Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1914-01-28

:; on Iowa farms the buildings and 9TH
i, er Improvements partook more OF
: the character Of permanency. This
J would lead to great economy in time.
The Investigations of the department
of agriculture show that for the
year 1912 the farmers of the country
paid an average of IA per cent in
terest for short-time loans. In the
division of states of which Iowa is a
part, the average rate was sos per
cent. These rates ought to be and
4 could be nearly cut in half. The CEN
sus of 1910 shows that the farms
of the United States are encountered
to the extent of one-seventh of their
value, or a little over IA per cent.
This proves that farm wealth is a
very safe foundation for a system of
farm credits, if 1t could only be made
possible by sane legal authorization.
A system of rural credits similar to
the Raiffeisen system would prove a
great factor in more economic farm
production.
While there are in some sections
of the state organizations among far
mers with meetings at stated times,
either in the homes of the members
or in the rural schoolhouses, such
organizations are altogether too few,
and much good could be derived by
having a farmers club in every
| township or school district in the
state.
Cities have their commercial clubs,
maintained by business men, pro-
fessional men have their associations,
and tradesmen their unions, where
their needs are discussed and means
taken to promote their own interests.
But the farmer stands alone, with
out any organization whatever, each
fighting his battle single-handed,
and this in the face of organizations
in every department with which he
transacts business in either buying
or selling.
AS agriculture is the mainstay of
our nation, leading all vocations or
pursuits, it seems to us that our ma
tiOnal government should foster and
encourage by substantial aid the for
nation of organizations among
farmers. Such organizations would
awaken greater interest in restoring
and maintaining the fertility of the
soil, the care and feeding of live
stock, the marketing of farm pro-
! ducts, the purchase of supplies, and
would lead to better social condi-
tion among the farmers. To the
wives and children, especially, would
these meetings be highly beneficial.
While 1T is true that we have a
State Agricultural Society, district
and county fairs and farmers insti-
tutes, all largely maintained by far
mers, these meetings are held but
once year and cannot take the
place of local organizations with
meetings at least once a month in
the busy season, and oftener when
farm work is not so rushing.
In many of our cities manual
training is now carried on success
fully. Both boys and girls have
J their eyes and hands trained in prac-
teal work that will be of great value
to them in after life.
I There is no training of this kind
in our rural schools, and while the
children born and reared upon the
farms have a wide experience in ac-
tual work, and owing to their sur
roundings, habits of industry are
formed, giving them advantages
denied to the children reared in a
city; still no provision has yet been
made to teach even the simplest ell
ements of scientific agriculture in
our rural schools.
A large percentage of the teach
ers in the country schools have been
: born and educated in the cities and
have no knowledge of, or love for,
agriculture. Consequently the chill
dren hear more of the pleasures OF
the city than OF their own home. The
result is that a desire for city life
is formed in the mistaken belief that
life would be more enjoyable in the
, crowded cities than in the country
To Offset this condition, the teach
ing OF scientific agriculture should
be made compulsory in our rural
schools. At present there are nc
teachers qualified for this work who
3 can be secured Tor the salaries paid
Here is great opportunity for Oh.
national government to provide the
3 means for training teachers for this
work. II better salaries were paid
to such teachers and more perma,
l nent employment afforded them
I they would make life work of teach.
ing, to the great betterment of the
! schools.