Bridgeton pioneer., 1909-02-11
FARM LIFE
MESSAGE.
President Tells Of
Country Needs.
COMMISSIONS REPORT.
More Profit and Satisfaction to
Farmers Should Result
From Its Work. :
COMMISSIONS REPORT.

Washington, Feb. 9. - President
Roosevelt sent to congress today
special message transmitting the re-
mort of the country life commission, !
appointed by him to investigate the
conditions of life on the farms of the
country and to make recommendations
of ways and means whereby farm LIE
NAV be made more remunerative and
attractive.
In, the message the president lays
stress upon the fact that the farmers
and their families are the stay ana
strength of the country and that what
ever tends to make their lives less
burdensome or unattractive IS neces-
sarv to the interests Of the nation.
He praises the work Of the members
of the commission, who, as he says,
have labored without pay and do not
now ask compensation for their WORK. j
The only recommendation in the mes
sage is the request for an approprla-
ton of $4,000 to enable the commits
sion to digest the material it has col ,,
lected and put it in such shape that
it will be available for the nation.
In an appendix to the message, pre-
ceding the report Of the commission,
the president comments on the replies
made by Missouri farmer to the ques-
tons asked by the commission. "To'I
the question, is the supply of farm Ia
Dor in your neighborhood satisfacto-
ry? the answer is, No, because the
people have gone out of the baby busi-
ness and when asked as to the rene
dy he answers, Give a pention toi
every mother who gives birth to seven
living boys on American soil.'"
The presidents message is as fol-
lows:
To the Senate and House of Repre-
sentatives:
1 transmit herewith the report of the
commission on country life. At the
outset desire to point out that not,
dollar of the public money has been
paid to any commissioner for his work
on the commission.
The report shows the general condf-
tion of farming life in the open coun-
try and points out it's larger problems.
1t indicates ways in which the govern
ment national and state, may show
the people how to solve some of these
problems, and it suggests a continu-
ance Of the work which the commits
sion began.
Methods Of the Commission.
Judging by thirty public hearings, to
which farmers and farmers wives,
from forty states and territories came,
and from 100000 answers to printed
questions sent out by the department
Of agriculture. the commission finds
that the general level Of country life
Is high compared with any preceding
time or with any other land. If it has,
In recentSyears slipped down in some
places, It has risen in more places.
Its progress has been general. If not
uniform.
Yet farming does not yield either thes
profit or the satisfaction that it ought
TO yield and may be made to weld.
Ihere Is discomfort in the country and
IN places encouragement. Farmers as
a class DO not magnify their calling
and the movement to the towns
though, am happy to say, less than
formerly, is still strong.
How Farmers Can Help Themselves.
Under our system it is helpful ia.
promote discussion of ways in which
the people can help themselves. There
are three main directions in which
the farmers can help themselves
namely, better farming, better busi-
ness and better living on the farm.
Ihe national department of agricul-
ture, which has rendered services.
equaled by no other similar depart
ment In any other time or place: the
state departments of agriculture. the.
state colleges Of agriculture and +ha.
mechanic arts. especially through their
extension work; the state agricultnral
experiment stations, the Farmers, nm
Ion, the grange, the agricultural press
ana other similar agencies have all
comnlned to place within the reach.
OF the American farmer an amount
and quality Of agricultural informa-
uon which If applied would enable
nm over large areas to double the
Production Of the farm.
7Ehe object Of the commission on
country life, therefore. is not to help
me farmer raise better crops, but to-
eni bis attention to the opportunities
Dr better business and better living
on the farm. If country life is to be-
come what it should be and what /
palteve It ultimately viii be-one Of
Ine most dignifed, desirable and sought
utter ways Of earning a living-the
Hrmer must take advantage not only
pf the agricultural knowledge which
p at thts disposal, but Of the methods
Wilfeh hAua rafooH ncA rn.>ls,,,,o -