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

Hurdl ooCletJ n0COH1Wenueu 90 ~
sirable step--Posslble for Congress
to Remove Many Of the Hsndieaps
Washington Tho report of the
commission on country life, made tc
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 Is 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 I'm the arts. The
country homes are improving In com.
fort. attractlveness and healthfulness,
Not only in the material wealth that
they produce, but I'm 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 II 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
ganlzations. These institutions and
organizations are now properly as
suming leadership In country life af
fairs, and consequently I'm 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
Most Prominent Deficiencies.
Yet It 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 ls 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 Ia
the general readjustment of modern
life due to the great changes In manu-
features and commerce, inequalities
and determinations have arisen. anC
naturally the separate man suffers
most The unattached man has prob
lens that government should under
stand.
The reasons for The lack OF highly
organizer rural society are very many
as the fun report explains. The lead
ing specific causes are:
A lack Of knowledge on the part o
farmers OF the exact agricultural con
dltions and possibilities OF their re
gions;
Lack OF good training for countT!
life in the schools;
The disadvantage or handicap OF tn,
farmer as against the established bust
ness systems and interests, preventing
him from securing adequate return
for his products, depriying him of tn,
benefits that would result from unmo
nopOliZed rivers and the conservation
OF forests, and depriylng the communl
ty, In many cases, OF the good tina
would come from the use OF grea
tracts Of agricultural land that ar,
now held for speculative purposes;
Lack Of good highway facilities;
The widespread continuing deple
tion Of Soils with the injurious effec
on rural life
A general need of new and actlv
leadership.
Other causes contributing to tn
, general result are: Lack OF any ade
! quate system Of agricultural credit
! whereby the farmer may readily SO
cure loans on fair terms; the short
age OF labor, condition that is ofte
complicated by intemperance anon
= workmen; lack OF institutions and II
centiyes that tie the laboring man Z
: the soil; the burdens and the narro,
!. life OF farm women; lack OF adequat
! supervision OF public health
. Nature Of the Remedies.
} Some OF the remedies lie with the ns
! tlonal government, some OF them wit
the states and communities In thei
3 corporate capacities, some with voluT
|. tary organizations, aud some with II
|, dividuals acting alone From the grea
number OF suggestions that have bee
) made, covering every phase OF eountr
( life, the commission now enumerate
those that seem TO be most funds