The Yale expositor. (Yale, St. Clair County, Mich.) 1894-current, 1920-03-04
RURAL PROBLEM
GROWS SERIOUS
DIR. w. w. Diehl Reviews Causes.
Says Church Must Get Behind
the Farm Bureau

rural church department of the
Detroit Area spoke three times
last Sunday in the Methodist Epis
copal church, on the rural prob
lem.
The afternoon meeting for men
was we'll attended and if the men
of this community had understood
the nature of this meeting we feel
sure the church would have been
crowded. DR.. Diehl breaches a
practical gospel of reconstruction
for the rural community. He eX-
planned the high cost of living.
From the close of the Civil War
to the end of the century there
was a period of over-production
due to the rapid settlement and eX-
ploitation of virgin soil when the
city dweller bought $500 worth
of foodstuffs for $1.00. The war
did not cause the high cost of
living but merely hastened it's up
ward climb. Butter increased an
average Of l cent per pound, eggs
l cent per dozen, per year, and
other commodities at about the
same rate since 1903.
The reasons assigned for this
were the rapid growth of large
cities owing to the great industrial
expansion and the equally rapid
depletion of soil fertility and the
migration of large numbers of the
country people to the city. This
migration was described as a fun
eral march. 1t was shown that
families die out in from three to
five generations in the city. Three
classes of people go to the city:
those who succeed and become
leading merchants, doctors, law
yers, ministers, etc.; the
honest middle class of artisans
who dwell in flats and apartments
where it is impossible to rear a
family; and third class who
gravitate to the slums and replen-
lsh the ranks of the criminal un-
derworld. The second and third
classes would both be infinitely
better off in the country, but the
speaker confessed that nothing
but starvation would force them
to return to the farm. DR.. DiehI
declared there was no such thing
as a Back to the Farm" move.
ment.
Malnutrition and its evil effects,
especially among children, was
discussed. Substitutes may be
all right in war times but there is
no substitute for the unnamed nu-
TRENT contained in fresh milk,
butter, eggs, fresh vegetables,
etc. Selling all the cream and
buying oleo' for the table was
shown to be poor business.
DR.. Diehl described conditions
in 1900 when SO per cent of the
population was rural. In 1870
Sd per cent lived in cities and &C
per cent in the country. During
this period the farmer supported
his own family and one half of a
city family. At the present time
these conditions are reversed. 6S
per cent are city dwellers and only
80 per cent are on the farms, and
the number in the country is de-
creasing every year. At the pres
ent time the farmer must support
his own family and two other fam
lilies in the city. On top of this
great load the farmer has been
called upon to feed the starving
millions in war torn Europe, while
the rapidly decreasing number of
farm hands has aggravated condi-
tions until they are almost unbear-
able. $4,000 less farm hands in
the state of Iowa than there were
one year ago. The average age of
farmers in Michigan is 40 years.
Is it to be wondered at if the farm
er finds the load too much for his
failing strength?
DIR. Diehl spoke of the cooper
ative agencies such as the Grange,
Cleaners, etc., and commended the
farm bureau project, pointing out
that its great strength may be-
come source of danger unless
its leadership is composed of men
of character whose high purpose is
to work righteousness, and he in
sisted that one of the big tasks of
the Christian church was to pro-
vide the right kind of leadership
for the new day. The church has
not, in the past, treated the rural
problem as seriously as it deser-
YES. The city has been robbing
the country churches and COM
munities of their headers altogeth-
err too long. Country churches
and those in rural towns have a
right to the strongest pastors and
the best teachers and best leader.
ship obtainable, and must protect
themselves from this and all 9th.
er forms of exploitation.