Omaha daily bee., 1908-11-29
PLUNKETr ON oOuNTRT IfFr.

-l PIUNkBTT ON COUNTRY LIFE.
While the commission especially APP
pointed by President Roosevelt to in
vestigate and report on the conditions
OF country life with a view to improve
ment is engaged at its work, it can get
some real help out OF the address on
this subject delivered by Sir Horace
Plunkett a few weeks ago before the
subsection on agriculture of tho
British Association for the Advance
ment of Science. The subject of the
address of Mr.. Plunkett, who. by the
way, is expected to visit us soon to
look after his personal interests in Ne
braska, Is Science and the Problem of
Rural Life" and its scope embraces a
survey of the field in which science
can and should contribute to the
progress of agriculture.
Previous efforts to %equalize the at
fractions of city and country have
been. first, by trying to make the coun-
try more Gifted and, second, by trying
to make the city more countrified, but
Mr.. Plunkett believes that country life
should be developed more independ-
emily by a broad and philosophic
treatment of it's own social and eco
nomic conditions. Science" he says,
must bring into strong relief the hui
man factor of the problem which calls
for a three-fold character of the con-
structive work needed for a complete
solution of the problem, namely, better
farming, better business, better living"
with reference to the first of these
divisions, better farming" Mr.. PUNK
EFT contends that agriculture has not
had it's full share in the benefits with
which science, physical and social, has
richly endowed the whole field of in
dustrial effort, and that there is a
marked disparity between the attention
given to urban and to rural efforts by
those engaged in the application OF
science to the material and social ad.
vancement of humanity.
With reference to the second factor
"better business" the conclusion is
offered, based on his own observation
and experience, that farmers are
more backward in their business than
in their technical methods" and that
there is no more important work at the
moment than to stimulate rural popu
lation to an intelligent interest in Its
own problems. The organization Of
the business of farming Is far behind
the organization of other industries
that center in the modern city. The
work of organizing the farmers ant
giving the country a cooperative sys
tenn which is the counterpart of the
towns requires careful attention.
with reference to the third part
better living" cooperation is agaiI
the keynote and rural education tn,
foundation. Mr.. Plunkett makes {
plea for a special education for tn,
rural school after the point is reached
up to which the training of the chilC
country. The point of divergence be
tween town and country education, il
his opinion, turns on the mental out
look. "The one way to Offset thu
downward tendency is to r%evolutioniz
the mental outlook Of the population
to concentrate it upon the open coun
try" How this is to be done is 70
1.-THE leaders of educational science t
say.
The great significance of thi
thought-breeding contribution of ST
Horace Plunkett is hat it stamps tn
problem of country life as a worl'
problem and shows that it is attractinI
the attention of the best minds in al
advanced countries. The very fac
that the problem is recognized as on
of world Importance is assurance
that the improvement in the condition
of agriculture Immediately ahead o
JUS is bound to go on with unexpecte,
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