Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1908-10-01
the life Of the farm family be made
less solitary, fuller of opportunity
freer from drudgery, more comfort

! to awaken and keep alive the pride
! girls. of the farmers wife and of the
! farmer himself? How can Il compel
| ling desire to live on the farm be
! aroused in the children that are born
on the farm: All these questions are
Of vital Importance not only to the
! farmer, but to the whole naton We
/ hope ultimately to double the average
yield of wheat and corn per acre. 1t
will he Il great achievement but ii is
even more Important to double the de
Sil'ahiiitv. comfort and standing of the
/ farm "r'S life
1T is especially Important that what
ever viii serve To prepare country
| children for life on the farm and what
ever will brighton home life in the
country and make it richer ami more
attractive for the mothers. wives ana
daughters of farmers should be done
promptly, Thoroughly and gladly
There Is no more important person.
measured In influence upon the life of
the nation. than thc farmers wife, no
try home. and it is of national i'm
portance to do the best we can for
both.
The farmers have hitherto had less
than their full share of public attcn-
ton along the lines of business and
social life. There is too much belief
among all our people that the prizes
of fn 1in hn 7
therefore anxious to bring before
the people Of the United States the
question of securing better business
and better living on the farm. whether
by cooperation between farmers for
buying. selling and borrowing. by pro-
noting social advantages and oppor-
tunities in the country or by any other
legitimate means that will help to
make country life more gainful, more
attractive and fuller of opportunities,
pleasures and rewards for the men,
women and children of the farms.
Il shall be very glad indeed if you
will consent to serve upon Il commits
sion on country life upon which | am
asking the following gentlemen to act:
Professor l.. II. Bailey, New York
State College of agriculture, Ithaca, n.
Y, chairman; Mr. Henry Wallace,
Wallace's Farmer Des Moines, Ia;
President Kenyon l.. Butterfield,
Massachusetts Agricultural college,
Amherst Mass; Mr.. Clifford Pinchot,
United States forest service; Mr.. Wal
ter II. Page, editor of the Worlds
Work, New York.
MY immediate purpose in appoint
ing this commission is to secure from
it such infOrma ton and advice as will
enable me to make recommendation
to congress upon this extremely i'm
portant matter shall be glad If the
commission will report to me upon the
present condition of country life. upon
what means are now available for
supplying the deficiencies which exist
and upon the best methods of organ
lied permanent effort in investigation
ana actual work along the lines l have
indicated. You will doubtless also
find it necessary to suggest means for
bringing about the redirection or bet
ter adaptation Of rural schools to the
training of children for life on the
farm. The national and state agricul-
tural departments must ultimately
join with the various farmers and
agricultural organizations in the effort
to secure greater efficiency and at
tractiveness in country life.
I'm view of the pressing Importance
of this subject l should be glad to
have your report before the end of
next December. For that reason the
commission will doubtless find 1t i'm
practicable to undertake extensive in
vestigations, but will rather confine it.
self to a summary Of what is already
known, statement of the problem,
and the recommendation Of measures
tending toward its solution. With the
single exception of the conservation of
our natural resources, which underlieS
the problem of rural life there is no
other material question of greater i'm
portance now before the American peo-
pie. l shall look forward with the
keenest interest to your report"
That the appointment of a commits
sion to investigate by President Roose.
welt marks an epoch In the history Of
the country and also inaugurates one
Of the presidents greatest policies is
the opinion of Clifford Pinchot, chief Of
the forest service.
THE presidents appointment of this
commission he said, marks the in
auguration of the third of his great
policies, the central idea of which Is
to see to it that we have not only bet
ter crops, but also better. happier, more
cOntented and more efficient men and
women on the farm. Farm life ought
to be made 50 profitable and attractive
that the farmers boys and girls will
be ambitious to spend their lives on
the farm
Henry Wallace, named by President
Roosevelt to serve on commission to
investigate farming conditions in the
United States, IS heartily in sympathy
with the investigation.
"The farmers of America" he said.
constitute the most important class OF
American citizens. They are the origi-
nal producers, and everything that per-