The Oskaloosa herald., 1909-02-11
SITUATION AS SEEN BY
COMMISSION ON coUN-
TRY LIFE.
DEFICIENCIES POINTED OUT
Agriculture at Present Not CONNER
clalIy as Profitable az Il ls En-
titled to Bs--hIshIy Organized
Rural Society Recommended az Do
sirabls stsp--Possible for Congress
to Remove Many Of the hlandIcaps.


commission on country life, made to
the president, was read in both houses
of congress. Substantially the re-
port was, as follows:
To the President: The commission
on country life herewith presents Its
report. The commission finds that
agriculture In the United States, taken
together, % prosperous commercially,
when measured by the conditions that
have obtained In previous years, al
though there are some regions In
which this is only partially true. The
country people are producing vast
quantities of supplies for food, shelter,
clothing, and for use In the arts. The
country homes are improving in COM
fort, attractiveness and healthfulness.
Not only In the material wealth that
they produce, but in the supply Of in
dependent and strong citizenship, the
agricultural people constitute the very
foundation of our national efficiency.
AS agriculture is the immediate basis
OF country life, so 1t follows that the
general affairs of the open country,
speaking broadly. are in condition
of Improvement.
Many institutions, organizations and
movements are actively contributing
TO the increasing welfare of the open
country. The most important Of these
are the United States department Of
agriculture, the colleges of agriculture
and the experiment stations In the
states, and the national farmers or
CARNATIONS. These institutions and
organizations are now properly as
Stunning leadership in country life af-
fairs. and consequently in many of
the public questions of national bear
Ing. With these agencies must be
mentioned state departments of agri-
culture, agricultural societies, and or
ganizations of very many, kinds, teach
ers In schools, workers In church and
other religious associations, travelling
libraries and many other groups, all
working with commendable zeal TO
further the welfare of the people of
the open country. .s-. ......... .s...
Most Prominent Deficiencies.
Yet 1t is true, notwithstanding all
this progress as measured by his
torical standards, that agriculture is
not commercially as profitable as It is
entitled to be for the labor and energy
that the farmer expends and the risks
that he assumes, and that the social
conditions in the open country are far
short of their possibilities. We must
measure our agricultural efficiency by
the possibilities rather than by COM
parison with previous conditions. The
farmer ia almost necessarily handi-
capped in the development of his bust
ness, because his capital is small and
the volume of his transactions limited;
and he usually stands practically
alone against organized interests. In
the general readjustment Of modern
life due TO the great changes in manu-
features and commerce, Inequalities
and discriminations have arisen, and
naturally the separate man suffers
most, The unattached man has prob
lens that government should under
stand. ~ >. Ill
The reasons for the lack OF highly
organizer rural society are very many,
as the full report explains. The lead
ing specific causes are: II.
"A lack of knowledge on the part Of
farmers Of the exact agricultural con-
ditions and possibilities OF their re.
gions;
Lack of good training for country
life In the schools;
The disadvantage or handicap of the
farmer as against the established bust
ness systems and interests, preventing
him from securing adequate returns
for his products, depriving him OF the
benefits that would result from unmo-
nopolized rivers and the conservation
of forests, and depriying the communi-
ty, In many cases, Of the good that
would come from the use Of great
tracts of agricultural land that are
now held for speculative purposes;
Lack of good highway facilities:
The widespread continuing deple-
ton of soils, with the injurious effect
on rural life;
A general need OF new and active
leadership.
other causes contributing to the
general result are: Lack OF any ade-
quate system Of agricultural credit
whereby the farmer may readily Sc
cure loans on fair terms; the short
age OF labor, condition that is often
complicated by intemperance among
workmen; lack Of institutions and in
centiyes that tie the laboring man to
the soil; the burdens and the narrow
life OF farm women; lack Of adequate
supervision of public health.
Nature Of the Remedies.
Some Of the remedies lie with the ma.
tional government. some OF them with
the Atates and communities in their
corporate capacities, some with volun-
tary ORGANIZATIONS, and some with In
diyiduals acting alone. From the great
number OF suggestions that have been
made, covering every phase Of country.
life, the commission now enumerates
those that seem to be most funda'