Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1908-12-04
MEMBER OF ASSOCIATED PRESS
o. sssasz.1.
BETTER1NG RURAL CONDITIONS

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BETTERING RURAL CONDITIONS
Better roads, a better system of
education in rural schools, postal
savings bank, and limited parcels
post are the most important recon-
mendations that will be made to
President Roosevelt by his Commits
sion on Country Life, according to-
MT. Wallace of the Commission. And
at the suggestion of the commission,
the people of the rural districts of
the country will have the amplest.
opportunity to discuss means advis-
able for the Improvement of rural.
conditions, for meetings have been
called, in this as in other states, at
rural school houses for the discus
sion of rural life and how it may be
made more desirable and more near
" what it should be.
The Office of the state superintend-
ent Of public instruction of this state,
w. Z. Stockwell, has interested him
self in the matter of these general
discussions. There is no question but
that the farmers themselves can give
the commission the most valuable in
formation as to the necessities of the
farming communities If they vii. in
terest themselves enough - 10 so.
The following statement as to the
wisdom of these meetings has been
given out by the commission:
Some days ago the Springfield
mass. Republican commented edi-
torially on the suggestion of Pres
itent Roosevelt that the country peo-
pic Of the United States come togeth-
er III their district school houses on
or before December to discuss the
meters under consideration by the
Commission on Country Life, as these
matters found application in the sew
5eral districts. 1T is the Republicans
opinion that the time given the com
/
mission in which to make its inauir-
les would not suffice to measure up
with the Importance of the work to
he done. It expressed a doubt as to
the actual participation of the coun-
try people in the interest which the
creation end service of the commits
sion indicates exists in the social, ed
ucational, sanitary, and economic
conditions of country life.
The members of the Commission on
Country Life are serving voluntarily
liy and without pay. They are Civ
ing up three months and more Of
their time and efforts simply to act
as the medium through which the
country people Of the United States
may give expression to the .condi-
tions and needs Of country life. In
Festigations are not being made, ex-
cspt Insofar as the reception of opin-
ioE and suggestion from country peo-I
pie may be termed investigation.
b "a a.
There exists a reasonable ground |
for believing that the conditions Of
country life can and should be inn
proved This ground existed before |
the creation OF the commission and
as the inquiry proceeds the country
people themselves are detailing and |
m !, an, ~, ~ l., ~, II I,11fof tho+
country life can and should be made
more Iivable. It need not be point
ed out that if there are problems for
solution in the country nobody should
be more concerned in taking them
up than the country people, and un-
less they do take them up it is inn
probable that any one else can handle
them TO any effect.
So far in the commissions inquiry
the demand most insistently made is
for extended educational facilities fit
ting people to live In the country.
We can think of no better opening
movement In the campaign to bet
ter educational facilities than these
meetings Of the country people in
their district school houses, which
represent to them To very large ex-a
tent the only available agency for a
carefully prepared basic education.
In these meetings the country people
may determine exactly what are their
educational needs. They may then
inquire what their district school Isl
doing to- meet these needs. They