New-York tribune., 1909-02-10

NEW-Y'
the welfare OF the whole community me me
strengthening Of country life, therefore is Ihe
strengthening Of the whole nation
The commission has tried TO help the FARMERS
20 see clearly their own problem and 10 see u
a whole. TO distinguish clearly between What
The government can do and what the IarIleLe
must do for themselves and il wishes 10 prlns
not only the farmers but the nation as a Whole
TO realize that the growing Of crops, thousiI aIi
essential part. iR only part OF country ne.
crop growing is the essential foundation. but il
is less essential that the farmer snail set
an adequate return for what he grows, ah9 u 10
no less esSential-indeed- IT Is nteFs4I% -
that he and his wife and his children shaI leao
the right kind OF life
For this reason it Is OF the first Importance
that the United States Department OF Agricult-
ure. through which prime agent the ideas the
commission stands for must reacn tne nSg+ bSWp+t'
Inent of country life fitted 10 deal not only with
crops, but also with all the larger aspects OF 1le
From all that has been done and learned three
great general and immediate needs OF country
life stand out:
TO put them on a level With the organized in
terests with which they do business
Second-A new kind of schools in the coun-
try which shall teach the children as nuch
outdoors as indoors, and perhaps more, so that
sf s7g 8resen7 %ela mainiv for life in town
Third-Better means Of communication; N
Guiding good roads and parcels post " "hlch @ tle
unanimous in demanding
To these may we'll be added better sanitation;
for easily preventabIe diseases hold several
million country people IN the slavery OF conuh-
uous Ill health.
WHAT GOVERNMENT CAN Do
The commission points out and I concur in
the conclusion. that the most important nelp
that the government, whether national or state
can give Is to show the people now 10 go aooul l
these tasks of organization. education and com
nlunication with the best and quickest results;
This can be done by the collection and spread
of information. One community can thus be
informed of what other communities have done,
and one country Of what other countries have
done such help by the peoples government
would lead TO q comprehensive plan Of organi-
zatior education and communication, and make
the farming country better TO live in. for IN
tell6ctUal and social reasons as Well as Tor pure
y agricultural reasons.
The government through the Department OF
Agriculture, does not cultivate any mans farm
for him. But II does put at MS service uSsIu4
knowledge that he would not otherwise get In
the same way the national and state govern
ments might put into the peoples hands the new
and right knowledge of school work The task
OF maintaining and developing the schools would
remain as now with the people themselves.
The only recommendation l submit is that
appropriation Of $4,000 be provided. TO enable
the commission to digest the material it has
collected. and TO collect and to digest much
more that is within its reach. and thus complete
its work. This would enable the commission to
gather in the harvest Of suggestion which is
resulting from the discussion II has stirred UP.
The commissioners have served without COM
pensation. and I do not recommend any appro-
priation for their services. hut only for the
penses that viii be required 70 finish the task
that they have begun
Y. N. c. A. WORK PRAISED.
To improve our system of agriculture seems
70 nc the most urgent of the tasks which lie
before US. But il cannot in my judgment. be
effected 10y measures which touch only the ma
teral and technical side Of the subject; the
whole business and life Of the farmer must also
be tfken into account Such considerations led
me TO appoint the Commission on Country Life
our object should be to help develop in the
country community the great ideals of COM
munlLy life as well as of personal character
one of the most important adjuncts 70 this end
attention to what the commission saws of the
country church and Of the need of an extension
Of such work that of the Young Mems Chris
tan Association in country communities Let
me lay special emphasis upon what the com
mission says at the very end Of its report on
personal ideals and local leadership. Everything
resolves itself in the end into the question OF
! personality. Neither society nor government can
do much Tor country life unless there is yolun-
tary response in the personal ideals of the men
/ and women who live in the country.
IN the development Of character the home
should be more important than the school or
than society at large When once the basic
material needs have been met high ideals NAV
7 he quite independent Of income, but they cannot
be realized without sufficient income to pro-
vide adequate foundation. and where the com
muuity al large Is not financially prosperous it
- lihposslpIe TO develop high average personal
and community ideal In short. the fundamental
I la = u human nature apply TO and women
VINO I've IN the country just they apply TO
men and women who live In the towns. Given
q sufficient foundation Of material Wellbeing,
he influence of the farmers and farmers wives
on their children becomes the factor OF first
Importance in determining the attitude Of the
next generation toward farm life The farmer
should realize that the person who most needs
consideration on the farm is his wife I do not
| IN the least mean that she should purchase ease
at the expense Of duty, Neither man nor
woman is really happy really useful save on
condition Of doing his or her duty. II the
woman shirks her duty as housewife. as home
keeper as the mother, whose prime function it
Is 10 pear and q sufficient number of
healthE children. then she is not entitled TO our
regard: but If she does her duty she is more
entitled 10 our regard even than the man who
ooes MS duty and the man should show special
consideration for her needs.
1 warn my countrymen that the great recent
progress made in city life is not a full measure
Of our civilization fer our civilization rests at
bottom on the wholesomeness the attractive
ness and the completeness. as well AS the pros
! peTltT, of life in the country. The men and
/ women on the farms stand for what is funda-
mentally best and most needed in American
| ne Upon the development of country life rests
ultimately our ability. by methods OF farming
requiring the highest intelligence. to continue
To feed and clothe the hungry nation 10 sIIDnIz-
the city with fresh blood. clean bodies and clear
brains that can endure the terrific strain of
modern life We need the DEVELOPMENT Of men
| IN the open country. who viii be in the future
as in the past. the stay and strength OF the
nation in time OF war and its guiding and con-
| trolling spirit in time Of peace.
THEODORE ROOSEVELT.
The White House, Feb g, 1909.