The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1911-09-26
Discussed Questions WI.
Tend to Make Rural Life
.
More Pleasant
SEEKING TO CHECK THE
FARM TO CITY TENDENCY
The Want to Make Farm Life So At.
tractive That the Boys and Girls
VIII Want to Stay on the Farm
Taft Talks.

10I6 18IkBe
t Kansas City, Sept. 26.-Women had
IN important part in the program Of
the third National Conservation con-
gress here today in the discussion Of
one of the important subjects under
consideration this year. THE Improve
ment Of the Conditions of Rural Life"
Plans for the organization of COM
munity clubs and to improve the ed
ucational and religious facilities in
the country districts were put for
ward by the ladies in the movement to
check the tendency Of country boys
and girls to leave their farm homes
and to go to the large cities. It is
planned to make rural life so pleas
ant that the young people will be at
tracted to it.
Mrs. Philip N. More of st. Louis,
president of the General Federation
Of Wonen's clubs, delivered an ad-
dress on the subject "the Community
Club" and "The Farmers Wife" was
discussed by Mrs. Harriet Wallace
Ashby of Des Moines, Iowa.
DR.. Harvey w. Wiley, chief Of the
bureau of chemistry in the depart
ment Of agriculture, is scheduled to
deliver one Of the important speech
es Of the congress tonight. His SUBJ
ject will be "the Health Of the Peo-
ple."
Taft's Speech.
President Taft's speech to the ma
ttonal conservation congress last
night was devoted almost exclusively
to the conservation of the soil. The
president explained that at last years
session of the congress in st. Paul
he had expressed at length his views
with regard to other phases of con-
servation and added that since con-
gress SO. far had not deemed 1t neces-
sary to pass conservation legislation,
he would confine himself to the one
branch Of the subject.
Mr.. Taft reviewed the history of
farming and farm production in this
country for the last flfty-six years,
and declared that while he does not
agree with those men who say that
In fifty years the United States will
be unable to feed its own people,
there is need for intelligent under
standing among the farmers of the
trend of events.
The president said that If the pop
ulation Of the nation increases pro-
portionately in the next fifty. years
the United States will have double
the number of its people.
1T is necessary then" he said,
that not only our acreage but our
people may be fed. We must realize
that the best land and the easiest
land to cultivate has been taken up
and cultivated, and that the additions
to improved lands and to total acre.
age in the future must be of land
much more difficult to prepare for
tillage. The increase per acre of the
production, too, must be steady each
year.. and each year an increase is
more difficult. Still even in the face
of these facts there is no occasion
for encouragement We are going to
remain as self supporting country
and raise food enough within our
borders to feed our people,"
Mr.. Taft said that the states should
take up the question of increasing
the production of farms. Much has
been done he said, through the edu-
cation in colleges and schools Of
trained and scientific farmers and the
improvement through such institu-
tions is bound to continue
Speaking Of a proposal to organize
q force Of 5000 men to be paid part
ly by the counties, partly by the states
and partly by the federal government,
which shall conduct experiments in
every county for the education Of
the farmer, the president that while
generally he was opposed to such
collaboration, he could not conceive
of wiser plan for this particular
purpose.
"On the WHOLE" said the president
in conclusion" II think our future Is
hopeful. do not share the pesimis-
tic views Of many gentlemen whose
statistics differ somewhat from mine
and who look forward to q strong
probability Of failure Of self support
in food within the lives of persons now
living. We may look forward to the
middle Of this century when 200 mil
lion people shall swear fealty to the
starry flag as a time when America
will still continue to feed her mil
lions and feed them we'll out Of her
own SOIL"
The dove Of peace presides over the
conservation congress today. There
is not a semblance Of fight in sight.
More than that. says Henry Wallace,
president of the congress. there will
be none. In the past the sessions of
the congress have been noted for the
battles they produced. This made
good reading and gave the orators a