The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1916-05-18

In the northwestern part OF the
state we have extensive measures OF
Ignite coal OF high quality. With the
advance Of scientific methods for util-
izing this class of coal, these deposits
will increase in value as time goes on.
From the federal government the
state received a large grant Of lands
for the support of its educational sys-
tenn. These lands have been wisely
and successfully handled and splen-
didly conserved, and make the basis
of a munificent endowment for the
various schools of the state, Enough
of the lands have been sold to make
a cash fund OF over $11 100000, and
about 5000, 900 acres remain unsold.
The annual income from these funds
and lands, now over a million dollars
a year, goes to the support of the
schools OF the state, and 1t is plain that
when expanding population and gen.
eral development advances the price
Of lands, and so increases the returns,
such increase will in itself go a long
way toward supporting a splendid sys.
TEN of schools, and ~measurably reduce
the taxes required for that purpose.
Modern life, business life, producing,
transporting. distributing, marketing
financing, is so complex that no one
can hope to know everything of all OF
its different sides and phases. This is
especially true of agriculture, using
the term broadly; Of farming and ami
YNol hVtChop Iru unaolytnu ~ oil the
activities involved, of soil, Of seed, oil
culture, and Of crops, Of marketing
and buying and selling and financing
and safeguarding the business as a
whole. And SO WI must learn from
and help one another. More and more
we must lean on and cooperate with
our neighbor IL we are to live a full
and useful life. Less and less can the
individual live to himself alone. More
and more do the circumstances require
that each, in deed and in fact, be In
some measure his brothers keeper.
In thus cooperating and working
together for the common good, the
people should not hesitate to use the
agencies of their government to pro
mote their purposes. This, in my
opinion, is one OF the important func
tions OF government. Government in a
democracy Is, in theory at least. and
should be in fact, but the direct agency
of the people themselves, organized for
their mutual benefit, to give direction
and expression to their aims and ia
promote the common good and TO helr
each and all. In promoting the gener.
al welfare, whenever it is found that
the people can do a certain thing bet
ter through the agencies of their gov
eminent than through private effort
the agencies of the government should
be used. We should avail ourselves
of the power and authority OF our gov
eminent whenever and wherever need
ed to accomplish a public good or ia
advance community welfare.
Perhaps the most obvious field foI
the use Of the agencies OF government
is in the matter of education, using
the term broadly and comprehensive
ly. | would have the University, the
College of Agriculture, and the otheI
state schools, to not only conduct
classes, train students, make expert
ments and demonstrations and give
lectures on the college campus, bW
In addition, l would have each bring it,
knowledge, its experiments, its dem
onstration-its education to the homes
of the people and fit them into their
daily lives.
As governor / accepted the act oil
the federal congress known as the
Smith Lever act, providing for agri.
cultural extension education. and the
legislature of 1915 made provision for
commencing organization and work
hereunder. BY it the federal govern
ment, the state and the local commu
nifty each are to bear a share of the ex
pense in the development