The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1909-02-13

are everywhere. and rightly. rnani
nous IN demanding
To these may well be added bettel
sanitation. for easily preyentable dis
eases hold several million country PEG
pie in the slavery or continuous n
health.
Organization " Necessary.
The commission points out-and
concur Ia the conclusion-tha tho
most important help that the govern
ment, whether national or state. car
give Is 10 show the people how 20 gc
about these tasks OF organization. ed
ucation aud communication with the
best and quickest results. This car
be done by the collection and spread
Of information One community car
thus be informed OF what other com
munitles have done and one country
OF what other countries have done
Such help by the peoples govern
ment would lead 20 comprehensive
plan OF organization. education and
communication and make the farm
Ing country better 70 live In, for in
tellectual aud social reasons as well
as for. purely agricultural reasons
The government through the de
partment of agriculture does not cul.
tivate any mans farm for him, but Il
does put nj his service useful knowl.
edge 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.
Money For Expenses Asked.
The only recommendation submit
IL that an appropriation OF $4,000 be
provided 90 enable the commission 20
digest the material II has collected
and TO collect and TO digcst r'Hch
more that IL within It's reach and thus
complete It's work. This would enal :
the commission 20 gather IN the har
vest Of suggestion which is resultlns.
from the discussion II has stirred up.
The commissioners have served with
out compensation, and l do not recon-
mend any appropriation for their serv-
ices. but only for the expenses that
will be required 10 finish the task that
they have begun.
To improve our system OF agricul-
ture 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 ma
terial and technical side OF the sub
ject. The whole business and life OF
the farmer must also be taken into
account Such considerations led me
TO appoint the commission on country
life. Our object should be TO help de-
velop In the country community the
great ideals OF community life as well
as OF personal character. One OF the
must be the country church. and In
wife your attention 10 what the COM
mission says OF the country church
and OF the need OF an extension Of
such work as that OF the Young Mems
Christian association I'm country com
munities Let me lay special emphasis
upon what the commission says at the
very end OF its report on personal
ideals and local leadership Every
thing resolves itself I'm the end into
the question OF personality Neither
society nor government can do much
for country life unless there Is volun-
tary response In the personal ideals OF
the men and women who live in the
country.
Plea For Farmers Wives.
In the development OF character the
home should be more important than
the school or than society at large.
When once the basic material needs
have been met. high ideals may be
quite independent of income, but they
cannot be realized without sufficient
Income to provide adequate founda-
ton. and where the community at
large Is not financially prosperous Il
is impossible TO develop n high aver
age personal and community ideal In
short. the fundamental facts OF hui
man nature apply to men and women
they apply 20 men and women
who live Ia the towns. Given a sufii-
Client foundation OF material well be
ing. the influence OF the farmers and
farmers wives on their children be-
comes the factor OF first Importance
In determining the attitude OF the next
generation toward farm life. The
farmer should realize that the person
who most needs consideration on the
farm Is his wife. do not In the least
mean that she should purchase ease at
the expense OF duty. Neither man nor
woman is really happy or really useful
save on condition OF doing his or her
duty. II the woman shirks her duty
as housewife. as home keeper as the
mother whose prime function II Is 20
bear and rear n sufficient number OF
healthy children. then she Is not en-
titled TO our regard. But II she does
her duty she Is more entitled TO our