The Idaho Springs siftings-news., 1909-02-13
ON COUNTRY LIFE
SPECIAL MESSAGE FROM WHITE
HOUSE TO CONGRESS.
President Suggests Social and BusI-
ness improvements for the eene-
fits OF the DweIIer in Asri-
cultural Communities.

|
the president sent special message
to congress, substantially as follows:
| To the Senate and House OF Represent
| atives: l transmit herewith the report
| OF the commission on country life At
| the outset I desire to point out that not
dollar of the public money has been
paid to any commissioner for his work
| on the commission.
[ The report shows the general condition
OF farming life in the open country. and
points out its larger problems; 1t fndi-
| Gates ways in which the government ma
tional and state. may show the people
| how to solve some OF these problems, and
| II suggests continuance of the work
which the commission began.
The object of the commission on coun-
| try life. therefore. is not to help the
| farmer raise better crops, but to call his
attention to the opportunities for better
business and better living on the farm.
II country life is to become what 1t
should be. and what believe 1t ultimate
ly will be-one OF the most dignified. de-
sirable, and sought-after ways of earn
a lving-the farmer must take advan-
taRe not only of the agricultural knowl
edge which is at his disposal but OF the
methods which have raised and continue
to raise the standards OF living and in
telligence in other calinRs.
Those engaged in all other industrial
and commercial callings have found it
necessary, under modern economic con-
ditions. to organize themselves for
tuat advantage and for the protection of
their own particular interests in rela-
tion to other interests
Now, whatever the state may do to-
ward improving the practice of agri-
culture, it is not within the sphere of
any government to reoreanize the farm
ers business reconstruct the social
life Of farming communities. II is how
ever. quite within its power TO its
influence and the machinery Of publicity
which 1t can control for calling public at
tention to the needs of the facts. For eN-
ample, 1t is the obvious duty of the gov
eminent to call the attention of farmers
to the growing monopozation of water
power. The farmers. above all, should
have that power, on reasonable terms. for
cheap transportation for lighting their
homes, and for innumerable uses in the
daily tasks of the farm.
Necessity for Cooperation.
The cooperative plan is the best plan
of organization wherever men have the
right spirit to carry II out. Under this
plan any business undertaking is man
aged by committee: every man has
one vote and only one vote, and every
one gets profits according TO what he
sells or buys supplies IT develops in
dividuaI responsibility and has moral
well financial value over any
other plan.
! desire only to take counsel with the
farmers as fellow-citzens. 1t is not the
problem OF the farmers alone that am
discussing with them. but problem
which affects every city well every
farm in the country. II fs 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 II We can
render any help toward its solution. 1t is
not only our duty but our interest to do
al has hepn done and
learned three great general and immedi
ate needs of country life stand out:
First effective cooperation among
farmers, TO put them on level with the
orga nized interests with which they do
business.
Second. new kind Of schools in the
country which shall teach the children
as much outdoors indoors and per
haps more. SO that they will prepare for
country life. and not at present, main
ly for life in town,
Third better means OF communication,
including good roads and parcels post.
which the country people are everywhere,
and rightly. unanimous in demanding.
To these may well be added better san
itation for easily preventahle diseases
hold several million country people in the
slavery of continuous i'll health.
To Develop Country Community.
To improve system of agriculture
seems to me the most urgent of the tasks
Wh1cH lie De1UFe f1ut IL III
my Judgment, be effected by measures
which touch only the material and tech
meal side of the subject; the whole busi-
ness and life of the farmer must also
be taken into account Such consldera-
tions led me to appoint the commission
on country life Our object should be
to help develop in the country commu-
nifty the great ideals of the community
life as well as of personal character one
of the most important adiuncts to TINS
end must be the country church. and
invite your attention to what the com
mission says of the country church and
of the need of an extension of such work
as that of the Young Mems Christian as
sociation in country communities. Let
me lay special emphasis upon what the
commission says at the very end of its
report on personal ideas and local leader
ship. Everything resolves itself in the
end into the question of personality.
Neither society nor government can do
much for country life unless there is vol
untary response in the personal ideals
OF the men and women who live in the
country. In the development of charac-
ter, the home should be more important
than the school. than society at large
When once the basic material needs have
been met high ideals may be quite in
dependent of income: but they cannot be
realized without sufficient income to pro-
vide adequate foundation; and where the
community at large is not financially
prosperous 1t is Impossible 10 develop
high average personal and community
ideal. In short. the fundamental facts
of human nature apply to men and wom-
en- who live in the country just as they
apply to men and women who live in the
towns. Given a sufficient foundation of
material well being. the influence of the
farmers wives on their children be-
comes the factor of first Importance in
determining the attitude of the next gen
Grafton toward farm life. The farmer
should realize that the person who most
needs consideration the farm is his
wife. I do not in the least mean that she
should purchase ease at the expense of
duty. Neither man nor woman is really
happy or really useful save on condition
of doing his her duty. If the wom-
an shirks her duty as housewife. as
home keeper. as the mother whose prime
funcfion g q hear and Sufflcient