The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1908-12-16
commission appointed by
PRESIDENT Roosevelt to inVesti-
gate the conditions of rural life

gate the conditions of rural life
and make suggestions in the
line Of its betterment is having a busy
time. 1t has been engaged in extern
sive correspondence and has been Civ
ing hearings in different parts of the
country for the purpose Of bringing
out facts and opinions bearing Oh the
conditions into which inquiry is being
made. President Roosevelt is TO report
to congress in a message ON practical
suggestions as to what may be done
through legislation to improve the on
dition of rural life. 1t is not that
the American farmer as such needs up
lifting more than other classes of the
population or is in any particular dan
| ger Of mental and moral degeneration.
1t is conceded that his moral plane is
at present a high one, but the facts
with regard to the exodus of popula-
ton from country to city and the all
too common isolation of rural life sug-
gest that much may be done to make
the conditions such that the exodus
may be stopped or at least checked.
The commission has received much en-
enlargement in its Investigations from
those most concerned and but little if
any criticism. This is perhaps due in
part to the fact that all members are
50 well qualified for the task in hand,
having been chosen for the part they
have already taken in work along SIM
liar lines. The work initiated by the
president in the appointment of this
commission has been said to be a
corollary to that of the movement for
conservation of the natural sourc
Of the country. The two movements
are at least closely related. AS the
president himself put 1t in a speech in
Michigan some time ago, the products
OF the farm are Of two kinds and the
output Of good manhood and woman
hood deserves fully as much considera-
ton as the output of hay and corn
and other crops.
Each member Of the commission has
achieved a reputation for knowledge
and attainmcnts in some branch of
the work in hand. The chairman. DIR.
Liberty II. Bailey, is president Of the
New York College of Agriculture at
ithaca. n. Y. an Institution which has
been very active and aggressive in de-
vising ways Of advancing the methods
of agriculture and improving the con-
ditlons among tillcrs Of the soil. DR..
Bailey at first declined the proffered
post on the ground that he had not the
time necessary to Discharge the du-
ties, but on further consideration ac-
ceptcd. Or. Bailey, who is fifty years
old and a graduate Of the Michigan
Agricultural college. has been at the
head Of the New York College Of
Agriculture. a department Of Cornell
university. since 1903. lie was reared
on a farm and has given particular at
tention to botany and horticultural sub
jects and to the economies of agricul-
ture. He was formerly assistant to
Professor Asa Gray at Harvard and
was also professor of agriculture and
landscape gardening at the Michigan
Agricultural college. Numerous works
on subjects related to his profession
have come from his pen.
Kenyon l.. Butterield, whose por-
trait appears at the top Of the first
column. Is also an educator and the
head Of an agricultural college.
He Is the Youngest member of
the commission. having been born in
1868 in Lapccr. Mich. Like DIR. Bailey.
he is Il graduate Of the Michigan .Agri-
cultural college and received from it
the degree of r. s.. from the Tnivcr-
sity OF Michigan obtaining the degree
Of 4. NJ. lie has had a wide expert
nee in cducatlona, work connected
with agriculture and I'VE wears avn