The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1908-10-19
Indiana Man Tells Why Coun-
try Lads Are Anxious to
Get Into the City.
LONG WORK HOURS CAUSE.
CONDITIONS AS FOUND ON THE
FARM ARE NOT ATTRACTIVE TO
YOUNG PEOPLE, IT is POINT
ED OUT.

Washington, Oct. 19.-An Indiana
farm hand has written letter to Pres
ident Roosevelt about the work which
the country life commission Is carrying
on. The president has Eutned the let
ter over to the country life commission
and the commission has asked the
farm hand to write some more.
81 have been a farm hand just long
enough says the presidents CORE
spondent, ito learn the cause of so
many sons and daughters and we'll
meaning, reliable farm hands leaving
the beautiful farm and country and
going to the city. A lack of order and
system on the farm and too long hours
for day is what is driving the best
minds from the farm to the city and
shop. What can we expect of a hand,
or the farmers wife and her posterity,
in the way of intellectual development
when they get out of their beds at $50
in the morning and work from that
time until or 8 p. m.f And no atten-
ton paid to the sanitary conditions OF
the home, and necessary conveniences
on the farm for doing the farm work
with the least labor and time
This man has given the country life
commission some very interesting first
hand information about rural condi-
tions and recommendations based on
long experience in farm work and farm
life He has worked for all kinds of
farmers, good and bad, he says, and
he has always had his eyes open to
detect the causes of their success or
failure. He has drawn his own con-
illusions and sets them forth in down
right, straightforward fashion. Educa-
ton pays in farming, he says. The
farmer who plans out his work and
carries it through in systematic, bus
iness-like manner, just as the city man
does, will be able to shorten the hours
of labor. so many farmers measure
everything on the farm from the
standpoint of muscle" he continues,
land are extreme in some things and
slack in others. I decided several years
ago that life is too short to work for
Peter Tumbledown farmers"
i Now, Mr.. President he writes,
f.you can take this for what it is
worth. | have not given you half of
my experience" The country life COM
mission has written him that his sug-
gestions are SO useful that they hope
ple will send more.
, Compel the farmer to be a bust
hess man." he says. go into the
eo-called farmers and ascertain how
they live, and learn of their methods
Ipf doing the business in which they.
ere engaged. And you will be sur
tprised what a variety you will find.
Ascertain what they read, and what
tstress they put on the literature that
comes into their homes Cif any comes
bearing on the business they are en-
gagged in. See what per cent study
their business.
Give me the educated farmer as
boss and the educated farm hand as
a hand. When / come in contact with
hand or farmer that studies his bust
ness l find him advancing, and it is
pleasure to work for such men.
THE majority of the farmers are
eight-hour men. that is. eight hours in
the forenoon and eight in the after
moon. Eight or ten hours on the farm
cannot well be adapted in all cases,
but it need not be from IA to 16 hours
II the family arise every morning at
8 O'Clock and the wife and daughters
attend to the household duties, and
the farm hands and sons attend to the
chores and go to the field at o'clock
and work until IL or IL 80 and go to
.the field again at / and keep at it until
6 o'clock, and go to the house and eat