The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1909-02-12
President Roosevelt Has Laid
Before Congress Report
OF Commission.
More Profit and Satisfaction
To Soil TiIIer Should Be
Result of Labor.

Washington. Feb. .. - ifeSlueut
Roosevelt sent to congress today Il
special message transmitting the re-
port 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 life
may be made more remuneratiye ANA
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 TO make their lives less
burdensome or unattractiye is neces-
sary 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.
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
il 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 a Missouri farmer to the ques-
lions asked by the commission. ITO
the question, is the supply of farm la
Dor in your neighborhood satisfacto-
ry" the answer is, No, because the
people have gone out of the baby bust
ness and when asked as to the rene
dy he answers, Give a pention to
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-
sentatiyes:
/ transmit herewith the report of the
commission on country life. At the
outset l desire to point out that not
a dollar of the public money has been
paid to any commissioner for his work
on the commission.
The report shows the general condi-
ton of farming life in the open coun-
try and points out its 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 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 10000 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 recent years slipped down in some
places, 1T has risen in more places.
Its progress has been general, if not
uniform
Yet farming does not yield either the
profit or the satisfaction that it ought
to yield and may be made to yield
There is discomfort in the country and
IN places discoura cement Farmers as
a class do not magnify their calling,
and the movement to the towns.
though, l am happy to say less than
formerly, is still strong.
How Farmers Can Help Themselves.
Under our system it is helpful to
promote discussion of ways in which
the people can help themselves. There
the farmers can help themselves
namely, better farming. better bust
ness and better living on the farm
The national department of agricul-
ture, which has rendered services
equaled by no other similar depart
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 I'M
Ion, the grange, the agricultural press
and other similar agencies have all
combined TO place within the reach
of the American farmer an amount
and quality of agricultural informa-
ton which if applied would enable
him over large areas to double the
production Of the farm
The object of the commission on
country life. therefore, is not to help
the farmer raise better crops, but to
call his attention to the opportunities
for better business and better living
on the farm. If country life is to be-
come what it should be and what
believe it ultimately will be-one Of
the most dignified. desirable and sought
after ways of earning a living-the
farmer must take advantage not only
of the agricultural knowledge which
is at his disposal, but Of the methods
which have raised and continue to
raise the standards of living and of
intelligence in other callings.
Those engaged in all other industrial
ana commercial callings have found
IL necessary under modern economic
conditions to organize themselves for
mutual advantage and for the protec-