The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1908-12-05
COUNTRY LIFE FROM
EVERY STANDPOINT
Continued from page ~

VI Vic AAlu0iCIhdu DO
that the farmer would get more for
his produce. Mr.. Lowther, of
North Yakima. advocated organiza-
ton of farmers against combina-
tions in other lines of business.
Paul Clagstone brought the ques-
ton of farm recreations into the
discussion of a means to keep boys
and girls on the farm. Professor
Bailey complimented Mr.. Clagstone
as the first one in all the meetings
the commission has held to bring
this feature out. Mr.. Clagstone also
spoke on reclamation of swamp
land and demonstrating farms on
cut-over lands.
The commission was entertained
at luncheon by the chamber of
commerce in the Hall of the
Doges, Davenport's.
This afternoon another meeting
is being held upstairs in the arm
DRY building. Yesterday the COM
conducted an investigated
at Opportunity.
The purpose of the commission
on country life Is stated in these
words by President Roosevelt:
Il am anxious to bring before
the people of the United States
the question of securing better bus
mess and better living conditions
on the farm, whether by coopera'
ton between farmers for buying,
selling and borrowing, by promot
ing social advantages and oppor'
tunities in the country, or by any
other legitimate means that will
help to make country life more
gainful, more attractive and fuller
of opportunities, pleasures and re-
wards for the men, women and
children of the farm"
Such in a paragraph is the gen
eral aim of this movement. In
discussing the question President
Roosevelt has also said: i.
agriculture is not the whole of
country life. The great rdral in
terests are human interests. and
good crops are Of little value to the
farmer unless they open the door
to a good kind of life on the farm
Bearing down on the Importance
of any work done to improve the
condition of the farmer President
Roosevelt has added: d.
"If there is one lessonb taught by
history it is that the permanent
greatness of any stateI must ulti-
mately depend more upoa the char
acter of its country population than
upon anything else. No growth of
cities, no growth of wealth, can
make up for a loss in either the
number or the character of the
farming population. :"
The farm grows the raw material
for the food and clothing of all
our citizens; it supports directly
almost half 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 be made less solitary,
fuller of opportunity, freer from
drudgery, more comfortable, hap
pier and more attractive?"
President Roosevelt would like
to disabuse the public mind of
any notion that the commission
which he has appointed is dele
gated to investigate agricultural
problems or the farmer. Its real
purpose is to act as a gobetween
between himself and the farmers
Of the country. He wants to know
what the farmers want. He wants
the farmers to tell the commission
what they want.
To this end the president asks
now that the farmers get together
in the several school districts. of
the country and talk over the mat
ter, with a view to presenting
what they want to the commission.
He would like to have them hold
meetings in the school houses. 1T
would be WE'LL" says he, IF the
meetings could be held within the
next three or four weeks; that is,
before congress adjourns prior to
the Christmas holidays, so that at
the time of the reassembling of
congress early in January the com
mission will have the report of the
meetings and so will be In a pc
sition to advise definitely what
should be DONE" 10 g.
The following members, compose
the commission: Prof. L. II
Bailey, New York State College OF
Agriculture, Ithaca, N. 49,, chair
man; M. Henry Wallace. Wal
lace's Farmer, Des Moines, Iowa;
Kenyon l.. Butterfield, president
Massachusetts Agricultural col
lege, Amherst, Mass; Clifford
Pinchot, U. S. forest service
Washington, D. c.; Walter II
Page, of North Carolina, editor Of
the Worlds Work; Charles S. Bar
rett, Union City, Ga, and William
A. Beard, Sacramento, Cal.
Earr,arc who have made III