Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1908-12-03
COUNTRY Lift:
IS DISCUSSED J | ! 5 !. |.
:----7--:-,----- -T---------
Presidents Commission Enters
Investigation Of Condi-
tions inUtah.
BEGINNING. IN THE SCHOOLS
Resolution Expresses View That
Young Students Should Have De
sire for Farm Life Trained.


President Roosevelt's commission
on country life met the representative
Farmers of the State. Of Utah this
morning In Gov. Cutters office at 10
O'Clock. The commission consisted of.
kenyon L. Butterfeld of the Massa-
chusetts Agricultural college, G. j..
Blanchard Of the reclamation service,
and Henry Wallace, editor of Farm
Life. About 80 farmers from all over
the state as we'll as teachers in many
of the schools We're in attendance.
Henry Wallace acted as chairman
and III short speech stated What the
commission was out here to do. he
said that the commission did not or
Il could not offer any questions as to
how the people should run their schools
or farms. but that It's purpose was to
ask, certain questions of the farmers all.
over the country and that the answers
would be referred to Congress and some
legislative action probably taken.
The first question asked was Are
the farm homes in your neighborhood
as good as they should be under the
existing conditions?" This question
was asked in conjunction with the elev-
euth on the list, Are the sanitary con-
c ditions OF your farms satisfactory!
4 These two questions We're discussed
by Prof. j. Z. Widtsoe, Mrs. l.. M
Gillian and Prof. Paul Of the Utah
university The sentiment of the
speakers was that the farm homes were
not as we'll taken care ofs&as they
should be, and that the sanitary con-
ditions We're bad. Some excuse was.
given by the speakers by saying that
Utah has not yet passed the pioneer
age. and that 1t will probably take %
years to reach what may DC called s.. a.. an
ideal state OF affairs throughout the
state as to the conditions of the farms
AS TO, SCHOOLS. +
The next question put before the,
gathering was, Are the schools IN
your neighborhood training boys anu
girls satisfactorily for life on the
farm Prof. Paul gave his views on
this subject saying that the schools
were not encouraging life on the farm.
He gave as his experience life of
I, teaching among the younger generation
3 and said that the tendency of the boys
and girls was not toward the farm.
This aroused a spirited discussion BY
several Of those present which lasted.
for some little time, Prof Merrill Of
the Agricultural college, Prof. Widtsoe,
~. q. Duffy and several others taking
part The final decision seemed to be.
that the school could do great deal
more toward developing liking for
4 farm life among their students
The third question called forth much
4 discussion. 1t was: Are the farm
a ers and their wives in your neighbor-
hood satisfactorily organized to pro-
mote their mutual buying and selling
81 interests?" w. s. Hansen of Collinston
was the. first speaker. He said that
much more ought to be done toward
organizing for the interests OF the "a rHl-
Ir.,r, th,,y ktyr,cc d lima
ment has been started in this
direction and each time without
Il satisfying results. Het gave as q
reason that the farmers do not trust
one another and will not put their
money into any schemes for their nlll-
tual benefit He said that in the last
few days over s2,oD0,000 of the farmers
( money has gone out Of. the farm indus
@try into fake mining schemes. He said
that Farmers Protective association
was started once but it died a natural
death.
Francis Mcdonald spoke on the or
ganization Of the home. He said that
the farmers are making a mistake In
not taking their children into partner.
ship with them instead Of making them
work on the farm as common labor
ers. THE farmers In Utah have not
reached the state yet" said Mr.. McDon-
aid. where they are in 9, position to
help themselves. They are at the mercy
Of anyone who wants to take advantage
of them. Every year said he, there
are thousa nds and thousands Of tons of
fruit thrown away because no use can
be found for It," He said that the farm
ers ought to organize and start can
neries.
Others who discussed and argued on
the various questions We're A. c. Nell
son, superintendent of public schools,
and George NJ. Cannon. The session
came to close at II O'clock and will
resume at 2 O'clock this afternoon and
O'clock tonight. E t'i
Prof. Widtsoe in brief address ex-
planned the geography Of the state to
the commission.
AGRICULTURAL TRAINING.
Tho following resolution was adopted
end Will be put on record In Wash
ington: r.
1--WE, representing the schools and
farms Of the State of Utah, do hereby
resolve: ai
THAT we favor and shall do all in
our power to encourage the teaching
of elementary agriculture IN the eighth
grade OF our common schools prepara-
tory to 4 technical teaching in the high
schools and colleges and we recommend
that the school authorities establish.
so'far as possible school gardens. etc,
adjacent to the schoolhouscs.
we heartily approve OF the efforts
that are being made by the agricui.
tural college and the state normal
schools in preparing teachers for work
in agriculture and suggest that they
not only continue this policy but re-