New-York tribune., 1908-08-10
RETTER LIFE ON FARMS
ST7BJECT TO BE PROBED.
President -4sks Investigation and Re
port by Fire Erperts.

-. has requested Ave experts country
nee 10 make an investigation into the whole
-,srrer and TO report 10 him. with recommen-
cations for improvements The report ana
recommendation with any additional recon-
-,e,dsttons which the President himself may
desire 10 make will be incorporated in mes
x.ze which the President will send to Congress-
rrobabIy early next year
The men President Roosevelt has asked TO act
,s an investigating committee are Professor
: z Bailey, Of the New York College of Agri-
,,,.,,re- Henry Wallace, of "Wallace's Far
,er, Des Moines Iowa; President Kenyon L.
,,-+arSeld of the Massachusetts Agricultural
College: Clifford Pinchot, Of the United States
Forest Service and Walter 81. Page editor OF
..7g.e Worlds Work New York In let
,ar 20 Professor Bailey asking him 10 accept
,be Craftsmanship Of the commission the Presi-
5ent outlines his desires in the direction OF
tnprovements on the farms The letter fol-
lows
Nv Dear Professor Bailey:
To nation has ever achieved permanent great
ness unless this greatness was based on the
rreII being Of the great farmer class, the men
,-Fo i've on the soil for it is upon their wei
fare material and moral that the wefaTe or
tbe rest Of the nation ultimately rests. IN the
f--ite5 states. disregsTding certain sections ana
-sl-inr the nation a whole. / belleVe II 10 pe
go that the farmers In general are better on
.adev than they ever were before. We Amerl-
cans are making great progress IN the deFelop-
r1ent Of our agricultural resources But 1t Is
arell,- tr1le that the social and economic insti-
-,+ious af the open country are not keeping
,,ace with the development Of the nation as q
,.-boi. The farmer IS. as rule. better OF thah
~ fo-ebears but his increase in well being has
not kept pace with that of the country as a
whole While the condItlon OF the Farmers AZ
some Of our best farming regions leaves lltue 10
h. desired We are far from having reached so
t=-i7 : level in an parts Of the country. In por-
+36ns ~ the South for example. where the De-
Ac-fr
r.-operative demonstration work or Dr Knapp
& directly nstructing more than thirty thousano
farmers in better methods or farming, there Is
,.s,-a-rbaless much unnecessary suffering ana
needless loss Of efficiency on the farm. \ phy-
sician who is also careful student OF iarfil NE
IN the South. writing to me recentiE apout @ UIe
enormous percentage Of preventaole deaths OF
children due 10 the unsanitary conoltlons OF
certain Southern farms, said:
Personally. from the health point OF view. l
,-o7,I6 r7-efer TO nv daughter. nine years
o15 Al work In q cotton mill than have her live
ps tenant OF the average Southern tenant, one
horse farm. This apparently extreme statement
Is based upon actual life among both classes or
people"
rsrison with our own in the amount of attention
given by the government both federal ana state
10 agricultural matters, but pracucally the
whole OF this effort has hitherto been directed
toward increasing the production OF crops. Our
attention has been concentrated almost exclu-
sively on getting better farming. In the begin
ming this was unquestionably the right thing TO
do The farmer must. first OF al. grow good
But when this has been secured, the effort for
better farming should cease to stand alone. and
should be accompanied by the effort for better
business and better living on the farm. II is
e. least as important that the farmer should
get the largest possible return in money, COM
fort and social advantages from the crops ne
grows as that he should get the largest pos
sibe return IN crops from the land he farms.
Agriculture is not the whole of country life. The
great rural interests are human interests, and
good crops are Of little value TO the farmer
unless they open the door 70 good kind OF
This problem Of country life is in the truest
sense national problem. In an address de-
hrered al the semi-centennial OF the founding
OF agricultural colleges in the United States
year ago last May said:
There is but one person whose welfare is as vital
= the welfare OF the whole country is that OF
IS the fiIler Of the soIl-the farmer If there is
lesson taught by history IL is that the perTna
r. ,-Io1 s-y-fiT7r else No growth Of cities no
s-o1f - ,resrr Sar make m for loss in either
to- don number OF the character of the farming D0'"l'
The farm grows the raw material for the food and
clothing OF all citizens il supports directly al
most halI Of them and nearly half the children OF
the United states are born and brought up on
farms. How can the life OF the farm family De
made less solitary fuller OF opportunity 1ree- Iro.
drudgery, more comfortable. happier and more At
trzctve? Such a result is most earnestly 10 be De
sired. How can life on the farm pe Kept on the
highest level, and where Il IS not ALREADY on IhaI
level be so improved, dignifed and frightened as
e aEaen sTo keep @1iEs Iile S tb % Fr7aey: M vile
and OF the farmer himself How can a compelling
desire live the farm be aroused IN the emil
dren that are porn on the farm? All these ques-
tons vital Importance not only 10 the farmer
Ne hope uItiTaate!y TO double the average yield
az rhas4 nd corn an acre ii will be a great
acfieTeneTt- bur it is even more important TO
dOube the bity, comfort and standing OF the
farmers life
Il is especially important that whatever viii
serve 10 prepare country children for life
rne = and "a
IN the country and make ii richer and more al
tractfve for the mothers, wives and daughters
of farmers should be done promptly, thoroughly
and gladly There is more important per
son, measured in influence upon the life OF the
nation. than the farmers wife, no more import
ant home than the country home. and IL Is OF
national importance 10 do the best We can for
both
The farmers have hitherto had less than their
fun share Of public attention along the lines or
business and social life There is too much
belief among all our people that the prizes OF
life lie away from the farm ] am, therefore,
anxious 70 bring before the people Of the United
States the question OF securing better business
and better living the farm, whether by Co
operation between farmers for buying. selling
anc borrowing; by promoting social advantages
and opportunities N the country, or by any
other legitimate means that Will help 10 make
country life more gainful, more attractive and
LulleT OF opportunities, pleasures ana reWaros
Tor the men, women and children Of the farms
shall be very glad indeed if you viii consent
70 serve upon commission on country life.
upon which I am asking the following gentle
ren TO act: Professor L. H Bailey New York
State College Of Agriculture. Ithaca, N Y,
Chairman; Henry Wallace "Wallace's Farmer.
Des Moines, Iowa: President Kenyon L. Butter
held. Massachusetts Agricultural College Am
herst Mass; Clifford Pinchot United States
Forest Service. and Walter n Page. editor OF
The Worlds Work" New York
Ny immediate purpose in appointing this
commission is 20 secure from il such informa-
concentrations 10 Congress upon this extremely
important matter / shall be glad If the com