Connecticut western news., 1920-06-03
W00D nlenI,SSES
 FARM PROBLEMS
Demands Greater Educational, Social and Economic Advan-
 tages for Rural Sections.

community and having spent large part of his life in environments de irving their welfare from agricultural frst-hand knowledge of the p-oblems that confront the American farmer. On this topic, ar on all others, his clear thinking leads to clarity of ex- pression, and there is no reason why any farmer in the Uuited States should not thorough. understand Woods position on tbe vital questions that are involved a, tnis time in our agricultural enterprises. Of the farm CT and his probler1s, Wood says:
 "Agriculture is the principal source of our wealth. The farmers are the stable, conseryative element. They stand for good government, for the rights of property and the rights of men. The Red Flag never flies over a farmhouse.
 "The decrease in agricultural pro- duction compared with the increase in the population of the ceuntry and the number of people who live and work on the farms is disastrous and should not continue. In other words the food supply should never be al- lowed to fall below the country's re- quirements. We ought always to be self sustaining.
 During the war, under every sort of handicap, the farmers of America rendered magnificent service in pro- ducing the food necessary to feed not only the United States but very largely our Allies. They sent their sons to war in spite of the shortage of labor and by dint of increased effort they tremendously increased this country's output of food. Had they not done so, it would have been impossible for LIS to have taken our part in the war as we did. The war would have drag ged on and probably been lost. Now the farmers feel that their service was not adequately recognized.
 "The farmers constitute a full third of our population, and the welfare of the nation is practically bound up with theirs. Yet the benefits of modern civilization have not been extended to our rural communities in ahy such measure as they have a right to de- mand.
 Make Farm More Attractive.
 "Education for farm children should be universally accessible. Rural schools should be up to the standards of city schools in every way. The little state of Denmark, we are told, has managed to build up a system of rural schools that leads the world. No doubt this explains the reason why Denmark leads the world in agricul- tural productivity per acre under cul- tivation. There is no reason why we, with our greater resources, cannot duplicate Denmark's feat, even out strip 1t. Moreover, If we are to keep up our national progress, we must see to 1t that our farming population has comparatively equal educational, so- cial, political and economic advantages with our urban population.
 Long hours of labor, lack of proper returns, and lack of social and intel lectual attractions are largely respon- sible for the constant flow of young men and women from the farms to the towns and cities. We have done little or nothing to make farm surroundings more attractive or farm labor less of a drudgery. We have not developed our rural highways and modes of com munication as they should be.
 Every sound and normal man and woman should have a fair and work able chance to earn a living and to re- ceive the benefits of their toll, fair and workable chance for decent, use full and desirable life, with a chance to marry and support a family, and give the children a reasonable oppor- tunity for a reasonable start.
 "The farmers have a right to expect from every national administration a Department of Agriculture In full and intelligent cooperation with them and the great farm organizations of Ameri- ca. They deserve to be given the re- suits of thorough and intelligent study as to the cost of farm products at home and abroad, and should be fur nished the uncensored facts.
 "We must keep constantly in mind one most important fact, which is that nothing must be permitted to interfere with ample production. There must be no fixing of prices which will re- suit to the detriment of the farmer. Indeed, price fixing, especially minl- mum price fixing, should be entered into most cautiously and only when it Is certain that good and not harm will result
 "I believe in a far larger measure of direct dealing between producers and consumers of food. Today altogether too small a portion of the consumers dollar gets back to the farmer"