New-York tribune., 1909-02-10
COUNTRY LIFE REPORT
CONGRESS- RECEIVES III
FROM PRESIDENT.
TI.iytg Hearings Shored Commission
Farmers Had Many Needs De
spife Recent Progress.

washington. Feb 9-The President to-day
sent TO Congress message transmitting 1he re-
,ao-4 Of the Country Life Commission. AFTER
the document had been read in the Senate Nj
Hepburn moved that it be printed and lie on
The table and this order was accordirg4! mace
The Ee follows
To the senate and House OF RepresentatiIes:
1 transmit herewith the report OF me Soi...'i =,
SION on Country Life. At the outset 1 desire desire 70 70
point out that not collar OF 1e bi or
on the commission -
The report shows the general condition OF
farming life in the open country ano points ~
IS la-cer r1roblerns: il indicates ways IN "lhch
The government national and state, may snow
the people how solve some OF taeSe lLooltIaS,
and 81 suggests d continuance Of the work which
The commission began ,,-L
Tudping b,- thirty public hearings. 10 which
E.r-rr-S and farmers wives from forty states
and territories came. and from l-p,eIV aHsN@eI 80
printed questions sent out by the ieLI titi'e ~
,z-eneraI level OF country life IS high compares
With any preceding time or with any other @ lano,
places II has risen in more places It's progress
has been general. If not UNIFORM
Yet farming does not yield either tile pIolIl OF OF
The sats1a cJion that Il ought 10 Ele4d. si-I - -.
be made to yield There is diseontent IN tne
country. and in places discouras a IN M
class do not magnify thelI Ssli-I-S, $50 c.
The movement 10 the towns though l am hapP\
10 say. less than formerly. IS stun strong. Al
Under our system il i helpful To promote us
..lssiou Of ways IN which the people car heip
themselves There are three mann olreclIollS IN
which the farmers can help themselves: nSnleIH,
1etter farming better business and better living
On rhe farm The national Department ol -ASIi-
culture which has rendered services equaed bN
no other similar department in any oli1er uIIe
or place: the state departments Of agriculture;
the state colleges OF agriculture ana 1iae me
cfguic arts especially through their EXTENSION
work: the state agricultural experiment stations
The Farmers Union the Grange the aeIicuII,-,
.slre1 rrees and other similar agencies have all
combined 10 place within the reacn Of the amer
3can farmer an amount ana luahty OF ass asLi
cultural information. which y applied Woulo
enable him over large areas. 70 double the pro
Huction Of the farm
PURPOSE OF THE COMMISSION.
The object Of the Commission on Country Life
therefore IS not 10 help the farmer raise better
crops but 70 call his attention TO tae opPoI-
the farm. X country life is TO become what II
should be, and what believe il ultimately VIII
,sought-after WAYS Of earning a uNlng-tne
farmer must take advantage not only Of the
agricultural knowledge which is al ms disposal,
but OF the methods which have raised and con
irfnue TO raise. the standards Of living ana OF
intelligence in other callingS-
Those engaged in ali other industrial and COM
1nerciaI calIiugs have found Il necessary, under
modern economic conditions. To oIGaIll@ lheni-
selves for mutual advantage and Tor me protec-
YieF, Of their own particular interests in relation
70 other interests. The farmers Of every pro
,Ezressfve European country have realized this
essential fact and have found in the Co-opera-
ave system exactly the form OF business com
Nov. whatever the state may do toward i'm
proving the practice Of agriculture, Il Is not
within the snhere OF any government To reor-
ranize the farmers business or reconstruct the
social Yfe Of farming communities. II Is. how
ever quite within its power To use its influence
ana rhe machinery Of publicity which IL can
control Tor cainE pnbllc AtIeAloil 20 tie lls,- 5
and the facts For example. II IS ina cOFlouS
duty Of the government 10 call the attention OF
farmers 90 the growing raonop0iizatigh OF "@eleI @
unvyer. The farmers. above all should nave IAat
power. on reasonable terms, Tor cheap trans
uortation. for lighting their homes and Tor IN
Vulnerable uses in the daily tasks on the farm.
II would he Idle TO assert that HE on the
farm occupies as good q position n GlstliC,
teeirability and business results as the farmers
might easily give i Il they chose one OF the
chief difcultes Is the failure OF country He a.
81 exists at present 10 satisfy the higher social
and intellectual aspirations Of country people
Whether tire constant draining away of SO Hucn
of The best elements in The rural population INTO
The towns Sc due cTielv 20 this cause or I" the
superior business opportunities Of city life may
he open 70 question But no one at all familiar
with farm life throughout the United states states can @
fafl 20 recognize the necessity for building ND
The life % the farm upon It's social as wen a.
upon IFS productive side.
AGRICULTURAL CO-OPERATION.
II is true that country life has improved great.
" in attractiveness. health and comfort ana
that the farmer earnings are hlshtF nan ny ny
vere But city lie is advancing even more rap
fdly. because Of the greater attention "IeR Ms IS
being given by the citizens OF the towns 20 tItI'
own betterYnent. For Just this reason the IN
PRODUCTION Of effective agricultural co-operatlon
throughout the United states Is OF the Ilrst IN
,,ortance Where farmers are organized CO
orerstfvelv they not only avail themselves Inuch
more readily of business opportunities ana I'm
rrozed methods but Il i found that the organl-
atoms which bring them together in the work
- their lives are used also for social and intel
Iectual advancement
The cooperative plan Is the best plan OF Or
t,auiZatior wherever men have the Tght spirit
70 carry Il out Under this plan any business
Undertaking IS managed by = committee: every
man has one vote and only one vote. ana tFeIY
ore gets profits according TO what ne seils or
f,7,-s or supplies. / develops individual re
.r,oosgbfItv and has a moral as well as nnan-
rial value over any other plan.
desire only 10 take counsel With the FARMERS
es fellow citizens i Is not the problem of me
farmers alone that I am discussing with tnerl:
1rt a problern which affects every CITY as Wen
ss ever farm IL the country i ls a problem
,--hgrb me working farmers VIII have TO solve
Tor themselves. but il is { problem winch also
rFar+s IN only less degree ali the rest OF Us ana
therefore, # We can render any help toward lts
solEtjon II is not only our duty but our interest
80 do . -, -
The foregoing will- hope, make II cIeaT , NhE
7 srooIute5 e commission 20 consider probieIls
81 ss-u life which have hitherto had lar 100
lftfle attention and the neglect Of ~hlch mas hot
S-ly held back life IN the country, but also low
eyed the efficiency Of the whole natlon. me
-relfsre OF the farmer IS OF vital consequence 10