The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1908-12-18
Country Life Commission Put In
Day at The Sanity City.
MET MEN OF THE SOIL
Number Of Subjects Were Discussed,
Some Recommendations Made
And Suge estions.
From Saturdays Daily.

From Saturdays Daily.
Days down upon the farm, and why
boys do not like to remain close to
the soil? These and great MANY
other questions are receiving the con-
sideration of the country life commits
sion, appointed by President Roose.
welt.
\ The commission put in a day at
the Minnesota State Agricultural col
lege yesterday. Prominent educators,
chnrchmen and agriculturalists were
present.
The meeting. was called to order by
Dean L. w. Randall of the college, and
he introduced Professor L. b. Bailey of
Cornell university, chairman of tile
commission, who stated briefly the
purpose and the methods that are be-
ing employed to secure the information
desired by the president. More fhan
100000 circular letters have been sent
out by the commission to people in
all parts of the country, asking ques-
tions concerning economic, social and
sanitary conditions and requesting re-
concentrations for the betterment of
conditions.
Information at First Hand.
The commission now securing the
information at first hand, by holding
public meetings at which the farmers
are asked to state the improvements
that are deemed feasible and the means
that may be adopted in bringing about
the best results. The commission has
been on a tour for over a month, and
has held meetings in the Atlantic
coast states, Texas, Arizona, California,
Washington, Utah, and Montana, and
from Minnesota the itinerary of the
commission will be through Wisconsin,
Illinois and New York, completing the
trip at Washington on Dec. II.
While in California, the commission
divided and is now working in two
sections, L. II. Bailey of New York,
and w. A. Baird of Sacramento, are
the only members of the commission in
the party now in Minnesota.
Work Is Divided
Each member of the commission has
some particular phase of the work
upon which he is conducting an in
vestigation The following subjects
will be included in the report to Presi-
dent Roosevelt: Land tenure; church.,
religious and social conditions; agri-
cultural credit and education. The puT
pose of the commission is to act as
a publicity agent, and to transmit the
recommendations of the people directly
to the president
j. A. Snider offered recommends
tions concerning taxation and proposed
a central market to be maintained by
the federal government. /. B., Baird
of Edna Mills recommended action on
good roads, and the discussion brought
out the plans of having the roads made
by direct appropriation, and by the
establishment of a federal road engin-
eering corps, which should give in
struction on the making of roads.
Discuss Parcels Post.
Parcels post and the educational
system, as advanced by the Davis bill,
were favored by the speakers. The
committee arrived today over the
Northwestern from Omaha. The party
consists of l.. H. Bailey of Cornell uni
versity, chairman; w. A. Baird Of
Sacramento, CAL; DR.. c. w. Stiles of
Washington, d. c., of the marine hos.
pital; John r. Boardman, international
secretary of the Y. NJ. c. A; c. j.
Blanchard statistician in the reclama-
ton service and DR.. f. w. Allen,
executive secretary in the department
of agriculture. The party left last
night for Madison Wis, where meet
ings were held today. The commit
tees report is to be given to the
president before the close of the pres
ent year.