Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-09-13
FARM CONDITIONS
STUDIED BY j. s.
ny RALPH BURTON


Neased Wire Service to The Journal.)
WASHINGTON, Sept. 10.-Once
more the question of how to keep
them down on the farm is engaging
the attention of the department of
agriculture.
Make farm life more attractive"
has been the slogan Of the back to
the land" advocates for some years,
ever since the drift of young men
away from the farms and to the cit
ies-a movement vastly accumulated
by the war-began to arouse appre-
hension.. Two factors have been rec
ogniZed as Of supreme Importance In
inducing the cityward movement.
first. the improbable character OF
farm work. at least from the point
not own a farm Of his own, and sec
ond, the lack of social advantages
in rural cmmunities.
Something has been done to maze
farming more profitable, perhaps: Az
least. a start Is being made In that
direction, for the department OF agrl-
culture is undertaking a broad pro-
gram which is designed to put farm-
ing on the same sort or business
basis that would be expected IN an: any
other sort of enterprise. But that
in itself will not be sufficient: The
rise in land values in the land two
decades, during which period 1t mas
been practically Impossible 10 seI
any more free land from the gov
ernment's reserves, makes the pos-
sible for the youth who must WORK
as a farm hand to get the money
for it. ~ 10
Tenancy on shares has also pc
come almost impossible for the same
reason; by the time return IS palo
~, ground rent the tenant has little
to Show for his labor. The depart
ment hopes to remedy these situa-
tions, but serious as they are, Iney
do not constitute the Whole proOl enG
daushters, who will almost certain
iy Inherit the family property II Only
thew can be induced to stay on Ilte
farms. And they don't want 10
stay: za - this case?
ohviousiv. the first thing is to dag
nose correctly their motives IN ieap
ing the farm when personal aoVa9-
tage would seem to dictate the az
visibility of their remaining On ea -,
The reason, fortunately, Is o no' tbe
f 20 ne1 because of the deadly mont
cnv oe rural life, because of the lack
Of social and cultural auVautss 49,
and in some degree because o. no
ra-puritanical STANDARDS +f III dav
md age in Isolated communities.
r. is as natural for young peop!e
"a like amusement and eXci;elllenu'
70 enjoy the dance and the theate[,
az IL is for them to breathe. Nnen
they are denied these pleasuLes .ra
,nt evailable in rural communities
thew rebel. They go to the cry.
srhot largely explains the STEADY oe
cline of farm population In recent
decades. .,+houeb the
. honn arrested, LH6IS
SEAMS a tendency for the penou1lu1llll
TO shift in the other direction: me
Sorner-or at least, the proSress39e
farmer-realizes what is wrong. ne
is buying automobiles, pIayer plar1
;nU u bis children to college or to agrl-
c lms m schools, and best of al,
Suiidine M a social life in his
The rapid. develop
ment of community organization -
rural sections Is one OF lne III
encoura ging features OF modern agrl-
Community buildings are, put up
by Individual donation, by Iocal IN
dustr:es, by clubs and societies anu
by community endeavor. the: pc
piays and other entertainments can
he given, The automobile makes II
POSSIBLE for farmers to come 10 tnese
centers from distances OF many
miles; the entertainments preah Ing
monotony of hard farm work, ana
the acquaintance of the young PEG
pie on the farms Is being greatly
widened The. rapid growth of the
building idea is DONG
much to make farm. life pleasant ana
its success thus far has been re-
markable. If young people can be
kept on the. farm, their enthusiasm
will do much to lift agriculture out
Of its present rather demoralized