The Oskaloosa herald., 1909-02-11

Pile The country schools are to be so
redirected that they shall educate their
pupils In terms Of the daily life. OPP
portunities for training toward the
| agricultural callings are to be multi.
piled and made broadly effective.
Every person on the land, old or
young, in school or out of school edu-
Gated or illiterate, must have chance
to receive the information necessary
for Q successful business, and for q
healthful, comfortable, resourceful life,
both in home and neighborhood This
means redoubled efforts for better
country schools, and vastly increased
interest In the welfare OF country boys
and girls on the part OF those who
pay the school taxes Education by
| means OF agriculture is to be part
OF our regular public school work
Special agricultural schools are to be
organized. There Is to be welLde.
yeloped plan of extension teaching
conducted by the agricultural colleges,
by means Of the printed page, face-to-
face talks, and demonstration or OBJ.
ject lesson, designed to reach every
farmer find his family. at or near their
homes. with knowledge and stimulus
| In every department of country life.
Organization.-There must be vast
enlargement of voluntary organized eff
fort among farmers themselves. 1t is
Indispensable that farmers shall work
together for their common interests
and for the national welfare II they
do not do this, no governmental actiyi-
| ty, no legislation, not even better
schools, win greatly avail The farm
ers are nevertheless relatively unor-
ganized. We have only begun to de-
yelop business cooperation in Ameri-
ca. Farmers do not influence legisla-
ton as they should. They need a more
fully organized social and recreative
life. .., ...s
| Spiritual Forces.-The forces and
institutions that make for morality
and spiritual ideals among rural peo-
| pie must be energized. We miss the
heart of the problem If we neglect to
foster personal character and neigh
borhood righteousness The best way
to preserve ideals for private conduct
and public life Is to build up the insti.
| tunons OF religion. The church has
great power of leadership The whole
people should understand that it Is
| vitality important to stand behind the
rural church and to help it to become
a great power in developing concrete
country life ideals. 1t is especially
important that the country church rec
| ognize that 1t has social responsible
| ty to the entire community as we'll as
a religious responsibility to its own
group Of people. ..- ...
Recommendations Of the Commission.
| The commission recommends all the
correctiVes that have been mentioned
under the head Of The nature OF the
4 remedies" 1t does not wish to dis
criminate between important meas.
ures OF relief for existing conditions
1t has purposeiy avoided indorsing
any particular bill now before con,
gress. no matter what It's value or OBJ
ject. ." ~
There are, however, in the opinion
OF the commission, two or three great
movements of the utmost consequence
| that should be set under way at the
earliest possible time, because they
are fundamental to the whole problem
OF Ultimate permanent reconstruction !;
these cali for special explanation.
Taking Stock of Country Life
There should be organized, as ex-
planned In the main report, under gov.
eminent leadership, a comprehensive
plan for an exhaustive study or survey
OF all the conditions that surround the
business of farming and the people
who live in the country, In order to
take stock of our resources and to
supply the farmer with local Knowl,
edge. Federal and state governments,
agricultural colleges. and other educa.
tional agencies, Organizations of yarf.
Gus types, and Individual students of
the problem, should be brought into
cooperation for this great work OF in
yestigating with minute care all agri,
cultural and country life conditions.
Nationalized Extension Work. Each
state college Of agriculture should be
empowered to organize as soon as
i PANSSS0btS q sS0AhplClO DI
college extension, so managed as to
reach every person on the land in its
state, with both information and in.
SEPARATION. The work should include
such forms Of extension teaching as
lectures, bulletins, reading courses,
correspondence courses, demonstra-
ton, and other means of reaching the
people at home and on their farms. 1t
should be designed to forward not
only the business Of agriculture, but
sanitation, education, home making,
and all interests of country life.
| Call for Leadership.
| We must picture to ourselves new
rural social structure, developed from
the strong resident forces of the open
country; and then we must set at
work all the agencies that will tend to
bring this about The entire people
need to be reused to this avenue OF
usefulness. A new race of teachers is
to appear in the country. A new rural
clergy Is to be trained. These leaders
will see the great underlying problem
Of country life, and together they will
work, each in his own field, for the
4 - !. 1,