The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1909-10-19
Not Conservation of Re-
sources, But of Men
SUPPORT Of THE RACE
Agricultural Education, Pfacticalized
and MISUNDERSTANDING the
Crisis in the Affairs of This Country
-The GraVeSt Problem of the Day.

Crisis in Ii Affairs of This COuntr.
The greatest issue in the United
States is not the conserving of the
nations resources; it is the conserving
Of men. We are going to conserve
men, the men back on the farms, the
men whose physical and mental VI
rility is the suppo of the races pres
ent, the insurance of it's future. We
are going to conserve them by teach
ing them how to become business
farmers, and the only way we can
make them into business farmers is
to bring low-priced agricultural edu-
cation to them in every county Of the
United States, and then to furnish a
great central institution where they
can pursue postgraduate courses
In these broad terms Charles S
Barrett, just reelected president OF
the Farmers Union. with its nearly
3,0OO,O 900 national membership, yes
terday outlined what is unquestionably
the most ~pretentious and wholesale
unitarian educational scheme ever
preached in the United States.
All his life a man Of action, know
ing the farmer of the nation as nc
other American knows him, called
into consultation by two successive
presidents Of the United States. mem
Der of numerous national ~organiza-
tons looking toward rural uplift
Charles S. Barrett has always had his
dream.
That dream is what may be called
agricultural education, p~racticalized
and Mathematical.
the foundations for his vision, and
he is going to make its materializa-
ton down to the finest detail the dis
tinguishing labor of his career.
Turning h Tide.
Tt will be remembered that the re-
cent annual convention of the Farm
ers' Union in birmingham authorized
a central agricultural university. This
is the core of President Barrett's
plan. From it, he expects to project
into every American State and every
Ameracin county workaday agricultu,
raj schools, where a boy can work his
way through, and where if he is pre-
pared to pay his tuition, the charge
will not be higher than $50.
Already several States and cities are
bidding for the honor of the centra,
college AS it will require several ex-
tensive buildings, and anywhere from
five hundred to a thousand acres OF
ground, the directors, headed by Mr.
Barrett. will make a choice with
great deliberation and only after
much study.
ANY man who closely observes
conditions today" said Mr.. Barrett
knows the paramount necessity OF
turning the tide from the city to the
farm. At present, and for years past
it has set in the direction of the city
and away from the farm. A high pre-
tective tariff has had much to dc
with eleyating the cost Of living. But
a factor that annot be ignored is
the increased cost Of production CT
the farm, due to ~antiquated methods
and to the fact hat the cream of the
population is being drawn toward our
large centers.
Reaching the Crisis.
w are reaching the crisis in the
affairs Of this country. With popula.
ton increasing each year and pros
perity keeping pace, still the man OF
average means find himself faced
with the necessity of paying more
and more for the cost of living. One
Of the reasons is that we are ~ceasine
to keep the most vigorous of the rura
population On the farm. We keeT
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 enc
of making farming a scientific bust
ness, we shall fail in finding a oIu
ton for the gravest problem Of gu
day"
Work Soon Begins.
Mr.. Barrett announced that as soor
as the site for the central institution
had been selected work would be-
speedily prosecuted with regard to tn.
county schools.
There is no reason why" he said
1--WE should not eventually support one
school, one practical agriculture
school, where boys can learn rea
farming. In every county in the
United States.
ut really amounts to a revolution.
1zing of the rural problem.
developing Community Spirit.
F'or the methods at our school,
Will all be directed toward develop