Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1913-12-11
RECORD GATHERING
Of Vt. c FAN GES
Continued on PAGE ~

social standing and influence as in any
Dther occupation to draw thereto the best
Intelligence of the country. Happily,
Mere is with the exhaustion Of free land
and the drawing off of the first flush OF
FERTILITY a growing appreciation of the
business OF agriculture as a field for in
tcllectual activity. There is also grow
ng financial return afforling a more
favorable comparison with other calings
n this regard But from now on these
movements must be larely accelerated
Thc question is how? To this question
he wisest statesmen and scholars must
lssiduously address themselves. 1t is not
'emote or academic. 1t is here and now a
present day necessity.
MASSES DRAWN To CITIES.
IN the policy of the country. manu-
facturers have been favored, with the re-
suit that people have been centered in
large masses where poverty. ignorance
and crime have been alarmingly develop
ed. Situations have been created that
threaten the life Of American institutions
Some of these afford questions upon the
solution Of which our perpetuity as a
nation depend To our minds the sure
and proper solution is in the creation of
such conditions as will draw the people
into productive rather than secondary oc-
equations. will scatter to reasonable
degree rather than concentrate to an
unreasonable degree the people Of the
country. This means tremendous. almost
revolutionary, measures to place the pco"
pie on the land.
This policy will he more and more of
a problem as the days go by. The price
of land is Increasing, tenant farming is
taking the place of ownership, absentee
ownership is "A growing danger Already
in the West and central states corpora
ton farming is widely practiccd. Large
Interests practically control the price Of
farm products, every expense between the
consumer and producer is thrown upon
the latter in reduced prices and the
farmer. praised and encourage" with
words is robbed and defraudcd in fact
FARM PEOPLE ORGANIZING.
The first consideration in the solution
Of a question l., a knowledge of the facts
Knowing them we must find a remedy.
Other things being equal the farmers
themselves are in the best position to
Judge what should be done and lead I'm its
accomplishment Recognizing these things
studying the conditions under which they
live, are realizing their Importance and
putting themselves i'm position to cXcr-
else their power Evidence the growth Of
the grange, the Farmers union Of the
South and West the Cleaners and SINH
lar movements among farm people
These great organizations act along
somewhat different lines but all with the
mi ,.;
in numbers, in wealth and power. They
indicate movement that will he all pow
erful for good if properly managed.
What can in the present day be done
to improve and extend the agriculture of
the land as compared with other in
dustries? May we suggest the immediate
removal of any artificial stimulus to other
industries that places them at an advan-
tage, thus drawing from the farm those
anxious to secure peculiar advantage
Next let us recognize the dignity and i'm
portance Of farm life by such i rcadjust-
mcut of our school system as shall direct
to agriculture the attention Of the chill
dren of the land city and country alike
Realizing that any industry needs capital
let such action be taken as will make
money available to the man who viii farm
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''-' ''->H'''> N'I'N '''Hi as y r-''
Professor i'radle", who explained the
est us!oa Norf ~ the agricultural col
4'2e said in part.
Horticultural extension work consists
II putting INTO condition for and carry
ng to III" farmer the Information which
agricultural colleges and experiment sta
ions nave hech gathering Tor so many
'ears. 1t mas hron SAID that ther" IS aSrl-
cultural information enough in expert