The Washington herald., 1914-06-15
Rural UpEit.
~ wiLMEn ATKINSON.

It Is well that the National Civil Federation should
institute department for rural betterment, and
when instituted ii win be the part of wisdom for the
federation to learn from rural people themselves
what they stand in need of.
There are three primary requirements for rural
uplift:
| First-The power to borrow money on the par,
of the young men on the farm at low rate of in.
terest for long period, 50 they may become land
owners
Second-Farmers must get fair return for the
produce they raise for market, which now they
do not.
Third-Agricultural laborers on the farm and in
the home must be adequately housed which now
they arc not
Given these three essentials and rural communites
will uplift themselves.
Less costly money would enable young men with
desire follow the honorable occupation to which
they brought up to secure homes at the time in
life when they have the most zest and therefore
the greater likelihood of working out of debt and
sooner becoming independent.
But it is also essential for the farmers wel-beins
that he should get than 90 or 50 cents out oi
every dollars worth which he produces. Sporadic
efforts have been made at widely divergent point,
bring the producer and the consumer together for
related and lacking coordination, have been for
the most part ineffective.
The recent extension of the parcel post and the
lowering of express rates, give promise of some
relief to farmers but general concerted efforts have
been made to bring consumers in touch with pro-
ducers through these nstrumentalites. The time.
cry loudly for some sort of that will reach
the entire farming community and effect solidarity
that will insure the farmer just return for his
labor and risk, both of which out of all pro-
portion to his meager gains.
If conditions are hard at the barn and in the
field they much less tolerable in the kitchen and
dining-room What the housewives situation demand.
is tenant house where the farm help may be fed
and sheltered, so fed that she may be relieved
| of the hard drudgery of cooking three meals
day. and of washing stacks of dishes, and that the
family privacy and ssnctity may be maintained botf
for the comfort of the wife and the welfare of heI
children.
Better schools are needed in the country; these
will be provided if farmers prosper more interest
in the rural church will be shown if farmers prosper
the feathered friends of the farmer will be protected
as they should be. but not. If farmers prosper
good roads will be built without mortgaging the
| future, if farmers are not too poor to build them
there will be better sanitation better health, nurses
10 for the sick and pleasant and up
lifting social intercourse if farmers become pros
porous land owners; communities will be contentec
and happy if farmers have fair chance to prosper
To seek rural upift in any other way than a.
here pointed out will prove delusion and vast.
of time and effort. There ought to be collective
wisdom enough among the public-spirted men who
are genuinely anxious for rural bettement to hell
solve the problems above indicated. Any earnest
weY planned effort that this federation shall max,
in behalf of rural betterment will be gratefully ap
preciated by the objects of its solicitude.