The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1909-07-15
NEWS AND VIEWS
OF WASHINGTON
Interesting Letter From Our Special
Correspondent.
THE REPORT ON COUNTRY LIFE
Senate Refused pTo Accept It, So
Commissions Work Reposes On
the Tahle--Many In
quiries For H. gaE "a.
lRy Cyrus BOSS stoddard.l


have come to congressman, relating
to the Country Life Commission APP
pointed by President Roosevelt, the
report of which was transmitted to
Congress by special message on
Feb. 8, 1909. Because the Senate did
not approve the report, it was con-
clnded that same should not be given
recognition further than to order it
TO be printed and laid on the table,
where it has reposed ever since.
The Commission, one member OF
which was Mr.. Henry Wallace of Des
Moines, endeayored to ascertain the
general social, economic, sanitary, ed
ucational and labor conditions of the
open country" To this end about
$4,000 copies of circular questions
were sent TO farmers throughout the
United States, to which over 10000
replies were received. In addition,
bearings were held in thirty cities
and considerable information gained
In this way. Nd -. Il ..... a..
AS a result OF this campaign, the
Commission found that agriculture in
the United States, taken altogether,
is prosperous commercially, that the
country homes are improving in com
fort, attractiveness and healthfulness,
and that, mot only in the material
wealth they produce, but in the sup
ply of independent and strong citizen
ship, the agricultural people consti-
tute the very foundation OF our ma
tional efficiency" Yet 1t was also
discovered that agriculture is not COM
merclally as profitable as it is entitled
to be for the labor and energy that
the farmer expends and the risks
that he assumes, and that the social
conditions in the open country are
far short Of their possibilities. The
reasons given are: Ne
l. Lack of knowledge on the part
of farmers of the exact agricultural
conditions and possibilities in their
regions. --..
q Lack OF training for country
life in the schools. a.
So Disadvantage OF competing with
established business systems, prevent
ing him from receiving adequate re-
turns for his products.
A. Widespread depletion of soil,
with injurious effect upon rural life.
The report then gives suggestions
for improving the conditions which
surround country life, summing up its
remedies in the following funda-
mental movements:
l. Taking stock OF country life by
the organization, under government
leadership, of comprehensive plan
for an exhaustive study or survey OF
all the conditions that surround the
business of farming and the people
who live in the country in order to
supply the farmer with local knowl-
edge" this to be accomplished by
THE cooperation of federal and state
governments, agricultural colleges
and other educational agencies %.
g. Organization in each state col
lege of agriculture of complete de-
partment OF college extension, so man
aged as to reach every person on the
land in its state. This should include
lectures. bulletins, reading courses,
correspondence courses, demonstra-
ton, and other means of reaching the
people on their farms. Not only agri-
culture, but sanitation, education and
home making should. be included in
this extensio nwOrk."
3. The holding of local, state and
even national conferences on rural
progress, designed to uniteNthe inter
ests of education, organization and
religion into one forward movement
for the rebuilding of country life.
RHral teachers, librarians, clergymen,
editors, physicians, and others may
well unite with farmers in studying
and discussing the rural question in
all its aspects"
The report, which is very compre-
hensiye, discusses TO some length,
topics relating to forests, restraint OF
trade, control Of streams, highways,
soil depletion, scarcity of agricultural
labor, the general farm problem, in
temperance on the farm, health in the
open country, woman's work on the
farm and the country church. The
chief plea OF the Commission is for
the development OF the educational
system In the rural districts, whereby
she country schools shall be the
means, TO large extent, OF dissem-
inating knowledge with relation TO
right living. improved agriculture and
country life subjects. The rural
schools are not declining. but are re-
sponsible for Ineffective farming, lack
of ideals and the drift to town be-
cause they are in state OF arrested
development" The teaching of ag-
riculture and nature study in high
schools is recommended" "As the
aOme Is the center OF our civilization,
so home subjects should be the center
of the school"
Referring to the country church,
the Commission believes that the
time has arrived when the church
must take larger leadership, both as
an institution and through its pastors,