Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1910-08-26

vi thV otiST manu-, JUST us little Is done
py the working farmer who stolidly re-
fuses to profit by the knowledge of the
| hay! who treats any effort at improve
! ment as absurd on It's face. refuses to
conntenance what he regards as new
Tangled ideas and contrivances, and jeers
| at all book farming" wish could
take representatives OF this type Of farm
err down to Long Island, where live. to
have them see what has been done, not
as philanthropy but as n plain business
proposition by men connected with the
Long Island railroad. who believe It pays
to encourage the development of farms
along the line OF that railway. They have
put practical men In charge of expert
mental farms. cultivating them intensive
~, and using the best modern methods,
not only in raising crops. but In securing
the best market for the crops when
raised The growth has been astounding.
and land only fifty miles from New York,
which during our entire National lifetime
has been treated as worthless. has within
the last three or four years been proved
to possess really high value.
The farmer. however, must not only
make his land pay, but he must make
country life interesting for himself and
| for his wife and his sons and daughters.
Farmers should learn how to combine
effectively. az has been done in industry.
l am, particularly CHAD to speak to the
Grange, for heartily believe in farmers
organizations, and we should all welcome
| every step taken towards an increasing
cooperation among farmers The impor-
lance OF such movements cannot be over
estimated; and through such intelligent
! joint action 1t will be possible to improve
| the market Just as much as the farm
Country life should be as attractive
as city life. and the country people
should insist upon having their full
W INV ,fots cx, x,-y,.
ing with all great public questions In
other words country folks should de-
mand that they work on equal terms
with city folks In all such matters.
| They should have their share In the
m memberships of commissions and coun-
| ellis; in short OF all the organized bod
| les for laying plans for great enter
| prises affecting all the people I am
| glad TO see on such bodies the names
that represent financial interests. but
| those interests should not have the
| right-of-way. and In all enterprises
| and movements in which the social
| condition Of the country Is involved.
| the agricultural countryside open
| coustry-should be as well represented
| as the city. The man OF the open
| country is apt to have certain qualities
| which the city man has lost. These
! qualities Offset those which the city
man has and he himself has not. ) The
two should be put on equal terms and
! the country talent be given the same
| opportunity az the city talent to ex-
| press itself and to contribute to the
welfare of the world In which we live.
| The country church should be made
| a true social centre. alive to every need
! Of the community. standing for II broad
| individual outlook and development.
taking the lead in work and in recrea :
| ton. caring more for conduct than for
! dogma. more for ethical spiritual
| practical betterment than for merely
| formal piety. The country fair offers
| far greater possibilities for continuous
| and healthy usefulness than IL at pres
| emit affords. The country school should
| be made vital center for economic.
/ social. and educational co-cperatton: it
| is naturally fitted to be such center
| for those engaged in commercial farm
| ing and still more for those ged
| in domestic farming. for those who live
on and by the small farms they them
selves own. The problem of the farm
is really the problem, OF the family that
lives on the farm. On all these aues-
lions there is need of Intelligent study.
such as marks the books Of Professor
Bailey, Of Cornell. and OF Sir Horace
Plunkett's book on the Rural Life
Problems Of the United States
Conditions Of Farm Life.
One feature Of the problem should
be recognized by the farmer at once.
and an effort made to deal with It, 1t
is our duty and our business to con-
slider the farm laborcr exactly as we
consider the farmer. NO country life
can be satisfactory when tho owners of
farms tend for whatever reason. to
70 away to live in cities instead of
working their farms: and. moreover.
1t cannot be really satisfactory when
the labor system Is so managed that
there Is for part Of the year demand
for labor which cannot be met. and
during another part of the year no de-
mand for labor at all, so that the farm
ers tend to rely on migratory laborers
who come out to work In the country
with no permanent interest in 1t and
with no prospect OF steady employ
ment. 1t is exceedingly difficult to
make a good citizen out Of man who
can't count upon some steadiness and
continuity in the work which means
to him his livelihood. Economic con-
ditions on the farm--in variety and
kind OF crop growing. especially as
distributed in time, and in housing for
the men-must be SO shaped as to rem
der It possible for the man who labors
for the farmer to be steadily employed
under conditions which foster his self
respect and tend for his development
Above all, the conditions of farm
life must always be shaped with =
view to tho welfare Of the farmers
wife and the farm laborers wife. quite
a much an to the welfare Of the farm
er and the farm Iaborer. Z. TO have the
woman mere drudge Is at least as
bad as to have the man mere drudge.
II is every whit as important to intro
duce new machines to economize her
Ia hor within the house, as 1t Is to In
troduce machinery to increase the ef-
fectiyeness OF his labor outside the
house. haven't the slightest sympa-
thy with any movement which looks
IA excusing men and women for the
non performances OF duty and fixes at
tention only on rights and not on du-
ties, The woman who shlrks her duty
as housewife. as mother. Is a con-
temptible creature; just as the corre-
snnndinr man Is contemplate crea-
tnre. But the welfare of the woman Is
even more important than the welfare
~ the man: for the mother Is the real
Atlas. who bears aloft in her strong
and tender arms the destiny OF the
world. She deserves honor and con-
sideration such as no man should re-
ceive. She forfeits all claim to this
honor and consideration II she shirks
her duties. But the average American
woman does not shirk them; ana u Is
a matter of the highest obligation for
us to see that taey are performed un-
der conditions which make for her
welfare and happiness and for the well
fare and happiness of the children she
brings into the world.
a Strange Fatality.
An unusual fatal accident happeneu