Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1909-02-10

cSSentia1 foundation; but II no PsS
= essential that the farmer shall re:
an adequate return for what he grows;
and II is no less essrntial-indeed II
is literally vital-that he and his vile
and his children shall lead the right
kind of life.
For this reason il is OF the first
Importance that the United States De
partment of Agriculture. through
which as prime agent tn" ideas the
commission stands for must reach ~"
people. should becOm" without drlaF
in fact Department OF Country l.lf",
realize that the growing Of crops.
but also with all the larger aspects
of life in the open country.
I Three General Needs.
! From all that his been done and
leain"l three great . neral and i'm.
mediate needs of country life stand
out:
First, rlfectiv" cooperation amOn%
: farmers. 10 put them on a level with
the organized intcr..j; with which
they do business.
Second. new l:n,- o: schools in
| the country. which shall teach the
children as much outdoors as indoor"
and perhaps more. 50 that they vii!
prepar~ for country life. AM, not as
| at nr's"':t. mainly for lie III town.
Third. better means Of cOmmuni
cation. including good roads and par
! cells post which the country people al"
every where. and rightly. unanimous in
demanding.
TO these may well u" added bette:
sanitation: for easi!y ureventable dis
eases hold several million country
pcopl" in the slavery Of continuous i'll
health
|. "Th" commission points ont. and !
concur in the conclusion. lha. the
most important help that the Govern
Etnt whether National or State. can
civ" is to show the oplo how to 90
abou- these tasks Of organization,
education. and communication with
the hest and quickest results. This
can he done bv the collection and
spread of information One comnuni-
Is can TINS be Informed of what other
communities have done. and one coin.
try OF what other countries have done.
Such help by the peoples government
would lead TO romorChCn iv" plan n'
organization. education. and Commrni-
cation anl make tho farming country
better to live in. for intellectual and
social reasons as VIII as fer purely
acricIltvral reasons
The Government through the De
partment of aGricu'ur" does not
cultivate any mans farm for him.
But it does nut at his service useful
knowledge that he weld not other
N'lSn ,.sf In Tho tho Ma
tional and State Governments might
put into the peoples hands The new
and right knowledge of school work
The task of maintaining and develop
ing the schools would remain. as
now with the people themselves.
Appropriation Of $4,000.
The only recommendation | sub
nit is that an appropriation of $25.-
600 lie provided. to enable the COM
mission TO digest the material 1t has
collected. ard to collect and to digest
much more that is within its reach.
and thus complete its work. This
would enable the commission to gath
er in the harvest of suggestion which
is resulting from the discussion il has
stirred up. The commissioners have
|
do not recommend any appropriation
for their services but only Tor thu
cApenses that will be required to fin
ish the. task that tIev have begun
To improve our system Of a9rI-
culture seems 20 me the most urgent
of the tasks which lie before US. Blu:
it can not. in my JUDGMENT, be eff
fected BY measures which touch only
the material and technical side OF
the subject: the whole business and
life OF the farmer must also he taken
into account. Such considerations led
ne to appoint the Commission on COun-
try Life. Oar object should be to-
help develop in the country communi-
" the great id"alS CT community life
~ wei! as OF per- onal character One
of the most important adjunc,s % this
end must be- the country cnurch. ana
7 invite yo,:r attention to what the
commission says OF the country church
ami of the need Of an extension OF
such work as hat Of the ioang Men )
Christian Association IN country com
mIEiticS Let ne lay special cM-
phaSiS upon what the Commission saws
az the very end Of its report on rNr-
sonaI ideals aud local leadership.
Everything resolves itself in the end
into the question Of personality.
Neither SOcir'v nor government can
do much for country life 'mless there
is voluntary r, Spouse in the personal
ideals Of the men and women who liz
in the country. In the development or
character. tho home should he more
importSnt than the school. or than
society az !a:gr When once the haslc
material needs have been met. hiSh
Goals may bc quite independent OF
ircomc: hit thu, can not y" realized
without sufficient income TO providc
adequate foundation: and where the
community at large is not FINANCIALLY
prosperous is it impossible to Dc
vc'op high average persona ana
community idcal In short. The fnnda