Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1908-06-10
GO BACK TO THE rAasIs.
Talk of National Movement to Pre-
vent Desertion OF the Farms.

Washington, June 7.-President
Roosevelt, backed by the whole
power of the administration, has
started a movement to turn the tide
of emigration, as we'll as immigra-
tion, to agricultural pursuits in
America. The President regards the
movement as quite as important as
that looking to the conservation Of
the natural resources of the country,
and even more Important from p
purely sociological Viewpoint.
Recently he has discussed the sub
.ject at length wi.h some of the best
thinkers of the country, and in
practical way has taken the matter
up with Secretary Wilson, of the de-
partment of agriculture 1t is his
desire to induce people to get back
ito first principles and cultivate the
soil Of the country. He regards 1t as
.fraught with danger to the integ-
rity Of the nation that so many peo-
pie, not only from other counties,
but from our own country. should
seek life in the large cities. Sta
tistics show that thousands-even
tens of thousands--of young men and
young women are leaving the farms
Of America and taking up life in the
cities. The certainty is that many Of
them barely will eke out. an exist
ence in towns or cities, yet appar-
emily the attractions of city life are
too much for them to resist.
1t Is the idea of the President that
national movement be started not
merely to prevent young people in
America from leaving the farms, but
also to divert as large a percentage
as possible Of the alien immigration
from the cities to the country. To
this end, he hopes that the attrac-
tions Of rural life may be presented
to the people in a way that will ap-
peal to them. He has in mind the
delivery of some addresses on the
subject before he shall retire from
the Presidency. and he hopes that,
in year from this time, the move
ment will be we'll started. Il
Secretary Wilson is cooperating
with President Roosevelt enthusiast
cally. His department and mainten-
ance of agricultural high schools. III
the various States and the work has
been Of immense value. Secretary
Wilson has evolved a scheme for the
publication Of a national agricultural
newspaper in this city which shall
press vigorously the movement insti-
tuted by the President. The scheme
Is only tentative now, but the Secre-
tary hopes that it may come to frui-
tion. ,.. Fl,
Secretary Straus, Of the depart
ment Of commerce and labor, both
through the bureau Of Immigration
and through the division Of informa-
tion, is doing all he can to promote
the Presidents policy. Every effort
is being made by the immigration
officials to induce immigrants to seek
homes In the rural districts of the
country instead of locating in the
large cities, which already are great
ly congested.
The officials Of the department of
agriculture present figures to show
that the average farm of the the
United States is about 100 acres. 1t
is asserted that farms OF considerably
less acreage, properly titled, would
be far more profitable. The idea Is
that the American farmer should till
the soil less extensively and more
intensively; in other words, that he
should mix brains with his Drawn
and thus get better results for his
work.
While most of the good farming
land of the country Is expensive, the
work of irrigation and reclamation
of swamp lands on which the govern
ment has entered, will enable many
people to acquire lands at reasona-
BILE prices. On their own lands they
will have much better chances to be-
come happy and Independent than
they would If they should locate in
some larger city, and mentally. NOR
ally and physically they would be bet.
ter men and women
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