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Show IIFHLPISS I The Local Paper a Mo:. Useful Agency on iho Farm The Press, Puipii mid Schooi a Trinity of I Influence That Muni Bo j Utilize! in Building j Agriculture. By Peter Radford j Lecturer National Farmers' Union A broad campaign of publicity on : the subject of rural life is needed in t this stale today to bring the problems of the farmers to the forefront. The city problems are blazoned upon the front pages of the metropolitan dailies dail-ies and echoed in the country press, but the troubles z. the farmers are seldom told, except by those who seek to profit by tb? story, and the glitter of the package ofttimes obscures ob-scures the substance. A searching investigation in-vestigation into the needs of the farmers will reveal many inherent defects de-fects in our economic system that caa be easily remedied when properly understood un-derstood and illuminated by the power pow-er of the press. The rural preps, the pulpit and the school are a trinity of powerful Influences In-fluences that the farmer must utilize 1 to their fullest capacity before he can j occupy a commanding position in pub- I lie affairs These gigantic agencies are organized in every rural community and only await the patronage and cooperation co-operation of the farmers to fully develop de-velop their energy and usefulness. They are local forces working for the best interests of their respective communities. Their work is to build and their object is to serve. They j prosper only throuch the development j and prosperity of the community. Every farmer in this state should subscribe for the local paper as well i as farm periodicals and such other j publications as he may find profitable, but he should by all means subscribe j for his local paper, and no home j should be without it. The local paper j is part 5f the community life and the . editor understands the farmer's prob- I lems. It is the local press thnt will ' study the local problems and through its columns deal with subjects of most vital importance to local life of the ! community A Noble Task. In too many instances the country papers mimic the city press by giving giv-ing prominence to scandals, accidents and political agitation. The new rural civilization has placed upon the rural press renewed responsibilities, and enlarged possibilities for usefulness. useful-ness. It cannot perform its mission to agriculture by recording the frailties, frail-ties, the mishaps and Inordinate ambitions am-bitions of humanity, or by filling its columns with the echoes of the struggles strug-gles of busy streets, or by enchanting stories of city life which lure our children from the farm. It has a higher and nobler task. Too often the pages of the city dailies bristle with the struggle of ambitious men in their wild lust for power, and many times tne flames of personal conflict sear the tender buds of new civilization and illuminate the pathway path-way to destruction. The rural press is tne governing power of public sentiment, senti-ment, and must hold steadfast to principle and keep the ship of state in the roadstead of progress The rural press can best serve the Interests Inter-ests of the farmers by applying its energies to the solution of problems affecting the local community. It must stem the mighty life current that is moving from the farm to th-3 cities, sweeping before it a thousand boys and girls per day. It has to deal with the fundamental problems of civilization at their fountain nead Its mission is to direct growth, teach efficiency ef-ficiency and mold the intellectual life of the country, placing before the public pub-lic the daily problems of the farmers and giving first attention to the legislative, leg-islative, co-operative, educational and social needs of the agricultural classes within Its respective community. |