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Show ON COUNTRY LIFE SPECIAL MESSAGE FROM WHITE HOUSE TO CONGRESS. President Suggests Social and Business Busi-ness Improvements for the Benefits Bene-fits of the Dwel ler in Agricultural Agri-cultural Communities. Washington. Accompanying the report re-port of the country life commission the president sent a special message to congress, substantially as follows: To the Senate and House of Representatives: Represent-atives: I transmit herewith the report of the commission on country life. At the outset I desire to point out that not a. dollar of the public money has been paid to any commissioner for his work on the commission. The report shows the general condition of farming life in the open country, and points out Its larger problems ; it indicates indi-cates ways in which the government, national na-tional and state, may show the people how to solve some of these problems; and It suggests a continuance of the work which the commission began. The object of the commission on country coun-try life, therefore. Is not to help the farmer raise better crops, but to call his attention to the opportunities for better business and better living on the farm. If country life is to become what it should be, and what I believe it ultimate-, ly will be one of the most dignified, de-Birable, de-Birable, and sought-after ways of earn-a earn-a living the farmer must take advantage advan-tage not only of the agricultural knowledge knowl-edge which is at his disposal, but of the methods which have raised and continue to raise the standards of living and intelligence in-telligence in other callings. Those engaged In all other industrial and commercial callings have found it necessary, under modern economic conditions, con-ditions, to organize themselves for mutual mu-tual advantage and for the protection of their own particular interests in relation rela-tion to other interests. Now, whatever the state may do toward to-ward improving the practice of agriculture, agri-culture, it is not within the sphere of any government to reorganize the farmers' farm-ers' business or reconstruct the social life of farming communities. It is, however, how-ever, quite within its power to .use its influence and the machinery of publicity which it can control for calling public attention at-tention to the needs of the facts. For example, ex-ample, it is the obvious duty of the government gov-ernment to call the attention of farmers to the growing monopolization of water power. The farmers, above all, should have that power, on reasonable terms, for cheap transportation, for lighting their homes, and for innumerable uses in the daily tasks of the farm. Necessity for Co-Operation. The co-operative plan is the best plan of organization wherever men have the right spirit to carry It out. Under this plan any business undertaking is managed man-aged by a committee; every man has one vote, and only one vote; and every one gets profits according to what he sells or buys or supplies. It develops individual in-dividual responsibility and has a moral as well as a financial value over any other plan. I desire only to take counsel with the farmers as fellow-citizens. It is not the problem of the farmers alone that I am discussing with them, but a problem which affects every city as well as every farm in the country. It Is a problem which the working farmers will have to Bolve for themselves; but it is a problem which also affects in only less degree all the rest of us, and therefore if we can render any help toward its solution, it is not only our duty but our interest to do so. From all that has been done and learned three great general and immediate immedi-ate needs of country life stand out: .First, effective co-operation among farmers, to put them on a level with the organized interests with which they do business. Second, a new kind of schools in the country, which shall teach the children as much outdoors as indoors and perhaps per-haps more, so that they will prepare for country life, and not as at present, mainly main-ly for life In town. Third, better means of communication, including good roads and a parcels post, which the country people are everywhere, and rightly, unanimous in demanding. To these may well be added better sanitation; san-itation; for easily preventable diseases hold several million country people in the slavery of continuous ill health. , To Develop Country Community. To improve our system of agriculture .seems to me the most urgent of the tasks which lie before us. But it cannot, in my judgment, be effected by measures which touch only the material and technical tech-nical side of the subject; the whole business busi-ness and life of the farmer must also be taken into account. Such considerations considera-tions led me to appoint the commission on country life. Our object should be to help develop in the country community commu-nity the great ideals of the community life as well as of personal character. One of the most important adjuncts to this end must be t lie country church, and I Invite your attention to what the commission com-mission says of the country church and of the need of an extension of such work as that of the Young Men's Christian association as-sociation in country communities. Let me lay special emphasis upon what-the I commission says at the very end of its report on personal ideas arid local leadership. leader-ship. Everything resolves itself in the end into the question of personality. Neither society nor government can do much for country life unless there is voluntary vol-untary response in the personal ideals of the men and women who live in the country. In the development of character, charac-ter, the home should be more important than the school, or than society at large. When once the basic material needs have been met, high ideals may be quite Independent In-dependent of income; but they cannot be realized without sufficient income to provide pro-vide adequate foundation; and where the community at large is not financially prosperous it is impossible to develop a high average personal and community ideal. In short, the fundamental facts of human nature apply to men and women wom-en who live in the country just as they apply to men and women who live in the towns. Given a sufficient foundation of material well being, the influence of the farmers' wives on their children becomes be-comes the factor of first importance in determining the attitude of the next generation gen-eration toward farm life. The farmer should realize that the person who most needs consideration on the farm is his wife. I do not in the least mean that she should purchase ease at the expense of duty. Neither man nor woman is really happy or really useful save on condition of doing his or her duty. If the woman wom-an shirks her duty as housewife, as home keeper, as the mother whose prime function is to boar and rear a sufficient number of healthy children, then she is not entitled to our regard. But If she does her duty she is more entitled to our regard even than the man who does his duty; and the man should show special spe-cial consideration for her needs. Welfare of Nation at Stake. I warn my countrymen that the great recent progress made In city life is not a full measure of our civilization; for our civilization rests on the wholescmeness, the attractiveness, and the completeness, as well as the prosperity, of life in the country. The men an a women on the farms stand for what is fundamentally best and most needed in our American life. THEODORE ROOSEVELT. The White House, February 9, 1909. |
