The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1909-10-08


conditions. Many more replies
must come before a summing up
will be possible Those received so
far indicate that Minnesota is 60
ing to contribute something of
value to the general proposition
of improving farm life in the
United States.
The problem of raising the standard
of country life and keeping the young
people on the FARMS. begins to show
itself in all its compleXity, as the re-
plies to letters sent out some time ago
by the Minnesota Bankers association
come in. The depopulation of the
farms and the crowding into the cities,
against the evil effects of which Theo-
dore Roosevelt inveighed, and James
j. Hill has frequently spoken, and
which is awakening the concern of en-
nent men identified with economic
study and experiment, was taken up
by the Minnesota Bankers association
at the convention at Lake Minnetonka
in July last.
The committee on agricultural de-
velopment and education was directed
to make an effort to ascertain the
causes of farm abandonment in Mime
sofa. Joseph Chapman, Jr, of Mime
apolis, is chairman of the committee.
Other members are w. /. Prince of
Duluth, president also of the Mime
sofa association; L. A. Huntoon of
Moorhead, vice president of the asso-
citation; George G. Power of st. Paul,
William E. Lee of Long Prairie and
A. G. Wedge, Jr., of Bemidji, all bank
ers of wide acquaintance through the
the association, took up the work of
inquiry from the Minneapolis office.
Tendency Is Decreasing.
Il. f. Nash of the Pipestone State
bank, has sent a report covering Mar
tin, Faribault, Brown, Watonwan, Blue
Earth, Murray, Mobiles, Rock, Cotton
wood, Jackson and Pipestone counties.
There is decreasing tendency to leave
the farms in Pipestone, but in the
other counties the trend cityward is
marked. In Blue Earth it is found,
but in less degree among the young
people of German descent.
NJ. J. Bowling, president of the
Olivia State bank, reports conditions in
the seventh Minnesota district that
are about like those in the second.
w. A. Shaw, president of the Clear
water State bank, which is in the
Sixth district, finds that it pays to
educate pupils in agricultural work,
that the high school at Cokato is do
ing much good, and that in Wright
county so per cent of the young people
that have been educated in agricultural
work are SO engaged. Yet Mr.. Shaw
notes a tendency to go to the cities.
Farm Institutes he finds are good
thing.
Buffalo Boys Moving Cityward.
c. Z. Oakley of the Oakley State
bank, Buffalo, reports that the young
people are inclined to move cityward.
E. III. Sherwin, cashier of the State
bank of Monticello, finds that the
tendency is not alarming, the proper
ton of rented farms being about
per cent in his locality
Clarence L. Atwood, president of the
Security State bank of st. Cloud,
thinks the public schools in the coun-
try districts deficient, in that nearly
every child therein is permitted to
harbor the idea of becoming a lawyer,
physician, merchant or something other
than a farmer.
Public opinion, he finds to be grow
ing in favor of sending the young peo-
pie of the farms to agricultural schools.
Near st. Cloud 10 per cent of the
farms are rented.
"There is no agricultural education
in the common schools" Mr.. Atwood
said, "and the town and city people