Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1915-03-31

tain bacteria to feed upon before il
can grow successfully. If you dom
know this, you'd better find out. II
won't cost you much. Just write tC
the Agricultural Experiment Sta
ness to tell you. That's what yor
are paying them for. You pay then
to find out these things for you, Sc
why not get your moneys worth
Don't be like some foolish schoo
boys who pay for their tuition, etc.
at school and then think themselves
smart if they can get out Of learn
ing all that the instructor may wisl
to teach them.
Next the humorous reading by
Anton Soland, was brought in with
good effect.
| Undoubtedly the most interesting
number on the program was a talk
on different phases of rural prob
lens by Prof. B. Savre, from Luther
College. He discussed the great
problem of our day, namely, the
tendency of movement from the
country to the city-its cause, effect
and remedy. 1t is caused, no doubt
by country people not having beer
educated to appreciate the abun
dance of genuine pleasure to be
found in the country home, and
they let themselves be deceived by
the foolish idea that the other fell
lows job is easier than their own.
They don't stop to think that his jot
is easy, and looks it, because h,
loves his work and puts his whole
soul into it,-while they themselves
could do the same thing with their
work If they only wished to. They
do not want to see anything but muG
in the mud puddle, and therefore
see nothing else. They know oil
nothing but the thorns on rose bush
es. They cannot appreciate the
wonders in a growing plant because
they do not care to. OF course al
attitude like this breeds discomfort
ment and they deserve to be discon
tented. (This is written for farm
people, but applies to city folks as
WE'LL Farmers that are of this
mind, may think they see their idea
in the city, where it seems as if life
is all a song,-people always gay
always in Sunday clothes.
They do not see the homeless
heartless, hungering mortals, be
cause it does not appeal to the eye
The effect of thinking this way, viii
of course cause many to move to the
cities, where they hope to satisfy
their wants. Many seek in vain. They
seek what they cannot find. Con
tentment in excitement. Their hun
ger is ungratified and to their re
greet they learn that the city life
also has it's dark sides. The city
may offer better social conditions
than some rural communities, but
that's thing that can be remedied
If your community isn't what you
would wish it to be, blame yourself
to some extent. If you really want
to you can make your community
the best in the world. But you can
not do it alone. 1t depends on your
attitude to the rest of your neigh
bors. Make friends with them
yes, real friends. Learn to know
yourself and your neighbors. Ge'
together, form one interest, the in
terest of atl-pull together-pull il
the same direction. How mucl
could you accomplish with tive
teams to a pillow if they pulled il
opposite directions? The same holds
true in a community. 1t is not thu
want of power, but the lack of appli
cation, that leaves the country un
developed. There is power enough
in every community to revolutionizt
it and make it the best place in thu
world for those who live there. Pos
sibly you cannot realize the change
in a day, but you can start today
Be an optimist. Determine to SCI
the best in everything and every
body. Let that determination b.
contagious.
A great help to accomplish this
is to organize club, or society. |
doesn't matter so much what it i
called, if it provides for the socia
betterment of the community. I'm
provement of social conditions can
not but help to encourage young mel
and women to settle On the farms
But this improvement will not CONE
before people realize that it is wortl
while; before they realize tina
country life is the best in the world
One of the best methods to accom-
plish this is to give the boys ant
girls thorough vocational training
Give the boys a chance to study agri
culture and the girls domestic sci
ence, and the rest will follow a
lsurely as day follows night.
After the program the ladies serv
ed lunch, which was appreciated
fully as much here as elsewhere
The meeting adjourned to meet il
two weeks, April Sth, when the fol
lowing program is arranged for:
Members respond to roll call b
jokes.
Essay by :. .... Isabel Storl
Talk by .. .......... Chairma
Debate: (But this is no joke)
Resolved that women suffrage b
l.