St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1911-06-14
.sGet Together Movement.

lie
The get together dinner at
White River Junction last week at
which Theodore Roosevelt was the
chiefly advertised feature evidently
was great success. Mr.. Roosevelt's
speech was good and thoroughly
Rooseveltian even to the description
of what should be done eff a man
hits you in the face" He summed
up with great clearness the necessity
of turning attention to the improve
ment of rural conditions in the fol-
lowing words:
Vermont is typical of the Union
its country districts to lag behind. If
the process continues to sufficient
extent it will work literally irrep-
arabic harm. The farmers themselves
must take the lead in meeting chang
ed conditions and overcoming
the new difficulties, but all other
citizens must join in helping them,
for the welfare of the wage-earner
is vital to the community as whole.
Not only must the farmer have the
best practical application of scientific
knowledge in the management of his
farm but he must be able to combine
with his fellows in marketing his
goods and moreover, in addition to
putting the farm on a paying basis
there must be steady effort to in
crease the social opportunity of those
who dwell in the open country
Although not so widely advertis-
ed the speech of DR.. Kenyon L. Rut-
terfield, president of the MassacIlu-
sets Agricultural college and mem
Der of the Roosevelt Country Life
Commission, was quite as able and
helpful as that of Mr.. Roosevelt. He
spoke especially on cooperation
among community interests, with
special reference to the rural COM
munity. He said:
| 1.-The present progressive thought
! in government, in industry, in NOR
ais, in all our social affairs, is not
that we shall ignore the individual,
but that we shall magnify the rights
of the many, the privileges of the
many, the opportunities of the many,
and the welfare of the many, as over
against the right. the privileges, the
opportunities and the welfare of the
| few. Conservation of national re-
sources is an expression of this
thought: the new nationalism' in
politics is another expression of this
thought; the Countrywide movement
is an important expression of this
thought %
After showing the difference be-
tween successful man entirely self
centered and selfish, and a communi-
ty of men to whom public interests
were vital matter and the school,
church, grange and other organiza-
lions were maintained as community
benefits he urged the Importance of
these institutions working together.
He said
tThe church has a special task;
the school has a special task; the
grange has special task; the agri-
cultural society has a special task;
the Young Mems Christian Associa-
ton has a special task. After all.
they are working on one big problem
the development and the better
ment of the community Just as a
/ few individuals working together for
some common purpose have greater
power by reason of their cooperation
than they could have alone, so these
/ institutions of the rural community
working together may accomplish far
more than if they work separately or
at cross purposes.
I'VE have, then, these two great
ideas-the community idea and the
cooperation of community institu-
lions IDEAS the great fundamental
things in the Countrywide movement.
On the basis of these two ideas, why
may there not be inaugurated in YER
mont, as result of this meeting to-
night, a great, statewide campaign
for rural progress?''
Today We have only presented
some of the suggestions made by
these able men. In some future is
sue we shall attempt to comment ON
some of these statements.