The new era. (Walden, Colo.) 1906-19??, 1909-02-25
POINTS OUT IMPROVEMENTS
FOR COUNTRY COMMUNITIES
Special Message Of President of Utmost Inter-
est to Farmers.
Urges That Social Well Productive Side of Farm Life
Be Built Up--Work for the Federal
Department.

| NNdShih6tou.-W ltA tho ACpolI Va
the country life commission President
Roosevelt sent the following mes
sage to both houses of congress-:
To the Senate and House of Represent
atives: 1 transmit herewith the report
| of the commission 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 indi-
Gates ways in which the government, ma
tional and state. INDY show the people
how to solve some of these problems; and
| II suggests continuance of the work
which the commission began.
Judging by 30 public hearings. to which
farmers and farmers wives from 40
states and territories came. and from
| 10000 answers to printed questions sent
out by the department of agriculture
the commission finds that the general
level of country life is high compared
with any preceding time or with any 9TH
err land If 1t has in recent years slipped
down in some places. it has risen in more
places. Its progress has been general. if
not uniform.
| Yet farming does not yield either the
profit or the satisfaction that 1t ought
to Yield. and may be made to yield. There
/ is discomfort in the country. and in places
| ACKNOWLEDGEMENT. Farmers as II class 90
not magnify their calling. and the move
men: to the towns, though. l am happy
10 say. less than formerly. is still strong.
Under our system 1t is helpful to pro-
mote discussion of ways in which the
people can help themselves. There are
| three main directions in which the farm
ers can help themselves; namely. better
| farming, better business and better living
on the farm. The national department of
agriculture. which has rendered service
equaled by no other similar department
in any other time place; the state
| departments of agriculture: the state col
leges of agriculture and the mechanical
arts. especially through their extension
work; the state agricultural experiment
stations; the Farmers union the Grange;
| the agricultural press: and other similar
agencies have all combined to place with
| In the reach of the American farmer an
amount and quality of agricultural infor
nation. which. II applied. would enable
him. over large areas. to double the
| production OF the farm.
For Better Business and Living.
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 I believe 1t ultimate
| ~ will be-one of the most dignified. de-
sirablc. and sought-after ways of earn
| a living-the farmer must take advan-
| tage 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
| tclligence in other callings.
Those engaged In all other industrial
and commercial callings have found it
| necessary. under modern economic con-
| dtions. to organize themselves for mu-
tual advantage and for the protection of
| their particular interests in rela-
| ton to other interests. The farmers of
every progressive European country have
| realized this essential fact and have
found in the cooperative system exactly
the form of business combination they
need.
Now. whatever the state may do to-
ward improving the practice of agri-
culture. 1t is not within the sphere of
any government to reorganize the farm
ers business or reconstruct the social
life of farming communities. 1t is. how
ever quite within its power to its
influence and the machinery of publicity
which II can control for calling public at
tention to the needs of the facts. For eN-
ample. it is the obvious duty of the gov
eminent to call the attention of farmers
to the growing monopeization 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 1arnl.
Necessity for Cooperation.
It Is true that country life has improved
greatly in attractiveness. health and COM
fort and that the farmers earnings are
higher than they were. But city life is
advancing even more rapidly. because of
the greater attention which is being given
by the citizens of the towns to their own
betterment. For just this reason the in
PRODUCTION of effective agricultural CO.
operation throughout the United States is
OF the first Importance. Where farmers
are organized comparatively they not
only avail themselves much more read
lily of business opportunities and i'm
proved methods, but it 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 undertaking is man.
aged by n committee: every man has
one vote and only one vote; and every
one gets profits according TO what he
sells or buys or supplies 1t develops in
dividual responsibility and has moral
as we'll financial value over any
other plan
desire only TO take counsel with the
farmers as fellow-citizens. II Is not the
problem of the farmers alone that am
discussing with them. but problem
which affects every city as well as every
farm in the country 1t is problem
which the working farmers will have to
solve for themselves: but it is a 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
30.
Work to Help the Farmers.
The commission has tried to help the
farmers to see clearly their own prob
lem Id TO II whole to distin-