moral, mem
tai and physical development. This ed
ucation of the farmer-self-e education
by preference, but also education from
the outside, as with all other mems
! peculiarly necessary here in the United
States, where the frontier conditions
even in the newest states have now
nearly vanished where there must be
substitution of a more intensive sys-
tenn Of cultivation for the old wasteful
farm management, and where there
must be a better business organization
among the farmers themselves.
Several factors must cooperate in
the Improvement of the farmers con-
| dition, He must have the chance to be
educated in the widest possible sence-
in the sense which keeps ever in view
the intimate relationship between the
theory of education and the facts of
life. In all education we should widen
our aims. 1t is a good thing ito produce
a certain number of trained scholars
and students, but the education super
intended by the state must seek rather
to produce a hundred good citizens
than merely one scholar, and 1t must
be turned now and then from the class
book to the study Of the great book Of
nature itself This is especially true Of
the farmer, as has been pointed out
/ again and again by all observers most
competent to pass practical Judgment
on the problems of our country life.
All students now realize that education
1 must seek to train the executive pow
ers of young people and to confer more
real significance upon the phrase dig
nifty of labor" and to prepare the pu-
| pills so that in addition to each devel-
oping in the highest degree his individ-
ual capacity for work, they may to-
gether help create q right public opin-
1 ion, and show in many ways social and
cooperative spirit, Organization has
become necessary in the business
world; and it has accomplished much
| for good in the world Of labor. 1t is no
less necessary for farmers. Such a
movement as the grange movement is
good in itself and is capable Of a we'll
nigh infinite further extension for good
so long as ii is kept Ito its own legiti-
| mate business. The benefits to be de-
rived by the association Of farmers for
mutual advantage are partly economic
and partly sociological.
Moreover, while in the long run vol
untary effort will prove more efflcac-
ous than government assistance, while
the farmers must primarily do most for
themselves yet the government can
also do much. The Department of Ag-
riculture has broken new ground in
many directions, and year by year 1t
finds how 1t can improve its methods
and develop fresh usefulness. It's con-
slant effort is to give the governmental
assistance in the most effective way;
that is, thru associations of farmers
rather than to or thru individual far
mers. 1t is also striving to coordinate
its work with the agricultural depart
ments of the several states, and so far
as its own work Is educational, to CO.
ordinate it with the work of other edu-
loational authorities. Agricultural edu-
Ication is necessarily based upon gem
| eral education, but our agricultural ed
ucational institutions are wisely spe-
cializing themselves, making their
courses relate to the actual teashing OF
the agricultural and kindred sciences
to young country people or young city
people who wish to live in the country
Great progress has already been
made among farmers by the creation OF
farmers Institutes, of dairy associa-
ltions, Of breeders associations, horti-
cultural associations and the like A
striking example of how the govern
ment and the farmers can cooperate is
shown in connection with the menace
offered to the cotton growers Of the
Southern States by the advance of the
boil weevil The department is doing
all + can to organize the farmers in
the threatened districts, just as it has
| heen dninnr oil II can To nrganizh them