Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1912-04-06
WORRYING ABOUT THE FARMER.

Sioux City Journal-Col Roosevelt
has renewed his interest in rural life.
Toward the end of his second term as
president Of the United States 1 he
named an honorary commission to look
up the farm situation and report to
him. He says now that the progress
sives demand that the utilities of the
department of agriculture should be
far more widely extended, "and that
one Of their first objects when they
come into power will be to see that the
! department sets itself to work out
broader scheme than has yet been at
tempted for the uplifting, technically,
commercially, socially and politically
LOT the American farmer" When the
colonel named his commission he had
in mind what seemed to him the de.
plorable social condition of the family
/, on the farm, in consequence of which
( the young people, especially, got away
to town as soon as they could, while
the old people were pleased to rent
their holdings and retire. 1t is the
plan now to take charge of the finan-
| cial and political interests of the
farmers. Paternaiism has! pretty
=, firm grip on the colonel.
| The farmers are now especially in
need of the guardianship proposed for
them by our ex-president. They are
as able to look out for themselves as
any class Of our population, and much
more so than many Of the people
who add to the congestion Of our great
cities. #. .---ssa
Iowa, for instance, Is splendid
example for progress on the farm. The
change in conditions in northwestern
Iowa within the memory of men in
middle life is abundantly gratifying.
The story of early days in any locality
of the state seems extravagant in it's
recital Of isolation and privation. 1t is
unnecessary to 60 back many years to
locate hardship incident to prices for
which the farmer was compelled to sell
the products Of his labor. That hard
ship has been removed, and the COM
plant is made from the cities over
"the high cost Of living" The colonel
takes note of this complaint, and his
remedy is to increase the supply of
| farm products, and to that end, for one
thing, to add to the farm population.
| In short, his scheme is to reduce farm
/ prices. , .@
main on the farm or to try the farm
| to that of fair return on the invest
ment and labor. A decline in farm
prosperity will diminish farm popula-
| ton in proportion to more favorable
opportunity for easy living elsewhere.
The problem involved is in maintain
| ing prosperity, and whatever tends to
! disturb or imperil the general pros
perity of the country is opposed to the
happiness and welfare Of life on the
| farm.
The point to start with is that the
| farmers are fully as competent as
| other people to take care of them
selves, as has been demonstrated in
this state and in other states. Severe
poverty makes it's demonstrations
wherever the condition exists, and is
more readily observable in the large
cities than in the rural communities.
! If the markets are compensating to
| the farmers their need of pro-
tectorate does not extend beyond the
need Of their fellow citizens engaged
in other occupations. Opposing con-
tention is neither true to the fact nor
contributary 70 pride.
Progress on the farm in the middle
west during recent years is delightful
to contemplate. The homes are not
far from railroad station; it is
short drive by automobile or with
spanking team to neighbours or to
town. The rural mail carrier comes
daily with the market reports and all
the latest news. The house has gas,
water and furnace heat. Improved
machinery, available under prosperity,
does much Of the drudgery. The
family is supplied with good reading
matter suitable to the farm and to
society. Private enterprises in this re-
gard is beyond the competition of the
government. The farmer devotes time
to the study of improved stock and
better crops; he is business man
among business men, fully qualified
to make his own bargains and take
care of himself. All he can reasonably
ask is an equal chance among men;
and he knows, moreover, that his
prosperity is intimately associated with
the prosperity of men in other occupa.
lions and with the country at large.
Being business man, in touch with
affairs, the farmer is not in need Of
Ia political guardian. He is qualified
W UOCWSSl lASll SCchluS
station, and he is less subject than
heretofore to the Establishments of
men who spend their lives in politics
and as much Of their lives as possible
in public Office. af-
There is no industry superior to that
listed in the name of agriculture. The
states are not unmindful Of the fact,
and they are doing in their several re-
lations more to foster the industry
than can possibly be done in an
executive way from Washington In
this respect Iowa. South Dakota, Ne
braska and other states are shining
examples The great fairs, the stock
associations, the farmers Institutes.
the competitive enterprise Of farm
journals and -instrumentalities
are constantly at work in an effective
way to better life on the farm. Iowa
makes liberal appropriations Of money
in the interest of it's college at Ames
and in support of it's state fair. There
lis no reason why the farmers should
-