The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1908-08-14
THE president WANTS TO
ass.pROVE THE FARM
SEES

President Roosevelt finds time among
the various activities Of somewhat &C
tive vacation to take the initial steps
for the betterment of the homes OF the
farmers and their methods of living.
The governments, Federal and State,
the President says, have been eAeTtlng
themselves to help the farmers TO IN
crease the production Of their lands.
These efforts have been rewarded with
a large measure of success, and now the
time has come when they should be sup
plemented with efforts to help the farm
er to better business and better living
on the farm In many of the farm
houses, he says, and especially among
the tenant farmGs Of the South, the
sanitary conditions are deplorahIe ard
the manner of living altogether unde-
sirable. Just how the President pro-
poses to remedy these evil things or
what power he has to interfere does not
appear. But that does rot daunt him,
and he has named q commission oil gen
tlemen requesting them to make re
port to him of conditions and to suggest
remedies This report, he says, will be
made the subject Of a message to Con
gress next December. There can be no
doubt that the surroundings Of the
homes of many of the small farmers are
repulsive and unsanitary. Two things
which are easily attainable in the coun-
try, and which are essential to health.
are pure air and pure water, and IN both
these things the farmhouse is apt to be
deficient. The air is often polluted by
hogpen or foul stable close to the
dwelling, AMI the drinking water is
often contaminated by drainage from
the barnyard.
But the President does not confine his
attention to consideration Of tie
health and comfort of the farmer. He
wishes his. con mission to consider
whether the products CT the farm cannot
be marketed to better advantage and
whether social conditions cannot be so
improved as to make country live more
attractive. There is too much belief
am eng all our people" Mr.. Roosevelt
says, that the prizes of life lie away from
the farm" If the prizes of lire are
money prizes, this general belief rests
upon a well ascertained fact, There
are few people who cannot tell the
ames of many men within their per
sonal knowledge who have made for
tunes in merchantile or commercial life,
generally starting with little or no CAPT
tai Almost anyone can recall the
names of politicians. Of lawyers, phys
icians, railroad men and men in many
other ranks of life who have gained a
competency or baYe become rich. How
many persons can tell the names of
farmers who have made q fortune on
the farm? The farmer in his business
requiI es the investment of considerable
capital; he must be a man of intelli
gence and of untiring industry and en-
terprise.
These qualities in other vocatioDs
continually bring health, but the farmer
cannot reasonably expect any such
thing. Me leads life Of indepen dence
and self-respect, and upon a reasonbly
good farm he should be able to make
reasonably good living for his
family, and if he can put something
away tor the rainy days he is exception
ally fortunate.
Possibly, however, the other adSan-
tages he enjoys are to be preferred to
wealth but it is not usually so consid-
cred Any effort to make farmers
more prosperous is sure to receive
public sympathy, for upon>the farm ers
more than upon any other class, rests
the prosperity of the whole people
Baltimore Sun.