The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1909-02-11
THE UPLIFT OF COUNTRY LIFE

H ~ bF VT wv MIN LIFE
On Tuesday the President sent to
congress, with a special message or
the subject, the report of the Com.
mission on Country Life.
HIT proposes that the Department
OF Agriculture be convened into the
Department of Country Life. with a
wide scope of advertising to difruse
information to the farmer on sub
Jcccts that would assist in his uplift.
The present needs of the farmer as
seen by the commission and repeated
by the President, are cooperation in
business and social life, improved
schools, where is taught the element
al ideal of farm life, and better
means of communication to provide
Tor the transport of farm producte
and the diffusion of information.
We make the following extracts
from the Presidents message:
Inc report shows the general con-
d1tlon Of farming life in the onan
country, and points out it's larger
problems; it indicates WAYS in which
the government, national and State
hidy snow the people how to solve
some OF these problems: and il sug-
seSts d continuance of the work which
the commission began.
Judging by thirty public hearings
10 which farmers and farmers wives
from forty States and Territories
came and from 10000 answers to
printed questions sent out by the De-
parlment OF agriculture, the commits
SION finds that the general level of
country life is high compared with
any preceding time or with anv other
land. If it has in recent wears slim
pea down In some places. it has risen
In more places. It's progress has been
general, if not uniform.
Yet farming does not weld either
the profit or the satisfaction that If
ought to yield and may be made to
yield. There is discomfort in the conn
try, and in places disc0urae cement
FARMERS as a class do not magnify
thelr calling, and the movement tn |
the towns. though, I am happy to |
say, less than formerly, is still
strong"
Furthtr on he says:
From all that has been done and
learned three great general and i'm
mediate needs of country life stand
out:
First, effective cooperation
among farmers, to put them on a
leVei with the organized interests
with which they do business.
Second, a new kind of schools in
the country, which shall teach the
as much outdoors as in
doors and perhaps more, so that thew
VIII prepare for country life, and not
as at present, mainly for life in town I
Ihlrd, better means of communi-
cation. including good roads and a
parcels post, which the country peo-
pie are everywhere and rightly
in demanding.
To these may well be added bet
ter sanitation; for easily preventibIe
diseases hold several million country
people in the slavery of continuous
ill-health.''
The concluding paragraphs of the
PRESIDENTS message are as follows:
L warn my countrymen that thej
great recent progress made in city
lie is not full measure of our civil
Zatlon, for our civilization rests at
oottom on the whOlesomeness, the at
1ractlVeness and the completeness as
we'll as the prosperity of life in the {
The men and women on
The farms stand for what is funda
nenIa!iJ pest and most needed in
our American life.
Upon the development of coun-f
ny life rests ultimately our ability
oy methods of farming requiring the
llghest Intelligence, to continue to
eed and clothe the hungry nations. {
o supply the city with fresh blood :
clean bodies and clear brains that
AN endure the terrific strain of mod t
'rh lie; we need the DEVELOPMENT t
u men IN the open country, who will t
'e in the future, as in the past, the j
tay and strength of the nation in
lme OF war and it's guiding and con- F
rolling spirit in time of peace.
THEODORE ROOSEVELT.
Inc White House, Feb. 9, 1909"
1t will be interesting to read in !,
MS connection our Washington let D
er' which was written just before p
his report was sent to Congress and p
made public.
IL your neighbor does not take The
Caucasian chOuy I,;,,o u