The Mena weekly star., 1909-02-11

Introduction of effective agricultural cooperation throughout the Umteu States is of the first importance. Where farmers are organized CO operatively they not only avail them selves much more readily Of business opportunities and improved methods, but fl is found that the organizations which bring them together in the work of their lives are used also for social and intellectual advancement.
 The cooperative plan is the best plan of organization wherever men have the right spirit to carry It out. Under this plan any business under taking is managed by a committee; every man has one vote, and only one vote: and every one gets profits ac- l cording to what he sells or buys or supplies. It develops individual re- sponsibility and has moral as well as a financial value over any other 1 plan.
 l I desire only to take counsel with i the farmers as fellow-citizens. It IS not the problem of the farmers alone that I am discussing with them. but l problem which affects every city as well as every farm in the country. It is a problem which the working farmers will have to solve l for themselves; but 1t Is problem which also affects in only less degree all the rest of us, and therefore if we can render any help toward It's SO lution. 1t Is not only our duty but our interest to do so.
 The foregoing will, 1 hope, make 1t clear why l appointed commission to consider problems of farm life which have hitherto had far too little at tention, and the neglect of which has not only held back life in the coun- try, but also lowered the efficiency of the whole nation. The welfare of the farmer is of vital consequence to the welfare of the whole community. The strengthening of country life, there fore, is the strengthening of the whole nation.
 Work to Help the Farmers.
 The commission has tried to help | the farmers to see clearly their own 1 problem and to see it as a whole; to i distinguish clearly between what the l government can do and what the farm 1 CTS must do for themselves: and it 1 wishes to bring not only the farmers, but the nation as a whole, to realize ! that the growing of crops, though an essential part, is only part Of 1 country life. Crop growing Is the es- sential foundation; but it is no less es- ! sential that the farmer shall get an i adequate return for what he grows: 1 and it is no less essential-indeed. it is i literally yital--that he Nand his wife and his children shall lead the right ] kind of life.
 For this reason, it Is of the first i'm i portance that the United States de- ! partment of agriculture, through which as prime agent the ideas the commission stands for must reach the people. should become without delay in fact a 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 imme- diate needs of country life stand out:
 First, effective cooperation among
 farmers, to put them on level with
 the organized interests with which they do business.
 Second new kind of schools in the country which shall teach the chil- dren as much outdoors as indoors and perhaps more, so that they will pre- pare for country life. and not as at present. mainly for life in town.
 Third, better means of communica- ton, including good roads and a par cels post, which the country people are everywhere, and rightly, unanimous in demanding
 To these may we'll be added better sanitation; for easily preventable dis eases hold several million country peo- pie in the slavery of continuous i'll l health
 Duty of the Government.
 The commission points out, and concur in the conclusion, that the most important help that the government, whether national or state. can give is to show the people how to go about ! these tasks of organization, education and communication with the best and l quickest results This can be done by the collection and spread of in formation. One community can thus be informed of what other communi. iies have done. and one country of what other countries have done. Such her by the peoples government would lead 10 a comprehensive plan of organ ization. education and communication. and make the farming country better 10 live in. for intellectual and social . reasons as well as for purely agricul. tural reasons.
 The government through the depart ment of agriculture does not cultivate any mans farm for him. But it does put at his service useful knowledge that he would not otherwise get. In the same way the national and state governments might put into the peo- ple's hands the new and right knowl- edge of school work The task of maintaining and developing the schools would remain, as now, with the people themselves.
 The only recommendation I submit is that an appropriation of s25, ,000 be provided. 10 enable the corsmission to digest the material it has collected, and 10 collect and to digest much
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