The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1909-02-09

refinement for almost
Half a Century
taxing Il m.n1ye0 by a committees.
Every. man has one vote and only one
vote. and every one gets profits nc
cording to what he sells or buys or
supplies. It develops individual re-
a. . financial value over any other
plan.
Farmers Problems the Whole country's
! desire only to take counsel with
tho farmers as fellow citizens. 1t II
not the problem of the farmers alone
that am discussing with them. but
q problem which affects every city as
well as every farm in the country. It
Is q problem which the working farm.
ers will have to solve for themselves,
but 1t is q problem which also Affects
In only less degree all the rest Of Us,
and therefore II we can render any
help toward its solution It is not only
our duty but our interest to do 20.
The foregoing will, hope, make It
clear why appointed a commission to
consider problems Of farm life which
have hitherto had far too little atten-
ton and the neglect Of which has not
only held back life in the country, but
also lowered the efficiency Of the whole
nation. The welfare Of the farmer is
Of vital consequence to the welfare Of
the whole community. The strength
ening Of country life, therefore, is the
strengthening Of the whole nation.
The commission has tried to help the
farmers to see clearly their own prob
lem and to see 1t as a whole, to distin-
guish clearly between what the gov
eminent can do and what the farmers
must do fer themselves, and 1t wishes
to bring not only the farmers. but the
nation as whole, to realize that the
growing Of crops, though an essential
part, II only part OF country life.
Crop growing is the essential founda-
ton. but 1t Is no less essential that the
farmer shall get an adequate return
for what he grows. and 1t IL no less
essential-indeed. 1t is literally vital
that he and his wife and his children
shall lead the right kind Of life.
For this reason 1t is Of the first Inn
portance that the United States depart
ment Of agriculture, through which as
prime agent the Ideas the commission
stands for must reach the people.
should become without delay In fact Z
department OF country life, fitted to
deal not only with crops, but also with
all the larger aspects Of life In the open
county.
Three Nssds Of Country Life.
From I'LL that has been done and
learned three great general and imme-
date needs OF country life stand out:
First.-Enective cooperation among
farmers to put them on level with
the organized interests with which
they do business.
Second.-A new kind Of schools in
the country, which shall teach the
children as much outdoors 40 indoors,
and perhaps more, SO that they win
prepare for country life and not, az at
present, mainly for life in town.
Third.-Better means Of communica-
ton, including good roads and par
GELS post. which the country people
are everywhere, and rightly, unani.
nous In demanding.
To these may well be added better
sanitation, for easily preventable dis
eases hold several million country peo-
pie In the slavery Of continuous III
health.
Organization 10 Necessary.
The commission points out-and !
concur In the conclusion-that the
most important help that the govern.
ment, whether national or state, can
give is to show the people how to 60
about these tasks of Organization, ed.
ucat1on and communication with the
best and quickest results. This can
be done by the collection and spread
of information. One community can
thus be informed Of what other COM
munities have done and one country
Of what other countries have done.
Such help by the peoples govern
ment would lead to a comprehensive
plan Of organization, education and
communication and make the farm
ing country better to live In, for In
tellectual and social reasons rs well
as for purely agricultural reasons.
The government through the de-
partment Of agriculture does not cul-
tivate any mans farm for him, but It
does put at his service useful knowI-
edge that he would not otherwise get.
In the same way the national and
state governments might put into the
peoples hands the new and right
knowledge Of school work The task
OF maintaining and developing the
schools would remain, AZ now, with
the people themselves.
Money For Expenses Asked.
The only Recommendation submit
Il that an appropriation Of $4,000 be
provided to enable the commission to
digest the material It has collected
and to collect and to digest much
more that II within its reach and thus
complete its work. This would enable
the commission to gather In the har-
vest OF suggestion which IS resulting