New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-10-14
ANAEMIC FARMERS
More Should Be Done to Help and
Encourage Rural Dwel!ers

To the Editor of The Tribune.
Sir: A poor old farmer who works
sixteen hours a day while serving as
local fire warden misjudges the State
Fire Warden's signals, allows the Trans
mission Power Company to burn brush
along the right of way and this FIRE gets
away during a violent wind and does
several thousand dollars worth of dam
age upon his own and neighboring
wood lots. This is severe properly
loss and the whole community mus'
suffer FOR an error of judgment.
Farmers so far have never been or
ganized to obtain justice when they
have 10 break over the eight-hour law.
Little spiritual light or sympathetic
psychology is put before them to show
the value of Sabbath breaks of rest
from grinding cares. The farmer fur
nishes the world with the sinews or
the body-hcsh, blood and bone. VINO Is
travelling alongside his furrow to nour-
ish his soul instincts? Print, the press,
the farm journal get before his eyes,
but this is a cold handout OF mental
counsel and stimulus. The feeding
nublic DAYS high prices for poor goods
and the producer suffers many material
depriyations compared to what his call
ing should give him.
This state has many commissions and
boards TO look out for its varied and
complex interests. They should all DC
so organized as adequately to race
these fundamental cares. There can De
harmonious cooperation between these
different bodies for the welfare or the
rublic. The highway commission dl-
reefs public road building. Good roads
are the blood stream of wholesome IN
dustrial life if they serve the farmer
and vet the State Engineering lnstitu-
ton for Agriculture seldom mentions
them. gives no practical course or DEM
onstrations to the possible or actual
farmer. The average citizen and &C.
-casionally the selectmen don't know
what gifts of money or kinds OF en-
couragement the commonwealth oners
10 the small and isolated town for this
necessary circulatory channel, roads.
Mans of fifty years ago show many
mills now silent turning out various
crops Of wood products. Why has all
that power and profit been drained of
to the account of outside interests?
The bushes and trees are natures pro
test against that excuse manufactured
somewhere that such things don't pay.
The agricultural college must not allow
the idea TO get out that it is working
in behalf OF established industries Ike
the tobacco, onion, apple, milk and
truck gardening lines and is impotent
TO diagnose the possibilities in fores-
try. wood and berry crops and to help
the many who would and could make
living from the last-named.
= Why should any town in this COM
rcnwcalth b. without moving pct
urc apparatus for cducations! pur-
poses. II no. for amusement? rms
state receives immense tribute from
visitors anu hlHt'io syn ~N
own in behalf Of the theories OF edu-
cation. Why should the practice be SO
divorced from the theory! Any con-
ference in behalf of rural organizations
should not overlook such elemental
principles. Two generations ago
strength and progress showed them
selves in the hills. Why should to-day
the various welfare organizations allow
natures crop to b. so vigorous and the
human clement so anGmic? Has the
self-respoc, Of the state been purchased
along with other things by invaders
from the outside who, having made
easier fortunes elsewhere. are led 20
settle here because Of scenic, senti-
mental and theoretical advantages!
p. W. GOEDSBURY.
Warwick. Mass, Oct IL, 1916.