The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-10-14
WHY THE RURAL DECREASE?

Under the above caption, a discern
ing interview with Henry ]. Waters,
president of the Kansas State Agricul-
| tural college, is printed in the cur
rent issue of The Industrialist, that val
liable little publication issued by the
college. President Waters insists that
the startling decrease in the rural pop
| ulation of the states in the central
west, as shown by the new census fig
ures is due primarily, to these condi-
lions:
America Is drifting toward the stu
pendous blunder of Great Britain in
creating a land owning class to be
supported by tenants.
Unless checked-and President Wa
ters is not one OF those fine theorists
who are short on practical remedies
this will retard the improving Of rural
conditions, in which is included better
homes, better schools and more COM
prehensive system Of rural education:
prevent road building and zeseriously
discourage the scientific cultivation of
restricted areas from which would come
increased yields.
The cost Of living must be reduced by
improved methods of production rather
than by reduced profits to the pro-
/
| Queer.
THE decrease in rural population in
| the states referred to-" says President
Waters, sis due, mainly, to emigra-
ton to Oklahoma Texas and Canada
ETC., and to the fact that so many
farmers of the states affected have
moved to town to enjoy the better So
cial, educational and religious advan-
tages than are afforded in the country"
And a little further on in this inter
view President Waters declares: This
trend cityward is to a great degree
! due to the half education that has pre-
vailed in the rural districts, giving farm
boys and girls glimpses of more at
tractive city life. without teaching
them at the same time how they may
attain such life at home.'
The important thing to be decided.
President Waters concludes, is this:
How to keep young men and young wo-
men on the farms so that the average
intelligence of the farming community
may not be lowered. The remedy, he
believes, will be to improve the rural
school, erect within riding distance of
the home of every boy and girl in the
rural districts first-class high school
in which agriculture, manual training
and home economies are taught, the
rural church must be strengthened,
developed and redirected, and the coun-
try road must be made passabIe in com
fort the year through.
I'VE do not need additional emigra-
/ ton to this country of the class we
have been getting in the past" Presi-
dent Waters said. I'VE do need emf
grants of the sort that we may profit
/ ably put on our farms. This means
they must be intelligent, we'll educat-
ed, have capital and the sort of
experience that will keep them in sym
pathy with country life and enable
them quickly to adopt the American
viewpoint and the American methods.
It should be kept in mind that the for
eigner is Americanized more slowly
in the country than in the city, and
the wrong sort is a far greater men
ace to society when in the open coun-
try than in the closely guarded city.
ITO attack such emigrants would
mean to establish offices in different
j parts of the world. to induce the right