Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1910-08-25

which has been given to the life OF
the man of the cities. Therefore
friends, the conservation and rural life
policies are really two sides OF the
same policy; and down at bottom this
policy rests upon the fundamental law
that neither man nor nation can pros
per unless, in dealing with the present,
he steadily take thought for the fu-
ture.
"In one sense this problem with
which we have to deal is very, very
old. Wherever civilizations have hith-
erto sprung up they have always
tended to go through certain stages
and then to fall. No nation can develop
a real civilization without cities. Up to
certain point the city movement is
thoroughly healthy; yet it is a strange
and lamentable fact that always hith-
erto after this point has been reached,
the city has tended to develop at the
expense of the country by draining the
country of what is best in it, and max
ing an insignificant return for this
best. In consequence, in the past,
every civilization in It's later stages
has tended really to witness those con-
ditions under which the cities prosper
and the men decay There are ugly
signs that these tendencies are at
work in this nation OF ours. But very
fortunately we see now what never be-
fore was seen in any civilization
an aroused and alert public interest
in the problem, a recognition Of its
gravity and desire to attempt it's So
luton.
Says Expert ADVICE is Needed.
"The problem does not consist
merely in the growth OF the city. Such
a growth in itself is good thing and
not bad thing for the country. The
problem consists in the growth Of the
city at the expense Of the country;
and. even where this Is not the case,
I'm so great an equality OF gfowth IN
power and interest as to make the
city more attractive than the country,
and therefore apt to drain the country
of the people who ought to live
therein.
"The human side of the rural life
problem is to make the career Of the
farmer and the career of the farm Ia
borer as attractive and as remunera-
tive as corresponding careers in the
city. Now, I am we'll aware that the
farmer must himself take the lead in
bringing this about. A century and a
quarter ago the wise English farmer,
Arthur Young, wrote Of the efforts to
improve French wool: : cultivator at
the head of sheep farm Of 5000 or
1000 acres would in few years do
more for their woods than all the aca
demicians and philosophers will effect
in ten centuries 1t is absurd to think
that any man who has studied the sub
ject only theoretically is fit to direct
those who practically work at the mat
ter. But, friends, l wish to insist to
you hereto you practical men, who
own and work your farms-that it is a
pernisious absurdity for the practical
men to refuse to benefit by the work
Of the student. The English farmer
have quoted, Young, was practical
farmer, but he was also scientific
farmer. One reason why the great bust
ness men Of today-the great indus
trial leaders-have gone ahead, while
the farmer has tended to sag behind
the others, is that they are far more
willing. and indeed eager, to profit
by expert and technical knowledge
the knowledge that can only come as
a result Of the highest education.
From railways to factories no great in
1ustrial concern can nowadays be car
ried on save by the aid Of swarm of
men who have received high techni-
cal education in chemistry, in engi-
neering. in electricity, in one or more
If scores Of special subjects. The big
businessman, the big railway man,
loes not ask college-trained experts to
ell him how to run his business: but
1e does ask numbers Of them each to
give him expert advice and aid on
some one point indispensable to his
business. He finds this man usually in
some graduate of technical school or
'In Just the same way the farmers
should benefit by the advice of the
technical men who have been trained
n phases of the very work the farmer
loes I am not now speaking of the |
nan who has had an ordinary general
raining. whether in school or college. |
While there should undoubtedly be |
DEG Es,EShxk AgnsE