The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1908-12-07
President Wants Help tor
County Life Board.
GET in CLOSE TOUCH
commission Can thus Ac =.
complish Better Work
Farmers, ASKED to Meet in Their
Communities and Declare Their
Plans and Ideas.

Dashington, Dec. l-tAt the slgges-
ton OF President Roosevelt, the
Country Lie Commission has asked
the farmers of the country to meet
in their respective communities
fsome time before Saturday, Decem-
Der 5, to discuss the questions which
the Comission Is studying and to
indicate their own idcas OF wnat are
the most important subjects for
the Commission to consider
In a letter to the members of
the Country Life Commission the
President says the farmers should
feel sense Of ownership in the
-!S.ommisslon."o- aud. that-.-he.. believes
that the Commission should get In
TO THE Closest possibls touch with
fthe Farmers. He urges the Importance
of holding tie meeting before Con
'gfess iadjourns pfiorhto the Christ
mas holidays, so that at the time
Congress reassehlbles, early in Jam
uaiy, the commission may have re-
ports OF the meeting in hand and
may be sin position to advise def
nitely what should be done"
AT the same time President
Roosevelt adds two members TO the
Commisslon-one member from the
South and one member from the
far West Mr.. Charles S. Barrett, of
Union City, Ga, ana Mr.. William
A. Beard, of Sacramento, Cal.
The letter of tine President to
Chairman Bailey follows:
The White House, Washington,
November 8, 1908.
My Dear Professor Bailey:
Il wish at the outset cordially to
thank you for the way in which
you have taken hold of the work
you are doing. No more valuable
work for the farmers of this coun-
try can be done.
Now of course the whole success
of the work depends upon the att
titude of the people in the open
country, OF the farming people Of
the United States. If they feel an
doing, they should manifest it. More
over, It Is essential that the farm
ers, the men who actually live on
the soil should feel a sense OF
ownership in this Commission,
should feel that you gentlemen in
very truth represent them and are
responsive to their desires and
wishes, no less than to their needs.
1t seems to me therefore that it
would be wise to try to get into
the closest possible touch with the
farmers of the country and to find
out from them, so far as you are
able, just what thsy regard as be-
ing the subjects with which 1t Is
most important that you should deal.
This you are already doing by send
ing out circular OF "qpeAlons' and
iDy holding meetings III different
I parts OF the tinted, states But
1perhabs something more can be done
d Accordingly suggest that You ask
H.
I tile farmers tol come together in the
several slhool districts OF the coup-
try SO that they may meet and CON
I slider these mattcds, | suggest the
school districts because the school
house would bo the natural and
proper place for such meeting; ol
they could meet at other customary
or convenient places. 1t would be
well II the meetings could he he'd
within the next three or four weeks;
that is, before Congress adjourns pri'
or to the christmas holidays, so thai
at he time OF the reassembling oi
Congress early in January you will
have the reports OF the meetings and
50 will be in position to advise def
initely yhat should be done. sug
gest that you ask them to meet not
later than Saturday, December 9TH
and you will of course use your OWL
judgment whether to summon Tho
meeting by circular or otherwise.
Throughout this letter where us'
the word ''farmers" | mean also U
include all those VINO live in nth!
open country, and are intimately con
nected with those who do the farm
work school teachers
lI Iphystcians, editors OF country papers
PIN short alf' men andowomen who's
A life work is done either on the farm
IN connection with the life work o
those who are on the farm.
You know better than j what topiH
you will suggest. How would 1t az
to include such topics as:
The efficiency of the rural schools
Farmers organizations; The question
of farm labor; The need OF goo
roads; Improved postal facilities
Sanitary conditions on the farm.
Your purpose is neither to investi
gate the farmer, nor TO inquire int
technical methods of farming. Yo