Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1917-09-07
A CALL FOR MEN.

A CALL FOX MEN.
Men Wanted! What shall we do
about it? There never was a time in
the history of the world when this ques-
tion was more important or likely to
affect more seriously the immediate fu-
ture and welfare of individuals and
nations. The Importance of capable
leadership has been demonstrated a
thousand times over by the war now
going on i'm Europe. May we not, there
FORE, inquire If we have the needed lead
ers in the United States and the south
to promote and develop our agriculture
along lines which will enable us to
meet our national needs for an adequate
supply of raw materials and an abund-
ance of cheap food for the sustenance
of our people. not only at the present
moment, but during the next century,
The tendency for our crops to decrease,
the shortage in the number of our farm
animals. the destruction of our forest
areas without their replacement; the
careless and Indifferent cultivation OF
the land whereby It's fertility has been
steadily reduced for the last one hun
cred wears do not lead to the conclu-
sion that we are we'll supplied with a
efficient number of properly trained
and educated leaders to convert the
mass of our people from the error of
their ways and lead them into paths
which will enable us to recoup our
selves from the disastrous losses which
the mismanagement and waste of our
natural resources has entailed upon US
as a nation.
AS a matter of fact there never was
a time N tie history of this nation or
the world at large when capable agri-
cultural l21Gers were so much in de-
mand AMI so sorely needed as at pres
ent. Men ere wanted to redirect and
guide every phase of our agriculture.
There is Il CALL for instance. for men
of some maturity and with expert train
ing along agricultural lines to act in
the capacity of county agricultural
agents. There is not a state in which
the demand for men of this class is
not in excess of the supply. The bene-
fits which should accrue to our agrl-
culture through the services of the
county agent will not be realized until
4 much larger number of men of the
type mentioned devote their attention
to preparing themselves for service
work II this character. There never
was a time when experts were more
in demand Research of the most va
ried and complicated character is es-
sential 10 supply the needs of industry
economically and to teach our people
how not crly to produce raw mate
rial to advantage. but to live well and
yet "a reasonable cost. This field is
undermined today and likely to re-
main SO for many years to come. Every
week blanks are sent out by the civil
service department of the United States
government which is seeking to supply
the civil lists with specialists of va
rious kinds. At practically all seasons
of the year every one of these great
departments is endeavoring to find ca
III r1aT 4eNy sa nVda fhoN hnN "
discharge I'm a satisfactory manner the
duties which congress has imposed upon
item .-.- --... --
Experiment stations are not supplied
with a sufficient number of investi-
gators. Agricultural teachers are need
ed in our district agricultural schools;
manufacturers of fertilizers, seed mer-
chants, producers of agricultural i'm
plements, of every class and character,
railroads and other public service or
CARNATIONS are seeking trained agricul-
tural experts to aid and advance the
interests which they represent. South
ern farmers who desire the service of
veterinarian often have to sepd 10
to 100 miles to secure one, and BY the
time he arrives the sick animals Are
probably beyond all help. Surely. 1t is
astonishing that a state like Georgia, for
instance, should suffer annual prevent
able losses to its live stock of between
five and ten million dollars, and yet
| should have within her borders not
more than fifty-four licensed veterina-
rians. Here is a field which offers the
greatest opportunity to the young man
and which will probably not be over
supplied in many years 10 come. With
out the aid of competent veterinarians
our live stock interests cannot be prop
erly safeguarded nor the advance es-
sential to our agricultural welfare made
along this line. The same is true when
we come to a consideration of our for
ests We have destroyed the virgin tim
Der and left the land to wash away
or else IL stands idle and unproduc-
tive for the reason that men trained in
a knowledge of forestry are lacking to
take charge Of these areas and replant
and establish them on a practical and
yet thoroughly scientific basis and
which, in the end would make these lit
tie better than waste areas as they
stand among the most productive and
profitable of all our agricultural lands.
Then there is a demand for men to
take part in public service work who
have enjoyed the broad and compre-
hensive training which the agricultural
college provides. The rural school Is
much criticised for its failure to serve
II be righted except by those whose
training shows them where It's defects
lie? In order that the interests OF the
landowner and the farmer may be prop
erly served. a certain representation
OF trained agriculturalists should be
present in our Legislature, and indeed
II would not be an unseemly thing
should a farmer governor. United States
senator or even president be selected
from among the trained experts who
have studied our agricultural problems
in a broad and systematic way and are
familiar with the needs Of those who
/ live out in the open country and upon
} whose activities the prosperity Of the
state and the nation as a whole rests.
These acts are cited that we may
more generally realize how thoroughly
we need leadership along agricultural
lines and for the purpose OF calling the
attention Of the youth of the state and
the south 10 the unexampled opportuni-
ties witch training in our state col
.eIes of agriculture opens up to them.
In Georgia, for instance, / young man
can not find an institution that will fit
HIM better for his life work than the
State College of Agriculture and no
where can he be trained for citizenship
at a more reasonable cost. Young men
who desire to fit themselves for agri-
cultural leadership may specialize in
such an institution along a number of