The progressive farmer and southern farm gazette. (Starkville, Miss.) 1910-1920, 1910-04-02
"What's The News?"
What Our Farmers Want From
Congress.
BIT CLARENCE H. POE.

NS suicides. but now as always the real news
OF the country is of less sensational kind The
most important news for Americans to-day is that
which tells of the progress of the important legis-
lation on which Congress is now getting ready to
act. Ii has seemed to us. therefore, that we can
not do better this week than to summarize these
important matters and send a message to our law
makers concerning the wishes OF the 90 900 far
mers and more for whom The Progressive Farmer
and Gazette has the good fortune to be spokes-
Cd The Parcels Post--Among the imminent
matters OF National legislation now coming up
there is nothing else perhaps In which our farm
ers are so much interested the parcels post
The farmers OF the leading European countries,
and not only of the leading European countries
but of other nations supposed to be much more
backward than ours. have the advantages OF the
parcels post aud the postal savings bank; and II
this Congress adjourns without giving the Ameri-
can farmer the same privileges. 1t is going to be
mighty hard for some of the members to explain
why.
-
CD Extend Rural Mail Delivery-In the second
place. the farmers of America expect the Senate
TO retain the House provision for increasing the
rural mail delivery appropriation $l.500000. II
Congressman are sincere in wishing to help the
movement back to the farm" let them show II
by giving the people who live on the farms decent
harbors. and public buildings which chiefly help
the cities. and millions more have been spent for
the direct benefit of our manufacturers and COM
mercial classes. Now at this opportune time for
improving rural conditions let not Congress ad-
iourn without giving the American farmer postal
savings banks the parcels post. and a substantial
extension OF rural free delivery of mails
ca Create a Director OF Posts.-Why should
the Postofiee Department BIO singled out as about
the only department of the government to be
skmped and starved when II Is almost the only
one which is OF direct benefit to rural popula-
ton7 The post-ofice is as much an educational
institution as tho public school. and while 1t
should be made nearly self-supporting as pos
sihc. there is no more reason for demanding that
IL be absolutely than there Is for demanding
that schools should be selfsupporting The inteli-
genee and prosperity of tho people. SO marvelously
promoted by rural mail delivery, is quite as sure
guarantee OF national safety as battleship. and
who has ever thought OF making a battleship self
sustaining7 when the fathers framed the Consti-
tuition they made the establishment OF an ade-
quate post-ofiee system one OF the first duties or
Congress. and II Is n national shame that we have
allowed our Postofice Department to lag so FAR
behind those OF progressive European countries
In the eonveniences afforded the people, and also
to lag behind other business enterprises In our
own country In tho matter OF systematic business
management. The bill to establish a permanent
Director of Posts ought to pass and the whole
postal system should be taken out OF politics
90 Establish u National Department OF Health.
Next among the measures In which our farmers
are Interested. should say that there Is the
greatest need for the establishment or Nationai
Department OF Health. We are just beginning 10
realize that the health OF the people Is quite as
important n resource our mines or forests or
our foreign trade. and that properly conducted
Department OF Health would prove as beneficial
and possibly even more beneficial In view OF the
utter neglect OF the field up to now-as our ire
mendousy useful Department of Agriculture