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Show BUILD A WHOLE COMMUNITY Country Schools Should B. Developea Until There I? No Need of Sending Send-ing Children to City. fRy JO I IX FIKLPS. PMltor Oktahnmv Farm Jnurn:-!.) The concentration of facilities for transportation, communication, and education, has built cities and tow-no at the expense of agricultural development. develop-ment. The diffusion of these facilities among all of those who live on the land and farm it will build the whole community, and there will then be agricultural development to keep pace with the growth of commerce Rural telephones, parcel post, better bet-ter roads, and motor vehicles make It possible for a man to stay on his farm and do business. He has almost the Eame facilities for carrying on his business as are enjoyed by those who live in town But the business farmer cannot continue con-tinue living in the average country community. He must "move to town to send the children to school" just about the time he gets properly organized for business busi-ness on his farm. And he moves by the thousands every year, to the great loss of the country communities and of the towns as well. There is the real problem of community com-munity building which every banker should study. Increased production, more profits from farming, will not solve It. The prosperous farmers are those who are lured from the land not by the city's bright lights, but by the city's well organized schools. The foundation of our government is the average Intelligence of all of its citizens. As a measure of self-protection, self-protection, if nothing higher, the state should spend at least as much money to advance the opportunities for elementary ele-mentary education of all children as It does to provide facilities for higher education of a very few. If you would build the whole community, com-munity, begin with the country schools. Develop them until there is no reason whatever for moving to town to send the children to school. Help to establish country schools such as you would willingly use for the elementary and high school education educa-tion of your own children. You will quickly find that many other problems, prob-lems, such as diminishing production and increasing tenantry, will cease to exist. Build the whole of your community by making all of the conditions of life as desirable on farms as on town or city lots. Less than this will not work for permanent agricultural and community betterment. |