The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1909-02-09

20 this cause or 10 the superior bus'
ness opportunities of city life may be
open to question but no one AZ all
familiar with farm life throughout the
United States can fail to recognize the
necessity for building up the life of
the farm upon its social as well as
upon its productive side.
Necessity for Cooperation.
Il is true that country life has I'm.
proved greatly In attractiyeness,
health and comfort, and that the farm.
ers earnings are higher than they
were But city life Is advancing even
more rapidly, because of the greater
attention which is being given by
the citizens Of the towns to their own
betterment For just this reason the
Introduction of effective agricultural
cooperation throughout the United
states is Of the first Importance
Where farmers are organized co
operatively they not only avail them.
! selves much more readily of business
| opportunities and improved methods
! but ii is found that the organizations
! which bring them together in the work
I
/ and Intellectual advancement
The cooperative plan is the best
| plan OF organization wherever men
have the right spirit to carry 1t out.
! Under this plan any business under.
| taking is managed by a committee;
| every man has one vote, and only one
| vote; and every one gets profits ac.
! cording to what he sells or buys or
! supplies 1t develops individual re.
as financial value over any other
! plan.
| desire only to take counsel with
! the farmers as fellow citizens. Il is
| not the problem of the farmers alone
that ! am discussing with them. but a
! problem which affects every city
as well as every farm in the
country. 1t is problem which the
working farmers will have to solve
for themselves; but IL is a problem
which also affects in only less degree
all the rest Of us, and therefore If
we can render any help toward its so
luton II is not only our duty but our
interest to do So
The foregoing will, | hope, make 1t
clear why appointed a commission to
consider problems of farm life which
have hitherto had far too little at
tention. and the neglect OF which has
aot only held back life in the coun
try, but also lowered the efficiency Of
the whole nation The welfare Of the
farmer Is of vital consequence to the
welfare of the whole community. The
strengthening of country life, there.
fore. is the strengthening of the whole
nation.
Work to Help the Farmers.
The commission has tried to help
the farmers to see clearly their own
problem and to see Il as a whole; to
distinguish clearly between what the
government can do and what the farm
erB must do for themselves; and II
wishes to bring not only the farmers,
bat the nation as a whole, to realize
that the growing of crops, though
an essential part is only part Of
country life. Crop growing Is the es.
Gutial foundation; but It Is no less es.
sential that the farmer shall get an
|
md Il is no less essential-indeed, II Is
| literally ytal--that he and his wife
nd his children shall lead the right
llnd of life.
For this reason II is Of the first i'm.
yortance that the United States de-
partment OF agriculture, through
which as prime agent the ideas the
commission stands for must reach the
people, should become without delay
N fact department of country life
lifted 10 deal not only with crops
but also with all the larger aspects OF
life In the open country.
From all that has been done and
learned three great general and imme
Hate needs OF country life stand out:
First, effective cooperation among
armers, to put them on level with
the organized interests with which
they do business.
Second Il new kind of schools In the
country which shall teach the chill
dren as much outdoors as indoors and
perhaps more SO that they will pre-
pare for country life, and not as al
present, mainly for life In town.
Third, better means Of communca
lion, including good roads and a par
cells post, which the country people ar,
eJerywhere, and rightly, unanimous il
demanding.
To tnese may we'll be added bette
sanitation; for easily preyentable dis
cases hold several million country peo
ple in the slavery of continuous Il
. health
Duty Of the Government.
The commission points out, and
concur in the conclusion, that the mos
important help that the government
, whether national or state, can give Il
! 0 show the people how to go abou
these tasks of organization, education
, and communication with the best an,
quickest results. This can be dom
: by the collection and spread OF In
, formation One community can thu
. be informed OF what other cOmmuni
! ties have done, and one country o
r what other countries have done. Sucl
|, help by the peoples government woul
: lead to a comprehensive plan of organ
: ization, education and communication