The San Francisco call., 1907-06-10
Inspires Presidents Speech Advocating
Sociological Work Among Farmers
BY Ira E. Bennett
yunA e-President

WASHINGTON, Juno 9.-President
Roosevelt's speech at Lansing. Mich.
on May 81 has led to much comment
on the part of those who are jealous of
the steady transfer of power from the
states to the federal governme ent The
president outlined a new departure for
the department. of agriculture. which,
10 say the least. is rather startling. It
Is nothing less than a plan to add
sociology to the numerous -ologies" OF
tnat department Under the word So
portant items.
The department of agriculture has
been dealing with growing crops"
SAID the president 'Tt must hereafter
deal also with living men," He pro-
ceeded to outline his plan by showing
now nearly half of the children Of
the United States are born and reared
on farms; that the loneliness. isolation
and drudgery of the farmers life have
driven many people to the cities. and
tnat something must be done to render
1arm life more attractive. The depart
ment OF agriculture is the medium
through which this work Is to be done.
II the presidents plans are to be fruit
full.
IT. happens that President Roosevelt
is not speaking in an academic fashion
---S ~@NS ee~AANo. 14O 10 AOt AiOi Gay Ca
horting the people to make farm life
attractive. but he is in earnest in shap-
ing plan of operation for the depart
ment OF agriculture and at the proper
time 1t will be seen that he Is In
earnest In asking congress to furnish
the necessary money and equipment
with which to do the work he has
planned. In his next annual message
the president will go into this subject
fully and urge that the department of
agriculture be empowered and directed
to attack the sociological problems
connected with farm life
The Washington Post facetiously
epitomizes the probable. popular con-
ception of the departments new line OF
work by printing q cartoon showing
Secretary Wilson in hayseed attire, sit
ting on chair on a table playing a
tune. while below him. beyond a keg
OF cider. are rural couples engaged In
waltzing to the 1ascivious pleasing of
the department fiddle. 1t is natural
that the presidents suggestion should
be thus rendered absurd by exaggera-
ton. He knows, however, exactly what
he wants and he has behind him
numerous company of agricultural ex-
perts who agree that tie lifting Of the
burden ofsdreariness and Isolation from
the farmer is as legitimate a task Of
the government as the Improvement of
his garden sass" or the annihilatfon
Of the cabbage snake
The president did not enter into de-
tails In his speech at Lansing. He did
not tell Just how the department Of
agriculture was to reorganize the So
cial system of rural communities. It
has been learned, however, that q COM
plete plan of operations has been
mapped out and that congress will not
be left long In the dark as to the de-
tails Of the proposed innovation.
PINCHOT RESPONSIBLE.
If somebody were to get Clifford Pin
chot up In corner. point an accusing
finger at him and charge him with the
parentage OF this new child Of central
ization 1t Is probable that he would not
deny the impeachment. From all that
can be learned here Pinchot is not
only the author Of this scheme, but he
is actually credited with the author
ship OF the greater part Of the presi-
dents speech at Lansing in which the
idea is given to the public Pinchot
was on the platform when the presi-
dent made his speech. but nobody knew
then that he was suspected OF being
an accessory.
This remarkable advance In paternal-
ism is said by its advocates to be not
nearly as radical as it seems at first
glance. They reason that there is no
more paternalism in aiding In the pro-
duction of happy and efficient human
beings on the farm than In promot-
Ing the production Of bigger or better
crops from the soil. Are not both for
the general welfare, for the benefit of
the people of the United States7 Is
1t not to the advantage OF the whole
people that the farm should
be titled and well titled? Can
this be done without keeping people
on the farm II they are wretched, pow
erty stricken and lonesome7 Since ag-
riculture Is the basis of manufactures
and commerce. tt Is argued that eevry-
thing within reason must be done by
tho government to foster agriculture,
including the Improvement of condi-
tions surrounding agricultural work
ers. Thus the people in cities will be
assured OF tho permanent welfare OF
tho foundation OF their activities and
the source Of their food supply. while
the rural resident will be content to
remain where he is.
Another argument advanced by the
advocates of the social welfare bureau
of the department Of agriculture IL
this: The department Of agriculture is
essentially paternal in its scheme and
In 1ts operations. It is government
machine for lifting farmer out OF the
Huo W supplying Dralnes Seeosp oAQe-
rtencs, weather observations and 50 on.
while at the same time killing or the
green bugs, plant lice. San Jose scale.
cattle ticksl boil weevils and all 9TH
er pests that ,besot him. Now, this
work is eithe6 valuable or worthless.
II 1t is valuable, It should be carried
on and expanded In all logical ways
for the beneft Of the American farmer.
II It Is worthless It should be abol-
ished forthwith. Conceding 1t to be
valuable, 1t Is asserted that the social
welfare program Is Z logical and neo-
essary development which must be
adopted II the department OF agr1cul-
ture Is to grow with the country.
The time has passed when men be-
come farmers for the sake of getting
a piece Of land from the government
Men are now turning away from the
farms. The problem is becoming socto-
logical Before the field is plowed
or the seed planted there must be
man on the ground. President Roose-
welt proposes that tho department OF
agriculture shall reach this man, get
him to the land. make him fit for the
work before him and then induce him