Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-02-09
VIEWS
ON FARMERS UPUFT
Continued from First Page)

Continued from First Page)
I of the greater attention which is being
given by the citizens of the towns to their
, own betterment.
Cooperation Of First Importance.
For just this reason the introduction OF
effective agricultural cooperation
| throughout the United States Is of the
first Importance. Where farmers are or
ganized comparatively they not only
avail themselves much more readily of
| business opportunities and improved
methods. but il is found that the orSan1-
cations which bring them together In the
work of their lives are used also for So
| cial and intellectual advancement
| The cooperative plan is the best plan
of organization wherever men have the
! right spirit to carry 1t out. Under this
plan any business undertaking is managed
| and only one vote: and every one gets
profits according to what he sells or buys
or supplies 1t develops individual re-
sponsibility and has moral as we'll as a
financial value over any ether plan.
| desire only to take counsel with the
farmers as fellow citizens. 1t is not the
problem of the farmers alone that | am
| discussing with them but problem
which affects every city as we'll as every
farm in the country. Ii Is q problem
solve for themselves; but it is a problem
which also affects in only less degree all
the rest of u.s. and therefore II We can
render help toward its solution. it is not
only our duty but our interest to dc. so.
The foregoing will, l hope. make 1t clear
why I appointed a commission to consider
problems of farm life which have hither-
to had far too little attention. and the
neglect of which has not only held back
life in the country, but also lowered the
efficiency of the whole nation. The well
fare of the farmer is of vital consequence
to the welfare of the whole community.
The Strengthening of country life. there
fore. IS the strengthening of the whole
nation
Commissions Aim to Point Way.
The commission has tried tc help the
farmers to see clearly their own problem
and to it as whole; to distinguish
clearly between what the government can
do and what the farmers must do for
themselves: and it wishes to bring not
only the farmers but the nation as
whole to realize that the growing Of crops.
OF country life
Crop growing Is the essential founda-
ton: but it is no less essential that the
farmer shall get an adequate return for
what he grows: and it is no less essential
indeed it is literally vital-that he and
his wife and his children shall lead the
right kind of life.
For this reason. it is of the first i'm
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 a depart
ment of country life, fitted to deal not
only with crops. but also with all the
larger aspects of life in the open coun-
try.
From all that has been done and learned
three great general and immediate needs
Of country life stand out:
First effective cooperation among farm
erS. to put them on a 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 indoors and per-
'haps more. so that they will prepare for
country life. and not as at present, MAIN
ly for life in town.
Third, better means of communication.
including good roads and a parcels post.
which the country people are everywhere,
and rightly. unanimous in demanding.
TO these may well be added better SAM
tation: for easily preventible diseases hold
several million country people in the
slavery of continuous ill-health.
Collect and Spread Information.
The commission points out, and I con-
cur in the conclusion, that the most i'm
portant help that the government.
whether national or state, can give Is to
show the people how to go about these
tasks of organization. education and COM
munication with the best and quickest re-
suits. This can be done by the collection
and spread of information.
One community can thus be informed
of what other communities have done,
and one country of what other countries
have done. Such help by the peoples
hensive plan of organization, education
and communication. and make the farm
ing country better to live in. for intel1ec-
tual and social reasons as we'll rs for
purely agricultural reasons.
The government through the Depart
ment of Agriculture does not cultivate
any mans farm for him. But it does put
at his service useful knowledge 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. as now, with
the people themselves.
The only recommendation / submit is
thai an appropriation of $4,000 be pro-
vided to enable the commission to digest
the material it has collected. and to col
lect and to digest much more that Is
within its reach, and thus complete it's
work This would enable the commission
to gather in the harvest of suggestion
which is resulting from the discussion it
has stirred up. The commissioners have
served without compensation. and 1 do
not recommend any appropriation for
their services, but only for the expenses
that will be required to finish the task
that they have begun.
Improved System of Farming.
To improve our system of agriculture
seems to me the most urgent of the
tasks which lie before US. But it cannot,
in my judgment, be effected by measures
which touch only the material and tech
nical side of the subject: the whole bust
ness and life of the farmer must also
be taken into account. Such considera-
tons led me to appoint the commission
on country life.
Our object should be to help develop in
tho country community the great ideals
Of community life. as we'll as of personal
character. One of the most important
adjuncts to this end must be the country
church. and I invite your attention to
what the commission says of the country
church and of the need of an extension
of such work that OF the Young Mems
Christian Association in country cOmmu-
mites.
Let me lay special emphasis upon what
the commission says at the very end of
it., report personal ideals and loca
leadership. Everything resolves itself in
the end into the question of personality