The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1912-12-19

One OF the greatest questions that
confronts the statesmen OF America
to-day is 10 stop the tendency OF farm
boys from levaing the farms and 20
Ing 20 the cities. This tendency has
been going on In this country II such
u rapid rate that to-day about half OF
the people In the United States live
in towns where they do not create
wealth but where they must be sup
ported by those who produce.
No one can blame the farmers son
from going TO town IL he can there
better his condition. The problem 10
for the Government 10 use its every
effort TO make conditions on the farm
attractive. not only for the pleasure
and comfort of farm life, but also in
its profit. SO that a maprity OF the
farm boys will be induced TO remain
on the farm.
Agricultural Extension Departments.
In this connection. there is now
pending another interesting PROPOSE
ton before Congress. A bill has
passed the House and has been favor
ably reported already in the Senate
providing for an appropriation from
the National Treasury TO be appor-
toned among the States where the
State. Legislatures will pass laws in
harmony with the Government
scheme and make supplemental ap-
propriations thereto for the purpose
of having high-class farm doctors"
stationed in every county in the Unit
ed States who can tell each farmer
how to make his land more produc-
tive.
Mr.. Wilson, the Secretary of Agri-
culture, in statement in support of
this proposition, said that every COM
munity had it's doctor who looked af-
ter the health of the people of his
neighborhood; that that doctors
duty was to find out what was the
matter with each person when not in
prime health, and then to apply the
remedy Or show the patient how to
apply it. He said that that was ex-
aetly what this bill meant for the
farmers of the country. 1t meant that
we should have at least one farm
doctor" in each county, who would
be competent to look at every mans
farm, at it's different soils and con-
ditions, and tell the farmer what was
necessary by way of drainage, of fer
tilization, and of adapting the right
crop to the right soil, to enable the
farmer with the same amount Of
work and effort to produce twice the
amount of produce.
This is truly a great scheme and
one which the Government should
at once undertake. The present bill
carries an appropriation Of only three
million dollars, but of course when
the system is inaugurated the appro-
priation should and would become
much larger each year.
To-day not more than l per cent
of the vast sums of money appro-
priated by our Government is used to
help the farmer who must feed and
clothe the whole nation. j, There are
but few people who stop to think that
If the farmers of this nation should
go on strike on the first day of next
January that before the end of six
months every bank in the United
States would close and every railroad
would stop running.
Roosevelt's Great Idea Bearing Fruit.
| In this connection, it is proper to
remember that it was Colonel Roose-
welt, when President of the United
States, who inaugurated the move
ment for the improvement of the
farms and the uplift of country life
| that has already brought forth both
of the important movements mention
above.
A number of the stand-pat and
monopoly organs attempted to ridi-
cule President Roosevelt when he in
vited all the Governors of the United
States to meet at the White House
to consider these and every other
problem that would make country
life more attractive TO the young man
by making the soil more productive
and by making general conditions OF
country life more pleasant and attrac-
tive in every way.
This great conception and bold ac-
ton on the part of Colonel Roosevelt
put the whole country to thinking,
and already we see the important
fruits resulting therefrom. 1t is a
| wonderful thing for a great country
like this to have had a great con-
structive statesman like Roosevelt in
the White House, and as time goes on
his invaluable work for the uplift OF
the people of this country in every di-
! rection will be more and more appre-
ciated.
Fish Sold at Beaufort at One Cent a