The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1909-02-11
FARM LIFE
MESSAGE.
President Tells Of
Country Needs.
COMMISSIONS REPORT.
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More Profit and Satisfaction 10
Farmers Should Result
From Its Work.
COMMISSIONS REPORT.

From lis Work.
washington Feh q President
Roosevelt sent to congress today
sfseciai message transmitting The r.
,sast ~ TIE county IIfe commission
appointed By him 10 investigate The
conditions Of lifc on the farms Of the
country and TO make recommendation
~ ways aud means whereby farm hfe
may be made more rrmunerause and
attractive
In the message the president Lays
stress upon the fact that the farmers
and their families are the stay and
strength OF the country and that what
ever tends 10 make their lives less
burdensone or unattraciive Ia necef
.ary 20 the interests Of the nation
lie praises the work Of the members
OF the commission. who, as he says,
have laborcd without pay and do not
now RSk compensation for their work
The only Recommendation IN the mes
sage Is the request for an appropria.
ton Of $4,000 10 enable the commits
sion 10 digest the material u has col
leeted aud put II IN such shape that
II viii 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 90 the ques.
,ions asked by the commission, ITO
the question. lis the supply OF farm Ia
bor 10 your neighborhood satisfacto'
yr the answer Is. No. because the
people have gone out Of the baby bust
ness aud when asked as 20 the RENE
dy be answers. Give a pention 10
every mother who gives birth to seven
living boys on American soil.
The presidents message Is as fol
lows
To the Senate aud House Of Repre-
seniatiyes:
/ transmit herewith the report OF The |
commission on country life. Al the
outset desire 20 point ont that not
a dollar Of the public money has been
paid 10 any commissioner for his work |
90 the commission
The report shows the general condi. |
tiun u farming life IN the open coun |
try and points out It's larger problems
II Indicates ways IN which the govern
ment. national and state. may show !
the people how 20 solve some OF these I
problems. and II suggests continu
nnce Of the work which the commits
sion began.
Msshods Of tho Commission.
Judging by thirty public hearings, 10
which farmers aud farmers wives
from forty states and territories came,
and from 10000 answers to printed
questions sent out by the department
Of agriculture. the commission flnds
that the general level Of country life
II high compared with any preceding
time or with any other land. II Il has
In recent years slipped down IN some
places, It has risen. In more places.
Its progress has been general. II not
uniform
Yet farming does not yield either the
profit or the satisfaction that II ought
to yield and may be made to yield.
There IL discomfort In the country and
In places encouragement Farmers as
class do not magnify their calling
and the movement 10 the towns,
oh \ N f.a hHF 70 a.N "a
formerly Is still strong.
How Farmers Can Help Themselves.
Under our system II ls helpful TO
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 bust
Tess and better living on the farm
The national department OF agricul-
ture which has rendered services
equalcd by no other similar depart
meut IN any other time or place; the
state departments Of agriculture. the
state colleges OF agriculture and the
mechanic arts. especially through their
extension work: the state agricultural
experiment stations, the Farmers un.
Ion. the grange, the agricultural press
and other similar agencies have all
combined 20 place within the reach
VI the American farmer an amount
and quality Of agricultural informa
fion which II applied would enable
him over large areas TO double the
production OF the firm
The object Of commission on
country life, ,hercfpn. Is not 10 help
the farmer raise better crops. but 70
cali his attention TO the opportunities
Tor better business and better living
on the farm. IL country life Is to be.
come What II should be and what |
believe !, ultimately win be-one OF
the most dignIncd. desirable and sought
after ways Of earning liying-the
farmer mus, take advantage not only
u the agricultural knowledge which
IL al bis disposal. but Of the methods
which have raised and continue to
raise the standards Of living and OF
Intelligence In other cailings.
Those engaged In all other Industrial
and commercial calilngs have found
n accessory under modern economic
conditions 10 organize themselves for
mutual advantage aud fer the protec-
ton Of their own particular interests
In relstson 10 other interests The
farmers 81 every progressive Euro
pean country have realized this essen'
tisi fac, aud have found In the co.
operative system cxscsiy the form OF
tassness combination they need
Now. whatever The state may do 20
ward improving the practice 81 agri'
culture. !, IL no, within the sphere az
sny government 20 reorganize The
farsnSrs' business o. ree0usgrnc, the
secisl liss 81 farming communities
II IS however. quite within It's power
ta use It's ineuepce ard the machinery
q pablicity which !, can control FOR
ealing public siiensiau 20 The needle
and the fsess For example u ID The
ntsxsons duty 81 the govern ment % call
lhs si,enfign 81 farmers % the grow