The Madison journal. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1888-current, 1914-01-10
HELPS RURAL LIFE.
SECRETARY HoUSTON'S PLAN is
RoUSING INTEREST ALL
OVER COUNTRY.
FARMERS WIVES ARE AIDING
Fifty Thousand Have Sent Suggestions
On Improving Conditions and These
Are Being Applied by Depart
ment of Agriculture.
By GEORGE CLINTON.

BY GEORGE CLINTON.
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. of the farmers
of the land to the number Of $4,000
have responded by letter to the re-
quest of the agricultural department
that they tell of home life in the coun-
try and make suggestions as to what
the department can Do to improve
conditions, and to maxi the rural life
more attractive for all the members
Of the household Secretary Houston
Is taking a deep interest in the an
swers which have come to the de-
partment's query and he has read
scores of them personally, while the
others have been read for study par
poses by officials high in the dep :
ment.
Recently the secretary of agricul-
ture let it be known through the pub
licity bureau that he wished to make
his department useful, not only to the
farmer, but The others of the house
hold. The women were asked to
write and they responded quickly and
diligently 1t is the intention OF the
government agricultural officials to
prepare and send out bulletins or IN
struction and information to the l.
raj housewives of the country telling
them how they can tighten their la
bors, sho, IN their hours of work,
make their homes attractive, save
money and make money and after
doing it all find that they have left
time for rest. reading and bodily
recreation.
Exchange of Advice.
Already the farmers wives of the
country have received from the gov
ernment's advisory bureau housekeep-
ing, food-preparing, fruit-preserving
and other instructions which on the
face of things seems to mark Secre-
tary Houston as a teacher of high
standing in the domestic arts. Ii is
probable that the secretary of agricul-
ture will be the first one to put the
credit where it belongs. The women
have done it. Advice from Alabama
today is being applied to California
and advice from California is being
applied in Alabama, and put any other
two states in the places of those
named and the same thing holds true.
Before long it is the intention of
the department to prepare plans for
the construction and proper arrange
ment Of farm houses. They will vary
in detail geographically" The same
plans will not serve for a Florida
farmhouse that will serve for one in
Oregon. Convenience and comfort
will be consulted with a view to the
adaptation of the house to the special
needs of the family of farmer.
Is Currency Law Prize or Blank?
Now that the currency bill has
become law, the natural and
perhaps apprehensive question be-
comes, is 1t to work good or i'll to
the banking and the general bust
ness interests of the country? Does
one seem to put the plane of intelli-
gence low when he says that. with
the exception of half a dozen senators
and representatives who have spoken
directly to the point, no one can be
found in the capital city, outside Of
those who speak enthusiastically sim
ply because they are partisans. will
ing to give a specific answer to the
question concerning the. business re-
suits of the new currency law?
The solemn truth is that apparently
no man understands currency to its
roots. Finance is question which
has been the subject of controversy
for hundreds, yes, even thousands Of
years. There are as many views on
the proper way to make a sound cur
rency as there are men able to express
any view at all. or the witnesses who
appeared before the committees sit
ting in consideration of the currency
measure. only one or two were willing
to prophesy actual disaster as the re-
suit Of the passage of the bill and only
a few are willing to declare as a GER
tainty that specific benefit would come
from its enactment. During the debate
on the tariff bill which is now the law
vSiO PiChty VI
both houses willing to prophesy dis
aster to the business interests of the
country because Of the cut in customs
The tariff was familiar subject.
Few Even Pretend to Know.
During the debates on the currency
bill, many of the Republicans sat
speeches." Others, Drawer. spoke
their minds, but those who thus spoke
were few In number. Why was there
reticence on currency and glibness on
the tariff? The reason ia as simple as
primer. There are not more than
ten men In the house and senate who
understand currency matters and all
except the ten who understand. or
who think they understand, were will
ing to keep quiet. lest they show their