The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-11-16
ROOSEVELT'S PLAN
 ID HELP FARMERS
Letter of Suggestion is Written
 to Professor Bailey
FARMERS ASKED 10 MEET
Lectures an1 Helpful Talks Are To Be Made By Country Life Com mission On Subjects of Value
 To the Farming People.


 Washington, November Marlborough CO., operation of farmers and professional in- terests connected with them throughout the United States in the work of the coun- try life commission is urged and the ap- pointment of two additional members of the commission, Charles S. Barrett of Union City, Ga, and William A. Beard of Sacramento, Cal, is announced in a letter of President Roosevelt to Chair man Bailey of the commission.
 The letter and the reply of MT. Bailey, welcoming the Presidents suggestion were made public today. The Presidents letter follows, dated November g:
 Roosevelts Letter.
 My dear Professor Bailey: I 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 valu- able work for the people of this country can be done, because no more valuable work for the farmers of this country can be done.
 
 the work depends upon the attitude of the people in the open country, of the farm ing people of the United States If they feel an awakening interest in what you are doing they should manifest it. More over, it is essential that the farmers, the men who actually live on the soil, should feel a sense of ownership in this commits sion, should feel that you gentlemen in very truth represent them, and are re- sponsive to their desires and wishes, no less than to their needs. It 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 for them, so far you are able just what they regard as being the sub jects with which it is most important find out from them, so far as you are able ready doing by sending out a circular of questions and by holding meetings in different parts of the United States But perhaps something more can be done. Farmers To Meet.
 q accordingly suggest that you ask the farmers to come together in the several
 
 they may meet and consider these mat ters. I suggest the school districts be- cause the school house would be the nat ural and proper place for such a meet ing, or they could meet at any other GUS tomary or convenient place. It would be well if the meetings could be held within the next three or four weeks, that is, before Congress adjourns prior to the Christmas holidays, so that at the time of the reassembling of Congress early in January you will have the reports of the meetings and so will be in position to ad- wise definitely what should be done. I suggest that you ask them to meet not later than Saturday, December 5, and you will, of course, use your own judgment whether to summon the meeting by cir cular or otherwise
 "Throughout this letter where I use the word farmers l mean also to in- clude all those who live in the open country and are intimately connected with those who do the farm work ministers, school teachers, physicians. editors of country papers, in short, all men and women whose life work is done either on the farm or in connec- tion with the life work of those who are on the farm.
 Topics Suggested.
 You know better than I what topics you will suggest. How would it do to include such topics as The Efficiency of the Rural Schools Farmers Organ izations,' The Question of Farm Labor, The Need of Good Roads, Improved Postal Facilities Sanitary Conditions on the Farm"
 Your purpose is neither to investi- gate the farmer nor to inquire into technical methods of farming. You are simply trying to ascertain what are the general economic, social educa tional and sanitary conditions of the open country and what, if anything, the farmers themselves can do to help themselves and how the government can help them. To this end your espe- cial desire Is to get in touch with and represent the farmers themselves. The commission now consists of five mem- bers. I shall ask two more gentle men to serve upon it so that the full membership will be as follows:
 Prof. L. H. Bailey of New York State College of Agriculture, Ithaca, N. r., chairman; Henry Wallace, Wallace's Farmer. Des Mofnes. la; Kenney L. Butterfeld president of the Massa cnuSellS ASrlcuitural coiieSe, Ailnefst' Clifford Pinchot, United States forest service, Washington; Walter H. Page of North Carolina, editor of the Worlds Work; Charles $. Barrett, Union City Ga, and William A. Bearch, Sacrament to, Cal.
 Again thanking you and with all good wishes for your success in this great and important work, believe me, very sincerely yours.
 THEODORE ROOSEVELT"