Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1908-11-26
SEEKS TO SOLVE
FARM PROBLEMS
SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC C0NDl-
TONS DISCUSSED
CITY SCHOOLS SAID TO ATTRACT
RURALISTs
President Sends Commission to Learn
Why Country People Flock to
Towns and to Find
Remedy

Why are the farmers in various parts
of the country forsaking the rural dis
tricts and coming to the cities?
Why do the young graduates OF tne
rural schools go to the city at their
first opportunity?
What is the best class of farm LABOR,
and what means shall be adopted to
secure and keep the proper farm
hands?
What methods shall be adopted to
keep the farmer contented and cause
him to remain a tiller of the soil III
stead of crowding into the cities?
These are only a few Of the many
questions now confronting the COM
mission appointed by President Roose-
welt to investigate the economic and
social problems with which the Amerl-
can farmer has to deal.
Three members of the commission ar
rived in Los Angeles yesterday after
noon. They are Professor L. H. Bailey
of Ithaca, n. Y, chairman; Henry
Wallace of Des Moines, Ia, and Is l..
Butterfield, president of the Massachu-
sets Agricultural college They were
met at the depot by committee ap-
pointed by the chamber of commerce
consisting of f. Q. Story, e. r. Me-
serve and C. b. Booth. The distin-
guished arrivals were placed aboard
an automobile and were shown about
the city.
At 1880 o'clock a meeting was called
to order in the directors room at the
chamber of commerce building When
the commission met with representative
ranchers and farmers, both of this
county and adjoining counties, to ex-
change questions and answers.
Accompanying the commissioners are
DR. e. w. Allen, appointed by the de-
partment of agriculture as executive
secretary of the commission: c. j..
Blanchard of the reclamation service,
detailed by the department of the in
terror as the commissions business
manager; DR.. c. w. Stiles of the ma
rine hospital corps. detailed by the
treasury department to make special
investigations of sanitary conditions,
and Joseph A. Rice, official stenogra-
pher.
If the attendance last night is any
indication the farmers and others liv-
ing in the rural districts in Southern
California take a deep interest in the
mission of the men in charge of the in
vestigations.
The hall was we'll filled with promi-
nent Angelenos and commercial bodies
had delegates in attendance.
The meeting was called to order at
7:30 o'clock and Professor Bailey made
the Introductory address. He spoke of
the object of the visit to Los Angeles;
why the president had selected the
body, and of their desire to ascertain
the views of the residents of the coun-
try districts and find solutions for the
various problems that is causing dis
satisfaction in the ranks of the tillers
of the soil and their families.
The question that was most dis
eussed was the rural or district schools.
Judging by the views of those who
spoke on this subject, it is evident the
question of schools has much to do
with the reason why country people
want to flock to the densely populated
localities.
The consensus of opinion seemed to
be in favor of having model training
farms in connection with the schools.
Professor Mark Keppel, county su-
perintendent of schools, addressed the
meeting on this question. He declared
country schools were leading students
from the farm instead of to the farm,
and said that all roads lead to the
city.
Nearly all the conditions that would
make a farmer want to leave the coun-
try for the city were discussed. The
question as to whether trolley lines
into the rural districts were one of
the CAUSES was bIOusHL up AOI us
cussion, as was the question whether
good roads interfered with interurban
traffic.
The farm labor problem came in for
its share of discussion. Several ranch
ers said they preferred Chinese labor,
declaring the Orientals were hard
workers and could be trusted, and were
but little trouble to manage. The Jap
anese as a farm laborer was not so
well spoken Of, but was to be preferred
to some white persons, who cause dis
sension in the ranks of farm hands.
Because of the time consumed in
the discussions last night another
meeting will be held today.