The gazette-times. [volume] (Heppner, Or.) 1912-1925, 1914-11-12


technical problems Of dairying
or the live stock situation spe-
officially, and especially not to dis
cuss either of these topics in their
technical bearings. Others much
more expert in such matters will
deal with these problems. l am
here to consider with you certain
broad aspects of agriculture and CT
rural life in this nation; to indi-
cate the interest of the Federal gov
ernment in their betterment. and to
tell you as fully as time will permit
what the Government is doing to
help the farmer and, therefore, to
make the nation prosperous.
1t Is truism that the advance
ment of farming and the betterment
of rural life lie at the very root OF
our prosperity and strength as a ma
ton. Today, all the people. urban
and rural alike, are keenly inter-
ested in the supply Of the necessar
400 Va iiic, dHu icNOSuiAC IAO gu
preme Importance of making agricul-
ture efficient and profitable and
rural life comfortable, healthful
pleasurable, and attractive. More
attention and more intelligent think
ing have been directed to the study
Of the fundamental problems in
iar t,, ioC una rs
than in any preceding decade, and
ii may be safely asserted that in
the last two years more significant
legislative measures have been en-
acted or pushed farther to the stage
Of completion than in any similar
period in the history of the ma
ton.
1t is vastly significant that atten-
tion is no longer exclusively directed
merely to the primary problems OF
production. The center OF interest.
as matter of fact, has tended to
shift, and the rural life problem
has begun to be conceived, as it
should be-as a very broad and
complex one.
Larger Aspects of Rural Life.
Up to the last two or three years,
unquestionably attention was direct
ed too exclusively merely to the pro-
duction side of rural life. The slo-
gan was make two blades Of grass
grow where only one grew before,
and individualism characterized
thinking and acting. Obviously
there is more to rural life than the
mere increase of crops and animals,
important as this is; more even than
increase in production and the find
ing Of markets; more than a matter
OF profits and even OF justice in
distribution; and to limit the attack
on the rural life problem merely to
these phases of 1t is inadequate and
wasteful. 1t is necessary to look at
this side of our national economy in
its larger aspects as we'll. and while
not neglecting the older forms OF
activity to do all In our power to
organize rural life, to develop the
moral, the Intellectual, and the
broader economic, governmental, and
social interests. For, in the rural
district, no less than in the urban
district, it is life and that more
abundantly which we are interested
in, and to which all the material
things must minister, and certainly
the time has come to bring it about
that all the fruits Of modern civili-
xation shall not accrue to the towns
and cities.
The neglect OF rural life by the
nation has not been conscious or
wfllful. We have been so bent on
building up great industrial centers,
In rivalling nations Of the world
not so fortunately circumstanced
agriculturally, in manufacturing,
fostering 1t by every natural and
artificial device we could think Of
30 busy trying to make each city
larger by a half million or more
people for the next census. that we
have overlooked the very founda-