Show SMALL TOWNS USA rural life program seeks improved standards of living by EARLE HITCH released by features concerted action aimed to develop an improved rural life must be launched on a widespread scale if small town america is to survive that is the motivating factor behind the rural life movement an energetic program which now is getting under way throughout america and which eventually will attempt to reach all small towns and rural communities of the nation aim of the program Is a better rural life an attempt to make the tha country a better place in which to live and work rural problems have been discussed for years and various solutions have been proposed experience has shown that the best results come from local action planned by the people on their home grounds aroused citizenry N needed e ca before action can be expected community consciousness has to be aroused there must be determination rural america mi nation to act at stake then plans have to be made the tha plans that do the tha no 2 most good are in a series made to lit fit tile the local sit situation u aaion all rural communities do not need the same things nor can they go about getting what they do need in the same ways the rural life program Is simply this a recognition that the nation nee needs d s to add new features tur 5 to its rural economy this is because the types of rural labor bor are changing machinery has changed farming and in some areas farm land has worn out u csome some men who once worked at farming are having to turn to other occupations the present system of f farming arming Is lar far out of balance too many farmers are living on slim tare fare of 01 the farmers in the united 24 1 i 0 JA ei machinery is revolution ilog our farming system and our whole rural economy power is taking the place of men on U S farms the plowman of old rapidly adly Is vanishing from the scene states only the top third are enjoying the present high level incomes tor for agricultural produce the lower third about two million are averaging ave r no more than a year this sum does not provide an adequate standard of living for happiness and health cities too concerned fro from m the standpoint of national stability there is urgent need for solutions which will prevent great k ilum numbers bers from being forced off the y land there Is need to give those ll la t the he lower brackets encouragement and help to make them self sustaining growing numbers moving to cities add to job competition there and make heavier unemployment risks r is k s in times of business slumps thus th us the cities as well as the rural areas have cause to bo be concerned consequently leaders in public affairs are growing more disturbed as they witness T h e co continuing shift of I 1 ithe tion from country to city the decline of the country 2 c hurch church which always has been a strong moral force in the nation A declining standard of living 3 in many maby rural homes from which h comes the bulk of our population n growth the government acting through congress and the department of agriculture has been giving help and various organizations and agencies are following programs of RURAL MERICA NEEDS MORE SMALL a i I 1 rural america needs now new oc eions and more small indu industries es rural occupations must be develops develop to so provide employment away from the b fields their own among them are the farm bureau federations the cooperatives the farmers union the tha national grange and protestant and catholic churches acting through the town and country departments part ments of the leading denominations dr aMii TTO rt income from carml farming ng Is 11 unevenly divided only the top third of the nations farmers art are reaping the present big high bleve level incomes for agricultural produce the mid md die third are making about a year while the lowest third average no more than a year according to a estimates from census statistics based on OH 1944 reports all these organizations are agreed on general objectives briefly these objectives are ito to provide more opportunities for earning a good living in the country to e establish sta blish better rural health 2 and rural hospital services 3 to provide more rural decre allons and better uses lor for rural leisure to discover civic and cultural 4 outlets that will add to a feel ing of appreciation ot of the importance ot of country ufa life and the country home the work to be done in this broad program does not concern farm arm people alone every small town has a stake in it whether the towns of the future grow in importance or languish depends on keeping a happy and satisfied population both in the towns th themselves e and the country roundabout ways to do this are what the leaders of local community enterprise will have to discover A knowledge ol of what has been done by communities that have made notable progress will be of interest to small communities everywhere particularly those in a mood to do likewise future articles in this series will te tell about some outstanding small community programs |