Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1912-03-08
soCIALIrY AND Co.DPEalRAlrnjR.

AMI ISsOG0nSA S4elGSef
/; Ia tn declarations that g ira
tion e tho key Ito universal spt0s-,
peTitv, there sounds tia Dllverys note
Of truth. but before mon can 90
operate. tfhey1 unjust know one another.
They must get acquainted; andathis
not merely I'm the sense that they;
know one anOther's names, business
ana place Of abode, and are able TO
greet one smother with 4 cheerful
Good morning ~ when they meet ];
hut as recognising in each other the
possession of such common aspirations,
purposes, ''humanities, - AZ lay the
for q sympathetic rela-
tiO0ship.> ''~r"<15:,r: .. -, ..l$- H. ,>r-'
The worst feature Of the big farm:
system, with its isolated homes which
has accompanied the making of Amer
lca" il the fact that; It has hereto
tore made impossible the FREQUENT 80
cial con facts and the consequent IN
innate relationships to BE- found among
the people Of rural Communities In
practically all European nations. No.
where have people ived;so much apart
from one another socially ~ here. The
instinct fundamental in
our race has m agricultural America
fourd its severest denials. W.
That in Earope the people have
known one another while here they
have hardly been ION speaking terms
will largely account for the rapiJity
with which. cooperation has pro.
gressed in Great Britain, Germany,
France and Italy as compared with its
slow acceptance here. It is evident
that it we are to experience the full
benefit OF the cooperative principle,
we must encourage all INSTRUMENTAL
ties which make for the multiplication
of social contacts along wholesome
lines. With such allies from the realm
Of invention as tire telephone and auto.
mobile. With the rural free delivery,
the newspaper and the consolidated
school, and the extension work of our
Universities, the task IS not today so
difficult as 1t might have been twenty
five years ago.
. Foremost among the instrumental.
tiles referred to are the Farmers club
and the Social center. The latter-orig-
mating in cities, where the big build
ings of the high and graded schools,
unused for greater part of the
days twenty four hours, stood invit-
ingly ready as auxiliaries for social en-
deavor has proved even tetter adaptad
to the needs of rural communities,
wherever school building of saffi-
cient size exists; and the rapid multi
plication of Consolidated school 'edl-
fees is being attended by a CORE
spending utilization of the opportuni-
ties they afford for social gatherings.
Often, one of the funtions Of tho So
cial Center is the furnishing Of place
for the meetings of q Farmers CLUB
but the most popular, and probably the
most immediately effective. form OF
the latter organization is one where q
small number of families meet at the
home of each member in SUCCESSION.
So effective has been the appeal Of
the social development idea to the best
instincts of the pleople. that the legis
latures of two States-Wisconsiu auG
Virginia-have already established 9
bureau of Social Centers in connection
with the Extension work of thei
Universities; and they have passet
laws authorizing tie use of schoo
buildings everywhere as Social Cen
te1s; thus heading off, the conserva
tives, in school boards, who NIGH
otherwise have ''blocked the neS
movement. Other states are certain t,
follow with like enactment. 49,.
: 50 1t would appear that. our Natiol
! is now really entering upon q new er,
of social development-'' social'' in tn
sense OF drawing out tho brotherlines
and slster1ineas in people: at etnpha
sizing among men the democratic AM
altruistic principles which makes TO
the noblest growth, and among w6mel
the fact, which no. artidciality of lif
can cover up. that ''the Colonalss LAD,
and Jud O'Grauy are sisters under th
skin.
And when. through the Farmers
club and the Social COL ter, We shal
have come to know one another ais ",
ought, how smooth will be the path
way of Cooperation to it's highes
development!-C. Il. Barnes, Exten
sion Div. MINI. Col. of Agriculture.