The herald., 1922-03-23

ate committee ON reconstruction es
Inmates that five billion dollars needed TO build
homes
The abandonment of farms. an old story in New
England, is also becoming an old story in the Mid
die West-One of the garden spots of the world.
In Michigan in two years the vacant places have
grown from 1881 to 1922 and 10000 men have
left its farms.
such conditions any who has helpful
or suggestive message should have attentive
audience. William L. Smythe author of THE Con-
quest Of Arid America" Constructive Democracy"
ETC., has written a book with the title City Homes
on Country Lanes Philosophy and Practice Of
the Home-in-a-Garden" (rhe Macmillan company
New York, 1920. He believes in 1.-THE Garden
Clty'-in suburban communities with a small gar
den for every home. Following some of the
points he makes. without regard to the context:
am an Optimist l believe the world is going
to be better world for our common humanity
In the next decGde-the next generatiOn-the next
cehtury--than ever before in the long history Of
the race. And believe the next passion IF man.
Kind will be for the sOil-that there shall take
Occasion by the hand and make the bounds Of free
dom wider yet" But, if there is 10 be transition
In the life of the land-if new forms of industry
ana society are to emerge-then this will be due
10 the fact that the old life on the land has failed
Is breaking down, and is doomed to pass away
mat Is what believe to be true In saying so.
1 sound no note of pessimism. but rather the note
the future is to bring forth. | know the land is
to be the healing and the saving of the people
OF our people and of all the peoples. There is no
other refuge.
But before we can build the new life we must
clearly understand that the old life has failed and
why 1t has failed. Then we must proceed to dis
cover the principles upon which the new and better
life is to be founded. In doing So must we not
inevitably draw nearer to the Divine Purpose I'm
making the gOodiy earth and setting man In the
midst of 1t? And shall we not thereby evolve the
Spiritual Man of the Soil. who conscious of his
partnership with God, enters at last into his
dominion?
majority of our hundred million people now
dwell i'm town.
Why? Because
man can make more of himself in the CITY
than in the country; earn more money: do bet
Ter Tor his children; live in better surroundings:
drink deeper from the cup of human happiness
The city draws into its Unsuitable nav the hest Of
all the country prOduces-men and food alike
but let II be understood that In all | have said
am speaking of rural life as it is, not as II
might be-not. please God as it shall be-
The conclusion reached by the highest govern
ment authority is that, allowing for all the ma.
chlnery and improved methods we have or are Ijle
ly to have another Is years will see America oh
soiutely dependent upon the outside world FOR
food. To quote Mr.. Cline:
F1fteen years is the period Of grace given us
uniesS conditions change materially before vo will
become dependent upon overseas imports of bread
and meat and other staple foodstufs.
"F1fteen years before the peril of famine NAV
hang like black shadow over the landt
FIFTEEN years before keeping the oceanwavs
open 10 our food ships may be vital to our nation
al life. calling for ornaments which wouId ba on
burden!
AND IT is fifteen years we have in which ..
evolve and put in operation an agricultural nolicv
winch snail save us from the fate of Enrona -
Fifteen momentous years, big with the fata q,
American civilization!
True, we must be fed; but man does NOT live b.,
bread alone. 1t is neither wise nor necessar Tho,
we should be fed under system of agricnIt,,ro
that destroys the home on the land aboJisbes ,a,'
uar proprietOrship. creates nation of tenon,s
crippies Individual initiative. shackles the snirt
oI 1amiiy independence. and degrndes the charac.
Ter OF our citizenship. These are the swift and
sure consequences Of rural depopulatiop ON ono
lahu ana the growth of cOngested cities on the
other. va ~
AS In the past half-century the country has been
lhe nursery of the city, so In the next halfcenturv
he city Will be the nursery of the country Tho
movement will not be Back to the land - hr,
onward to better things than men have evor
known In the past. Production important no q,
s, VIII be merely incidental to the evolution of
higher forms of social and economic life with
great deal OF emphasis on family life-its hearth
stone restored; its affairs relighted
these things VIII come to pass because tbev
,ie essential TO the preservation and continued
development of democracy In America.