Mexico Missouri message., 1909-02-11

agriculture In the United States. taken
together. iH prosperous commercially.
when measured by the conditions that
have obtained in previous years. al
which this Ia only partially true. The
| country people are producing vast
quantities of supplies for food. shelter.
clothing and for use In the arts. The
country homes are improving in com.
fort. HttrnCtiycneEH and hCalthfulnrsa
Not only In the material wealth that
they produce. but ia the supply of in
dependent and strong citizenship. the nE-
ricultural people constitute the very
| foundation Of our national efficiency
As agriculture II the Immediate basis
| OF country life. so II follows that the
general Affairs uf the open country
speaking broadly. are in a condition
! Of Improvement
Most Prominent Deficiencies.
Yet IL Is true. notwithstanding all
! this progress ns measured by his
toricaI standards. that agriculture Is
not commercially nv profitable az II Is
| entitled to he for the labor and energy
| that the farmer eNpends and the risks
| that he assumes. and that the social
| conditions In the open country are far
| short OF their possibilities. We must
| measure our agricultural efficiency by
| the possibilities rather than by COM
psrison with previous conditions. The
| farmer II almost necessarily handi-
| capped Ia the development OF his bust
ness because his capital Is small and
| the volume of his transactions limited;
and ne usually stands practically
alone against organized interests. In
the general readjustmcnt of modern
| life due to the great changes In manu-
| faCtlreP ana commerce. Inequalities
and determinations have arisen. and
| naturally the separate man suffers
| most. The unattached man has prob
lens that government should under
| stTad.
The reasons for the lack OF n highly
organized rural society are very many.
as the fun report explains The lead
Ing specific causes are:
\ lack Of knowledge on the part OF
farmers of the exact agricultural con-
ditions and possibilities OF their re-
gionS;
Lack Of good trimming for country
life In the schools:
Lack Of good highway facilities;
The widespread continuing deple-
tion Of soils. with the injurious effect
on rural life;
a general need OF Few and active
leadership.
other causes contributing TO the
general result are: Lack of any ade-
quate syHtem OF agricultural credit.
whereby the farmer may readily Sc
cure loans on fair terms; the short.
age Of labor. n condition that IL often
complicated by intemperance among
workmen: lack of institutions and in
centives that tie the laboring man to
the soil: the burdens and the narrow
life OF farm women; lack OF adequate
supervision OF public health.
Nature OF the Remedies.
Some of the remedies lie with the ma
tinnal government some OF them with
the states and communities in their
corporate capacities. some with volun-
tary organizations. and some with i'm
dividuals acting alone. From the great
number Of suggestions that have been
made. covering every phase OF country
life. the commission now enumerates
those that seem 10 be most funda-
mental or most needed at the present
time.
CONGRESS can remove some OF the
handiclps Of the farmer, and II can
also set some kinds of work In motion
such az:
The encouragement OF system of
thorough going surveys OF all agricui-
tural regions in order to take stock
and to develop scientifically and
economically sound country life:
The establishing OF nationaliEed
system OF extension work in rural
communities through oil the land
grant colleges with the people at their
homes and on their farms
A thorough going investigation by
experts OF the middleman system OF
handling farm products. coupled with
general inquiry into the farmers
Disadvantages In respect 20 taxation,
transportation rates. corporation or
ganlERtiona and credit, and the gen
eral business system;
An inquiry into the control and use
OF the streams OF the United States
with the object OF protecting the Ieo-
pie In their ownership and OF saving
60 agricultural uses such benefits aR
should be reserved for these purposes;
The establishing OF a highway en-
! EineerinE service, or equivalent orEuni-
ration, to be at the call OF the states
| In working out effective and econom-
ical highway systems:
The establishing OF system OF
parcels post and postal savings
I banks;
And providing some means or
agency for the guidance OF public
| opinion toward the development OF a
real rural society thRt shall rest d.
rectly on the land.
other remedies recommended for
consideration by congress are:
The enlargement OF the United
States bureau of education. 10 enable
II TO stimulate and coordinate the ed
ucationAl work OF the nation:
Careful attention 90 the farmern
interests In legislation on the tariff.
on regulation OF railroads. control or
regulation Of corporations and OF spec
ulation. leginlatiOn In respect Of rlv-
ers. forests. and the utilization OF
swamp lands:
Increasing the powers OF the fed
eral government in respect 10 the
supervision and control Of the public
nenifh:
Providing such regulations as will
enable the states that do not permlt
the sale Of liquors 10 protect them.
selves from trafie from adjoining
states.
In settling all theae sogeeu In molten.