The Kendrick gazette. [volume] (Kendrick, Idaho) 1892-1968, 1908-12-11
FARMERS
INTERESTS
PRESIDENTS COMMITS.
SION AT SPOKANE.
PROP. BA1EY TELLS OF THEIR
WORK ON TRIP OF
THE STATES.

In an address, at Spokane Saturday
by Pro essor L. H. Bailey, chairman Of
the country life commission, said:
'tIn NO place that we have visited
have ] found 80 much interest among
the business men in agriculture and in
the building up Of the country as IN
Spokane.
ssIn the hearings and inquiries which
We arc conducting We find that there
are four interests which stand out most
prominently in the peoples minds, and
On which we are asked most frequently
for information and assistance.
Educational Needs.
tFirst education. On this sub
ieot we have found a uniformity of
ideas in every state from the east to
the west. So closely are ideas allied
in the different sections that we find
almost exactly the same expressions
used. There are certain phrases which
we and cropping out to express the
same ideas in all parts of the coun-
try.
"There is a general feeling that the
rural school needs recognizing and re-
directing; that more domestic science,
manual training and the practical side
Of life should be taught. This has been
true in all our hearings, and we found
the same expressions in the replies to
the questions sent out by the commits
sion to farmers.
"Second in interest after education
are good roads. We find two express
sions in this common desire for better
highways: One is that good roads will
promote social intercourse in the coun-
try and the other, particularly in the
south, is that the government should
build roads for the communities. We
do not hear this SO much in the west,
where the communities seem to feel that
they can take care of themselves.
"Third in frequency among questions
we hear is the emphasis placed on or
ganization among farmers; there is nc
u~nanimity Of opinion as to the kind Of
organizations, but they all feel the same
way about the need of them; that the
a~griculturist does not present a solid
front and can not therefore compete
with the organizations of commerce.
"Opinions among farmers on or
g~anization are not uniform enough tt
enable the commission to make any
recommendations on the subject. There
are principally two kinds Of sugges
tions: One is hat these organiza
lions take the form of a combination
or trust to set the price OF products
and the other is for cooperation of in
t~erests, to study ana understand thu
laws of trade and farm management
in a similar manner to the Californi,
Fruitgrowers' exchange, which en-
deav ors to find the best markets, stud,
transportation, the laws of trade ant
acquire other useful knowledge.
leave it to you as to which of thes'
organizations is the better, and I thinl
there will be no difference of opinion
on the subject.
Liquor Question Robs Up.
,t' The fourth question which we hea
raised most frequently is the liquo
problem. We are confronted with tn
whole subject of liquor suppression
especially in the south, where it be
comes a race problem. 1t is n of tn
things in the south which is driving tn
white people to the towns, where the,
feel sure of protection, and it compli
Gates the farm labor problem in tn
south and the north. If the farm labor
er feels that he has not been treate
we'll and is not having an ysocial pas
time he is apt to be driven to the ga
loon, which then becomes a menace w
have been importuned-pathetically i'm
portuned-again and again to recon
mend to the president that he ask cor
gress to help check the saloon.
Another important question whic
confronts us but which you doubles
do not feel here is the depletion of tn
virgin soil. a
All over the country the soil is be
ing depleted; not exhausted, but d.
pleted. Hitherto this depletion ha
brought about three results: Whe
the soil begins to fail the persons til
ing it move to new land. But Their
are no longer great areas of new Ian
to which people can go. AS a result W
are coming to do some real farming
In the eastern part of the country, an
1 say this here with some hesitation
we are beginning to bring sicence an
skill and knowledge into our farmin
and our land is growing richer. W
never can have scientific agricultur
until the land constantly produces NOR,
This condition is just beginning to b
brought about.
''The second result of soil depletio
is, as l have just mentioned, the takin
up of more scientific farming method
It is no longer necessary to go wes
to get new land. Every man has ne
land who has new ideas to put int
operation.
Poverty After Soil Depletion.
''The third result of soil depletion,
W. do not have scientific farming,
DO verty and degradation, and this
coming in some communities. There