Mower County transcript., 1909-02-17
raise the standards Of living and Of
Intelligence in other callings

raise the standards Of living and of
intelligence in other callings.
Those engaged In all other Industrial
and commercial callings have found
it necessary under modern economic
conditions to organize themselves fo1
mutual advantage and for the protec-
tion Of their own particular interests
in relation to other interests. The
farmers of every progressive Euro.
pean country have realized this essen.
tial fact and have found In the co.
operative system exactly the form OF
business combination they need.
Now, whatever the state may do to.
ward improving the practice of agri.
culture, 1t is not within the sphere OF
any government to reorganize the
farmers business or reconstruct the
social life of farming communities
It is, however, quite within it's power
to use it's influence and the machinery
of publicity which it can control fol-
calling public attention to the needs
and the facts. For example, 1t Is the
obvious duty of the government to call
the attention of farmers to the grow.
ing monopolization Of water power
The farmers, above all, should have
that power, on reasonable terms, fo1
cheap transportation, for lighting theil
homes and for innumerable uses in
the daily tasks on the farm.
Farmers Own Work Needed.
1t would be idle to assert that life
on the farm occupies as good posi-
tion in dignity, desirability and bust
ness results as the farmers mighi
easily give it, if they chose. One OF
the chief difficulties is the failure OF
country life as it exists at present tC
satisfy the higher social and intellec.
tual aspirations Of country people
Whether the constant draining away
of so much of the best elements in the
rural population into the towns is due
chiefly to this cause or to the superior
business opportunities of city life may
be open to question. But no one at
all familiar with farm life throughout
the United States can fail to. recognize
the necessity for building up the life
of the farm upon it's social as we'll as
upon it's productive side.
1t is true that country life has i'm
proved greatly in attractiveness. health
and comfort and that the farmer 9
earnings are higher than they were.
But city life is advancing even more
rapidly because of the greater atten-
tion which is being given by the citi-
zens of the towns to their own better
ment. For just this reason the intro
duction Of effective agricultural CO.
operation throughout the United States
is of the first Importance. Where
farmers are organized comparatively
they not only avail themselves much
more readily of business opportunities
and improved methods, but it is found
that the organizations which bring
them together in the work of their
lives are used also for social and in
tellectual advancement
The cooperative plan is the best
plan of organization wherever men
have the right spirit to carry it out
Under this plan any business under
taking is managed by a committee
Every man has one vote and only one
vote. and, every one gets profits ac-
cordin:- to what he sells or burs or
supplies. 1t develops individual re-
sponsibility and has moral as well
as financial value over any other
plan.
Farmers Problems the Whole Country:s
desire only to take counsel with
the farmers as fellow citizens. 1t is
not the problem of the farmers alone
that I am discussing with them, but
a problem which affects every city as
we'll as every farm in the country. 1t
is problem which the working farm
ers will have to solve for themselves.
but 1t Is a problem which also affects
in only less degree all the rest of us.
and therefore if we can render any
help toward it's solution It is not on]v
our duty but our interest to do so.
The foregoing will. hope. make il
clear why I appointed a commission to
consider problems Of farm life which
have hitherto had far too little atten-
t1on 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
or vital consequence to the welfare of
the whole community. The strength
en1ng of country life. therefore. is the
strengthening of the whole nation.
The commission has tried to helm the
Farmers to see clearly their own prob-
lem and to see it as 4 whole, to distin-
guish clearly between what the gov
ernment can do and what the farmers
must do for themselves, and it wishes
to bring not Only the farmers. but the
nation as a whole. to realize that the
growing of crops, though an essential
part, Is only part of country life.
crop growing is the essential founda-
tlon, but it is no less essential that the
farmer shall get an adequate return
Tor what he :srows. and ii is 10 less:
essential indeed, it is literally vital.
that he and his wife and his children
shall lead the right kir.i Of life.
For this reason 1t is CT tI,c. first inn