The Topeka state journal., 1908-08-10
President Roosevelt Asks Ex-
perts to Investigate
And Report to Him on Needs of
Agriculturists.
TO GO in A MESSAGE
Which He VIII Submit to Con-
gress Next Winter.
Writes Letter Embodying His
Views on the Subject.

Oyster Bay, N. Y, Aug. 10.-With a
view to bringing about better social, ,sani-
tary and economic conditions on Amer
lean farms, President Roosevelt has re-
quested four experts on country life to
make an investigation into the whole
matter and to report to him with rec
concentrations for improvement. The
report and recommendations with any
additional recommendations which the
president may himself desire to make
will be incorporated in a message which
the president Will send to congress pro-
baby early next year.
The men President Roosevelt has
asked to act as an investigating com
mission are Prof. L. H. Bailey of the
New York College of Agriculture, Hen
ry Wallace, of Wallace Farmer, Des
Moines, Ia; President Kenyon L. But
terf1eld, Massachusetts Agricultural
college; Clifford Pinchot, of the United
States forest reserve and Walter H.
Page, editor of the Worlds Work, New
York. In letter to Prof. Bailey ask
ing him to accept the chairmanship OF
the commission the president outlines
his desires in the direction of improve
ments on the farms. The letter fol-.
lows:
Letter to Bailey. -,
my Dear Prof. Bailey: No nation
has ever achieved permanent great
ness unless this greatn ess was based
on the well being of the great farmer
class. the men who live on the soil, for
it is upon their welfare, material and
moral that the welfare of the rest of
the nation ultimately rests. In the
United States disregarding certain
sections and taking the nation as a
whole l believe it to be true that the
farmers In general are better off to-
day than they ever were before. We
Americans are making great progress
in the development of our agricultural
resources. But it is equally true that
the social and econ ofnic Institutions of
the open country are not keeping pace
with the development OF the nation as
a whole. The farmer, as a rule is bet
ter off than his forbear, but his in
crease in we'll being, has not kept pace
with that of the country as whole
while the condition OF the farmers
in some of our best farming regions
leaves little to be desired we are far
from having reached so high level in
all parts of the country. In portions of
the south, for example. where the de-
partment of agriculture, through the
farmers cooperative demonstration
work of Dr.. Knapp. is directly IN
structing more than 10000 farmers
in better methods of farming, there,
is nevertheless much suffering and
needless loss of efficiency on the farna.i
A physician. who = is also careful.
student of farm life in the south. writ
ing to me recently about the enormous
percentage of preventable deaths
of children due. to the unsanitary con-
dition of certain southern farms, said:
Personally from the health point
of view. 1 would rather see my own
daughter, nine years old. at work in
a cotton mill, than have her live as
tenant on the average southern tenant
one horse farm. This apparently ex-
treme statement is based upon actual
81 a., ONO hot 01o
1T doubt if any other nation can
bear comparison with our own in the
amount of attention given by the gov
ernment, both federal and state, to
agricultural matters. But practically
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 beginning this was unquestion-
ably the right thing to do. The far
mer must first of all grow crops in
order to support himself and his fam
lily. But when this has been secured
the effort for better farming should
cease to stand alone and should be ac-
companied by the efforts for better
business and better living on the farm.
TT is at least as important that the
farmer should get the largest possible
return in money, comfort and social
advantages from the crop he grows as
that he should get the largest possible
return in crops from the land he farms
Agriculture is not the whole OF coun-
try life The great rural interests are
humane interests and good crops are of
little value to the farmer unless they
open the door to good kind of life on
the farm.
A National Problem.
This problem of country life Is in
the truest sense a national problem.
for material
for the food and clothing of all our
citizens. It supports directly almost
half of them; apd nearly half the chill
dren of the United States are born and
Nfe of the farm family be made less
solitary fuller of opportunity, freer
from drudgery, more comfortable, hap
pier and more attractive? Such re-
suit is most earnestly to be desired.
How can life on the farm kept on the
highest level and where 1t is not al
ready on that level. be so improved,
dIgnified, and frightened as to awaken
and keep alive the pride and loyalty OF
the farmers boys and girl, of the farm-
ers' wife and of the farmer ira hlmsen3 te I've
on the farm be aroused In the children
that are born on the farm? All these
questions are Of vital Importance not
only to the farmer, but to the whole
| nation.
We hope ultimately 10 uoupie eho
average yield of wheat and corn per
acre; it will be a great achievement
hut it is even more important to
double the desirability, comfort and
standing of the farmers life.
The Farmers Wife.
1T is especially important that what
ever will serve to prepare country
children for life on the farm and
| whatever will brighten home life in
the country and make ii richer and
more attractive for the mothers. wives
and daughters of farmers, should be
done promptly. thoroughly and gladly.
There is no more important person,