The Washington herald., 1922-08-11
: 9
k&H@Mnky
"world Awakening to Ned Of Rural
Development" Says Agricul-
tural Professor.

"world Awakening to Need Of Rural
Development." says AgricuI-
tural Professor.
A world awakening in country
life is seen by DR.. Kenyon L. But
terfeld. president Of the Massachu-
setts Agricultural College. Amherst.
lecturing at the summer session Of
Columbia University. from which a
nationwide movement for rural
school betterment Is being directed.
China has followed Americas
lead. and India Is responding to the
same influences. according to DR..
Butter1eld. who also asserts that
Russia's future depends upon CO.
operation of the peasantry.
Perhaps the main feature of the
country life movement In America
is the increase in the number of
agencies dealing with the problem"
says DIR. Butterfeld. The National
Council of Agencies engaged in
rural social work has a membership
OF nearly twenty five organizations.
associations and government bu-
reaus.
The organization and work OF
the American Country Life Associ-
alton with it's long and it's notable
national conferences. may be said
to constitute a landmark in Ameri-
can country life development.
"A somewhat similar movement
has taken place in Canada. In
England the latest activities are
connected with the Improvement of
the status Of farm laborers in the
small rural villages. In Belgium
a rather notable organization 10
pushing the idea of the home as q
definite educational enterprise. In
France, In the work OF rehabllita-
tion. the building of community
centers in the farm villages has
met with a good deal Of favor.
IF We think of the country life
movement in the broader definition
of the term. We find a remarkable
new interest all over the world.
China has held for the first time
in its history a national convention
dealing with agricultural educa-
tion particularly. but including the
whole agricultural problem. and es-
pecially the development Of the
Chinese farming village in all it's
aspects.
"In Russia 1t is evident that the
whole future Of the country de-
pends upon the attitude, the intel
ligence and the cooperation Of the
peasantry. In India one of the
most significant topics for discus
sion is the education of the rural
village.
There is one special feature Of
the movement that Is worth not
ing. That is the growth Of the COM
munity idea. This Is especially
marked in America, where farmers
have lived on isolated farms. Com
munity centers, consolidated schools
community cooperative exchanges.
community churches. community
festivals, community recreation.
community health centers, COM
munity breeding organizations,
community auctions. community
clubs and q whole host of other
activities of similar type testify to
the belief of the farmers themselves
that they must cooperate in small
local units II they are to get the
best results.
There Is also growing con-
soiousness that in the quest for de-
mocfacy the rural peoples must
play an Increasingly large part.
This Is true chiefly. perhaps, be-
cause the farm people are more
numerous than the other classes.
They constitute four-nfths of the
population of such great countries
as China. India and Russia. Prob
ably two-thirds of the worlds pop
uiation are rural people.
so the question Of intelligence,
of education. In fns Of maintaining
and developihg the quality Of the
rural people becomes one of the
worlds problems OF first impof-
tance."