Omaha daily bee., 1909-02-10

help that the government, whether national
or state, can give Is to show the people
how to 20 about these tasks Of organiza-
ton. education and communication with the
and quickest results. This can be done by
the collection and spread or information.
One community can thus be informed OF
what other communities have done. Such
help by the peoples government would
lead to a comprehensive plan or organi-
cation, education and communication, and
make the farming country better 20 live
in, for Intellectual and social reasons as
we'll as for purely agricultural reasons.
THE government through the Department
or Agriculture does not cultivate any
mans farm for him. But it does put at his
service useful knowledge that he would
not otherwise get. In the same way the
national and state governments might put
into the peoples hands the new and righf
knowledge OF school work. The task OF
maintaining and developing the schools
would remain, as now. with the people
themselves.
Money for Commission
THE only recommendation / submit is
that an appropriation of $4,000 be provided,
to enable the commission to digest the ma
terial 1t 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 har-
vest OF suggestion which is resulting from
the discussion it has stirred up. The COM
missioners have served without compcnsa-
ton, and l do not recommend any appro-
priation for their services, but only for the
expenses that will be required to finish the
task that they have begun.
ITO improve our system OF agriculture
seems to me the most urgent of the tasks
which lie before us. But It can not, In my
judgment. be effected by measures which
touch only the material and technical side
of the subject; the whole business and life
of the farmer must also be taken into ac-
count. Such consideration led me to APP
point the commission on country life. Our
object should be to help develop in the
country community the great ideals of COM
munity life as we'll as of personal char
acter. One of the most important adjuncts
to this end must be the country church,
and ! invite your attention to what the
commission says of the country church and
of the need of an extension of such work
as that Of the Young Mems Christian asso-
citation in country communities. Let me
lay special emphasis upon what the ON.
mission says at the very end Of its report
1 ia BNA5OAAoA oNoAe oAo AONoA Ateot 9AAIP
Everything resolves itself in the end into
the question of personality. Neither So
ciety nor government can do much for
country life unless there is voluntary re-
Spouse 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 thar
society at large. When once the basic ma
terial needs have been met, high ideals ma!
be quite independent of income; but the!
cannot be realized without sufficient in
come to provide adequate foundation; anC
where the community at large is not finan
cially prosperous it is impossible to develop
! a high average personal and communitl
ideal. In short, the fundamental facts o
human nature apply to men and womel
who live in the country just as they appl!
to men and women who live in the towns
Given a sufficient foundation of materia
wellbeing, the influence of the farmers an,
! farmers wives on their children become
the factor of first Importance in determ
ing the attitude OF the next generation to
ward farm life. The farmer should realiz
that the person who most needs considera
ton on the farm is his wife. l do not il
the least mean that she should purchas,
ease at the expense of duty. Neither MAJ
nor woman is really happy or really use
full save on condition of doing his or hei