The San Francisco call., 1909-02-10
PRESIDENT PENS
MESSAGE ON FARM
Points Needs of Country Life in
Transmitting Report of
Commission

WASHINGTON, Feb. 9.-The presi-
dent today sent to congress message
transmitting the report OF the country
life commission. After the document
had been read in the senate Hepburn
moved that it be printed and lie on the
table. and this order was accordingly
made. The message reads in part:
The report of the commission points
out the larger problems of farming life
in the open country and indicates ways
in which the government may show
the people how to solve some of these
problems.
Judging by 80 public hearings to which
farmers and their wives from 40 states
and territories came, and from 10000
answers to printed questions sent out
by the department of agriculture. the
commission finds the general level of
country life is high compared with any
preceding time or with any other land
Yet farming does not yield either the
profit or the satisfaction that It ought
to yield or could be made to yield
There is discomfort in the country, and,
in places, discoura cement
There are three main directions in
which the farmers can help them
selves-better farming, better business
and better living on the farm
The president states that the national
department of agriculture had rendered
great service to the farmers, and
praised the work of the state depart
ments of agriculture. the agricultural
colleges and the press. which had
placed before the farmer an amount OF
agricultural information which would,
if applied, enable him TO double the
production of the farm.
He said that the object of the COM
aaie, ,e-i.o 4 toy ion Of "a
farmer to the opportunities for better
business and better living on the farm.
and stated that he believed the life of
the farmer should be the most dignihed,
desirable and sought after ways of
earning a living. To do so 1T is neceS-
sary, said the president to take advan-
tage of the methods which nave raised
the standard of living and intelligence
in other callings, among the first OF
these being the matter of organizing
themselves for advantage and protec-
ton of their own interests in relation
TO other interests, and in this connec-
tion recommended cooperate systems
which had been proved to be advantage
Gus to farmers in Europe.
The president said that 1t was the
duty of the government to call atten-
tion to the growing monopolization OF
water power, which the farmer should
have at reasonable rates for power,
lighting and innumerable uses on the
farm.
The work of the commission points
that there are three great and lmme-
diate needs of country life. First, ef-
fective cooperation among farmers TO
put them or a level with the organ
ized interests with which they do onsl-
ness; second, a new kind of school In
the country. which shall teach the chill
dren as much outdoors as indoors. so
that they Will prepare for country life
instead Of as now. for life in town;
third, better means OF communlca ;eroni .Ion;
post, which the country people are
unanimously. and rightly, demanding.
The country church and the Young
Mems Christian association are recon-
mended in the development OF personal
character as essentials second only to
the home. and the farmer is told that
he should realize that what most needs
consideration is his wife.
The report. of the commission de-
scribes with some fullness the existing
conditions of farm life and points out
the causes that may have led to it's
present lack of organization. 1t sug-
gests methods for the redirection of
rural society, for arresting the drift
to the city, for maintaining the natural
rights of the farmer and for the de-
velopment of an organized rural life
that will promote the prosperity of the
whole nation.
Rural society is lacking chiefly in a
knowledge on the part of the farmers
of the exact agricultural conditions and
possibilities of their regions, resulting
in the widespread depletion of soils
with the injurious effect on rural life;
in proper training for country life in
the schools; in good highway facilities
and in organization for buying and
selling.
There is an absence of any adequate
system of agricultural credit, short
age of labor, often complicated by in
temperance among workmen: a lack of
institutions and incentives that tie the
laboring man to the soil: the life of the
farm woman is burdensome and mar
row; there is need of adequate super
vision OF public health.
The farmer is handicapped by the
speculative holding of lands. monopo-
listic control of streams and forests,
waste of our natural resources, and by
restraint of trade.
Some of the remedies for the condi-