The Prescott daily news., 1909-02-09

uniform.
 Yet farming does not yield either tbe proht or the satisfaction that it ought 10 yield and may be made to yield There is discontent in the country and In places Encouragement Farmers as class do not magnify their callinp and the movement to the towns though, I am happy to say. less than formerly, is still strong.
 How Farmers Can Help Themselves.
 Under our system it is helpful to promote discussion of ways in which the people can help themselves. There are three main directions in which the farmers can help themselves namely, better farming. better busi- ness and better living on the farm The national department of ogr;cu,. lure, which has rendered services equaled by no other similar depart ment in any other time or place. the state departments of agriculture. the state colleges of agriculture and the mechanic arts, especially through their extension work; the state agricultural experiment stations, the Farmers un- lon, the grange, the agricultural press and other similar agencies have all combined to place within the reach or the American farmer an amount and quality of agricultural informa- ton which if applied would enable him over large areas to double the production of the farm.
 The object of the commission on country 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 OH the farm. If country life Is to be- come what 1t should be and what I believe 1t ultimately will be-one of the most dignified desirable and sought after ways of earning living-the farmer must take advantage not only of the agricultural knowledge which is at his disposal, but of the methods which have raised and continue to raise the standards of living and of intelligence in other callings.
 Those engaged in all other industrial and commercial callings have found 1t necessary under modern economic to organize themselves for mutual advantage and for the protec- tion of their own particular interests in relation to other interests. The farmers of every progressive Euro pean country have realized this essen tial fact and have found in the CO., operative system exactly the form of business combination they need.
 Now, whatever the state may do to- ward improving the practice of agri- culture. it is not within the sphere of farmers business or reconstruct the social life of farming communities. It is, however, quite within its power to use it's influence and the machinery of publicity which it can control for calling public attention to the needs and the facts. For example, it is the obvious duty of the government to call the attention of farmers to the grow ing monopoliZation 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 on the farm.
 Farmers Own Work Needed.
 It would be idle to assert that life on the farr occupies as good a posi- tion in dignity, desirability and busi- ness results as the farmers might easily give it if they chose One of the chief difficulties is the failure of life as it exists at present to satisfy the higher social and intellec- tual aspirations of country people. Whether the constant draining away of so much of the best elements in the rural population into the towns is due chiefly to this cause or to the superior business opportunities of city life may be open to question. But no one at all familiar with farm life throughout the United States can fail to recognize the necessity for building up the life of the farm upon it's social as well as upon its productive side.
 It is true that country life has i'm proved greatly in attractiveness, health and comfort and that the farmers earnings ara higher. than they hey Were: