Morris tribune., 1909-02-13
farm LIFE
MESSAGE.
President Tells Of
Country Needs.
COMMISSIONS REPORT.
More Profit and Satisfaction to
Farmers Should Result
From Its Work.
COMMISSIONS REPORT.

Roosevelt sent TO congress COQay
special message transmitting the re-
port of the country life commission,
appointed by him to investigate the
conditions of life on the farms Of the
country and to make recommendations
Of ways and means whereby farm life
may be made more remunerative and
attractive.
In the message the president lays
stress upon the fact that the farmers
and their families are the stay and
strength Of the country and that what
ever tends to make their lives less
burdensome or unattractive is neces-
sary to the interests of the nation.
He praises the work Of the members
Of the commission, who, as he says,
have labored without pay and do not
now ask compensation for their work.
The only recommendation in the mes
sage is the request for an appropria-
ton of $4,000 to enable the commits
sion to digest the material it has col
lected and put it in such shape that
it will be available for the nation.
In an appendix to the message, pre-
ceding the report of the commission,
the president comments on the replies
made by a Missouri farmer to the ques-
tions asked by the commission. ''To
the question, is the supply of farm la
Dor in your neighborhood satisfacto-
ryr the answer is, No, because the
people have gone out Of the baby busi-
ness,' and when asked as to the RENE
dy he answers, Give a pention to
every mother who gives birth to seven
living boys on American SOIL"
The presidents message is as fol-
lows:
To the Senate and House Of Repre-
sentatives:
transmit herewith the report of the
commission on country life. At the
outset l desire to point out that not
a dollar Of the public money has been
paid to any commissioner for his work
on the commission.
The report shows the general condi-
ton of farming life in the open coun
try and points out its larger problems.
1t indicates ways in which the govern
ment, national and state, may show
the people how to solve some of these
problems, and it suggests a continu-
ance of the work which the commits
sion began.
Methods of the Commission.
Judging by thirty public hearings, to
which farmers and farmers wives
from forty states and territories came,
and from 10000 answers to printed
questions sent out by the department
Of agriculture, the commission finds
that the general level Of country life
is high compared with any preceding
time or with any other land. If 1t has
in recent years slipped down in some
places, it has risen in more places.
Its progress has been general, If not
uniform.
Yet farming does not yield either the
profit or the satisfaction that it ought
to yield and may be made to yield.
There is discomfort in the country and
in places discouragement. Farmers as
a class do not magnify their calling,
and the movement to the towns,
though, l am happy to say. less than
formerly, is still strong.
How Farmers Can Help Themselves,
Under our system it is helpful to
promote discussion of ways in which
the people can help themselves. There
are three main directions in which
the farmers can help themselves
better farming, better busi-
ness and better livink on the farm.
The national department of agricul-
ture. which has rendered services
equaled by no other similar depart
meat in any other time or place; the
state departments of agriculture. the
state colleges of agriculture and the
mechanic arts, especially through their
extension work: the state agricultural
stations, the Farmers un-
lon, the grange, the agricultural press
and other similar agencies have all
combined to place within the reach
of the American farmer an amount
and quality of agricultural informa-
ton which If applied would enable
him over large areas to double the
production of the farm.
The object of the commission on
country life, therefore, is not to help
he farmer raise better crops, but to
eall his attention to the opportunities !
,or better business and better living
IN the farm. If country life is to be-
come what 1t should be and what /
believe it ultimately will be-one Of |
he most dignified, desirable and sought |
lfter ways of earning a living-the |
'armer must take advantage not only |
II the agricultural knowledge which
q ar his 7iSnOSal hnt 90 Tho vuo&hO%0 |