Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1914-02-20
CONSIDER RURAL CONDITIONS
Secretary Of Agriculture Houston
Makes Address on 1.-THE Organiza-
ton Of American Agriculture"

| David F. Houston secretary of agri
culture. delivered an address on THE
Organization of American Agriculture
before the forty-seventh annual ses
! sion Of the National Grange of Pa
; irons of Husbandy. at Manchester. N
II. In his introduction Secretary Hous
ton stated that it was time that all in
telligent people put their heads togeth
er to consider rural conditions, which
presented not q class problem but q
national problem affecting city and ru
raj population alike. Among Other
things he said that some Of the ag
ricultural colleges were not doing
their full duty. that the country child
was handicapped in gaining an educa
ton, that the present system of free
seed distribution should be supplanted
that the farmer is not a mendicant
when he asks for a consideration OF
the question of rural credits. He out
lined the work that the department OF
agriculture was seeking and in bring.
Ing the information IT had on all sub
Jects to the farmer who needed it.
One thing is clear. the schemes that
are multiplying which conceive the
farmer to be a mendicant and a sub
1ect for unique and sepcial legisla-
ton may be at once condemned. The
American farmer does not need or de-
sire to be classed with those foreign
people who are just emerging from a
condition Of serfdom and tutelage. He
asks no opportunity that is not afford
ed to every American citizen; he asks
for no legislation which shall give him
credit on easier terms than his broth
er mechanic. or his professional friend.
or his merchant may secure it. But
he does ask to be assisted in creating
conditions and machinery which shall
enable him on a similar credit founda-
ton to secure his money at the same
rates as any other class in the COM
munity. This. and this alone, 1t seems
to me, Is all that he asks and Is moth
ing less than he deserves.
In the field of marketing, there is
also danger that pressure will be
brought to bear upon us to act every
where before we are prepared to act
intelligently anywhere. Not that as
sistance cannot be given here and
there. and not that the department is
not furnishing and will not furnish in
formation Of great practical value to
individuals and communities.
1t Is absolutely clear that before
the problems of rural credit and of
marketing the individual. farmer, act
ing alone. is helpless Nothing less
than concerted action will suff1ce. Co
operation Is absolutely essential. The
same business sense and the same or
ganizing genius which have placed this
nation In the front rank in industry
must be invoked for agriculture.
/ am advocating simply an econom-
ic arrangement which will facilitate
production and enable the producer to
md the readiest and best market for
his produce and the consumer to re-
ceive his supplies at the lowest cost
Nor am thinking of concerted effort
which shall proceed from above down
ward. 1t must associate itself with
some particular product which is more
or less capable of. being standardized
and the object must be to overcome
some specific difficulty.
Types Of organizations which oper-
ate successfully abroad cannot neces-
sarily be imported into this country
without modification
There is obvious need of organize
ton for sanitary purposes and for
social development. Whether all these
shall come through definite attack Of
private or public agencies or as by.
products. makes no difference; they
must come. We can no longer enter.
tain the notion that rural life shall re-
main isolated. disjointed and morgan
lied. Its organization is q national,
economic and social necessity. It is
more dificult to organize a scattered
rural population than a concentrated
one. but the great need is to give the
rural population at least approximate
ly the primary advantages which the
town enjoys. The town is organiza.
ton. and because of its organization
and Of its consequent advantages, It
has tended to attract to it the most
ambitious youth of the country. The
task Of rural organization is difficult,
but as the greatest educator of Ameri-
ca has said: "The difficulty of a task
constitutes no reason for declining It,"
And in this way lies the largest prom
ise for national upbuilding and stabil-