Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1909-03-03

profits according to what he sells or buys
or supplies. 1t develops individual re-
sponsibility and has moral as well as q
financial value over any other plan.
desire only to take counsel with the
farmers as fellow citizens. It is not the
problem OF the farmers alone that am
discussing with them, but a problem
which affects every city as well as every
farm in the country. 1t is a problem
which the working farmers will have to
solve for themselves; but it is problem
which also affects in only less degree all
the rest OF us, and therefore il we can rem
der any help toward its solution, it is not
only our duty but out interest to do SO.
The foregoing will, / hope, make it
clear why l appointed a commission to
consider problems of farm life which
have hitherto had far too little attention,
and the neglect of which has not only
| held back life in the country, but also
lowered the efficiency OF the whole ma
ton. The welfare Of the farmer is OF
vital consequence to the welfare Of the
whole community. The strengthening OF
| country life, therefore, is the strengthen
ing Of the whole nation.
| The commission has tried to help the
farmers to see clearly their own problem
and to see it as q whole; to distinguish
clearly between what the government can
do and what the farmers must do for
themselves; and it wishes to bring not
| only the farmers but the nation as whole
to realize that the growing Of crops, though
an essential part, is only part Of country
life. Crop growing is the essential foun-
dation; but it is no less essential that the
farmer shall get an adequate return for
what he grows; and it is no less essential
indeed it is literally vital-that he and his
wife and his children shall lead the right
kind Of life.
For this reason, it is Of the first import
ance that the United State department Of
agriculture, through which as prime agent
the ideas the commission stands for must
reach the people, should become without
delay in fact department Of country life,
fitted to deal not only with crops, but also
with all the larger aspects of life in the
open country.
| From all that has been done and learned
three great general and immediate needs
of country life stand out:
First, effective cooperation among farm
ers, to put them on q level with the
organized interests with which they do
business.
| Second, a new kind OF schools in the
as much outdoors as indoors and perhaps
more, so that they will prepare for
country life and not as at present, mainly
for life in town.
Third, better means Of communication,
including good roads and a parcels post,
which the country people are where,
and rightly, unanimous in demanding.
To these may well be added better
sanitation; for easily preventable diseases
hold several million country people IN
the slavery of continuous ill health.
| The commission points out, and con-
| cur in the conclusion, that the most i'm
portant help that the government,
whether national or state, can give is to
show the people how to go about these
tasks Ct organization, education and COM
munication with the best and quickest re-
suits. This can be done by the collection
and spread OF information. One commu-
nifty can thus be informed OF what other
communities have done, and one country
OF what other countries have done. Such
help by lthe peoples government would
lead to comprehensive plan Of organiza-
ton, education and communication, and
make the farming country better to live
in, for intellectual and social reasons as
well as for purely agricultural reasons.
| The government through the department
of agriculture does not cultivate any mans
farm for him. But it does put at his ser
| vice useful knowledge that he would not
| otherwise get. In the same way the
national and state governments might
put into the peoples hands the new and
right knowledge of school work. The
task of maintaining and developing the
schools would remain, as now, with the
| people themselves.
| APPROPRIATIONS RECOMMENDED.
The only recommendation l submit is
that an appropriation of $4,000 be pro-
| yided, to enable the commission to digest
the material it has collected, and to collect
and to digest much more that is within its
reach, and thus complete its work. This
would enable the commission to gather in
the harvest of suggestion which is result