The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-10-11
GREATEST ISSUE
 OF PRESENT DAY
Charles s. Barrett Talks of the
 Business Farmer
EDUCATION IS NECESSARY
President Barrett Declares That Con- sevation of Men Is Best Accom- plished By Giving Them Agri-
 cultural Education.

CuiluIdi EuuCdllons
 Atlanta, October 10-(special.)-Th con servation of men by teaching them to become "business9 farmers, according to President Charles S. Barrett of the Ma tional Farmers Union, is the greatest issue in the United States today.
 This must be done, he says. by bringing cheap agricultural education to the farm CT boy in every county in the country, and 1t is work upon this line to which he now proposes to devote his atten- tion
 It will be recalled that the National Farmers Union at It's recent convention in Birmingham, Ala, authorized the es- tablshment of a central agricultural uni- yersIty. This is the core of President Barrett's plan. From 1t he hopes and expects to project, ultimately, into every American state and every American county agricultural schools where 8 boy can work his way through and where. if he is prepared to pay his tuition, the charge will not exceed $50.
 Already several states and cities are bidding for the location of the central college. As it will require several build ings and approximately 1000 acres of ground, the directors headed by MT Bar rett, will make selection only after great deliberation and much study.
 In discussing the matter MT. Barrett said any man who has observed con- ditions Knows the necessity of turning the tide from the city back to the farm. At present and for years past 1t. has set in the direction of the city and away from the farm"
 his tendency from the farm to the
 Barrett aseribes in large meas
 -Aased cost of living. He
 eaching a crisis in the af- fairs af lhs country. With population increasing each year and prosperity keeping pace. still the man of average means finds himself faced with the neces- sity of paying more and more for the cost of living. One of the reasons is that we are teasing to keep the most vigor- ous of the rural population on the farm. We keep saying, parrot-like, back to the land, but they are not going back to the land. And unless we can find some way to keep the young men on the farms, and to train them to the end of making farming a scientific business. we shall problem of our day"
 MT. Barrett announced that as soon as site for the central university has been selected the movement regarding the county schools will be speedily taken up.
 There is no reason why" he said, I've should not support, eventually, one prac- tical agricultural school where boys can learn real farming, in every county in the United States. It really amounts to a revolutionizing of the rural problem. For the methods at our schools will all be directed toward developing the com munity spirit in every part of the eoun- try. The farmer of today is too much of m indivdualist; he is too independent. He hesitates to make concessions so that by concert of action he can advance the general welfare. We are going to attack the problem from this angle. Co-opera- ton will be one of our strongest weapons. The boy will learn how to depend upon his own efforts, but he will also learn how indispensable it is to work in in- telligent harmony with his neighbor and with society at large.
 'rViewed from a broad standpoint these schools will simply teach life. They will emphasize the present ideals of the farmer wherever they are worthy. They will substitute new ideals where they are unworthy or unachieving. Each one of these schools will be kind of mission for the dissemination of sentiment of this nature.
 "At these schools there will be no frills but just work. We are not going to squander any money in magnificent build ings. We will be satisfied If we get log crsbins. provided the structure is sub stantial and roomy. Everything will be built with an idea to teach lessons in artistic beauty. A real farm of several hundred acres will accompany each school. Each student should be required to do at least half a days work daily In the field along the lines he has decided upon. It must be actual, honest farmwork, and not just little dabbling and experiment. ing.
 we think the boy should be trained for the farm in a practical way, just as carefully as he Is trained for the law. for medicine or for any business or profession The American boy of today is going to the city for the natural lure of civilization. the facilities for advance ment, for fortune, for education, for pleasure and for development. and the penalty Is being visited upon the na- tion.
 "rhe mischief is just begun and un- less this tendency is checked good work CTS on the farm will become scarcer each year; we will begin eventually to import our food supplies and the cost of living will rise out of all proportion to the income of the average American.
 "I honestly believe this chain of schools which I have in mind is the sole remedy. We need to reform our extravagant and wasteful methods; we need more capable producers Life in the country must be made more attractive, and the result aimed at can, I feel confident, be at tained through these schools"
 President Barrett said the central unl- versity would be the most complete and extensive institution of its kind in the world.
 "Of course. all this will require tre- mendous expenditure" he said. But ]