The Challenge of the Country: A Study of Country Life Opportunity. Fiske George Walter
farm, but who will throw themselves into the service of upbuilding the community. A new race of teachers is also to appear in the country. A new rural clergy is to be trained. These leaders will see the great underlying problem of country life, and together they will work, each in his own field, for the one goal of a new and permanent rural civilization. Upon the development of this distinctively rural civilization rests ultimately our ability, by methods of farming requiring the highest intelligence, to continue to feed and clothe the hungry nations; to supply the city and metropolis with fresh blood, clean bodies and clear brains that can endure the strain of modern urban life; and to preserve a race of men in the open country that, in the future as in the past, will be the stay and strength of the nation in time of war and its guiding and controlling spirit in time of peace.”
“It is to be hoped that many young men and women, fresh from our schools and institutions of learning, and quick with ambition and trained intelligence, will feel a new and strong call to service.”
Its Constructive Program for Rural Betterment
The Commission suggested a broad campaign of publicity on the whole subject of rural life, until there is an awakened appreciation of the necessity of giving this phase of our national development as much attention as has been given to other interests. They urge upon all country people a quickened sense of responsibility to the community and to the state in the conserving of soil fertility, and the necessity for diversifying farming in order to conserve this fertility. The need of a better rural society is suggested; also the better safeguarding of the strength and happiness of the farm women; a more widespread conviction of the necessity for organization, not only for economic but for social purposes, this organization to be more or less cooperative, so that all the people may share equally in the benefits and have voice in the essential affairs of the community. The farmer is reminded that he has a distinct natural responsibility toward the farm laborer, in providing him with good living facilities and in helping him to be a man among men; and all the rural people are reminded of the obligation to protect and develop the natural scenery and attractiveness of the open country.
The Country Life Commission made the following specific recommendations to Congress:
The encouragement of a system of thoroughgoing surveys of all agricultural regions in order to take stock and to collect local facts, with the idea of providing a basis on which to develop a scientifically and economically sound country life.
The encouragement of a system of extension work in rural communities through all the land-grant colleges with the people at their homes and on their farms.
A thoroughgoing investigation by experts of the middleman system of handling farm products, coupled with a general inquiry into the farmer’s disadvantages in respect to taxation, transportation rates, cooperative organizations and credit, and the general business system.
An inquiry into the control and use of the streams of the United States with the object of protecting the people in their ownership and of saving for agricultural uses such benefits as should be reserved for such purposes.
The establishing of a highway engineering service, or equivalent organization, to be at the call of the states in working out effective and economical highway systems.
The establishing of a system of parcels post and postal savings banks.
The providing of some means or agency for the guidance of public opinion toward the development of a real rural society that shall rest directly on the land.
The enlargement of the United States Bureau of Education, to enable it to stimulate and coordinate the educational work of the nation.
Careful attention to the farmers’ interests in legislation on the tariff, on regulation of railroads, control or regulation of corporations and of speculation, legislation in respect to rivers, forests and the utilization of swamp lands.
Increasing the powers of the Federal government in respect to the supervision and control of the public health.
Providing such regulations as will enable the states that do not permit the sale of liquors to protect themselves from traffic from adjoining states.
Organized Forces Making for a Better Rural Life
When we consider the vast scope of the Country Life Movement in America and the variety of agencies involved, it greatly increases our rural optimism. The following list was compiled by Dr. L. H. Bailey and is the most complete available.
1. Departments of Agriculture, national and state.
2. Colleges of agriculture, one for each state, territory, or province.
3. Agricultural experiment stations, in nearly all cases connected with the colleges of agriculture.
4. The public school system, into which agriculture is now being incorporated. Normal schools, into many of which agriculture is being introduced.
5. Special separate schools of agriculture and household subjects.
6. Special colleges, as veterinary and forestry institutions.
7. Departments or courses of agriculture in general or old-line colleges, and universities.
8. Farmers’ Institutes, usually conducted by colleges of agriculture or by boards or departments of agriculture.
(The above institutions may engage in various forms of extension work.)
9. The agricultural press.
10. The general rural newspapers.
11. Agricultural and horticultural societies of all kinds.
12. The Patrons of Husbandry, Farmers’ Educational and Cooperative Union, and other national organizations.
13. Business societies and agencies, many of them cooperative.
14. Business men’s associations and chambers of commerce in cities and towns.
15. Local political organizations (much in need of redirection).
16. Civic societies.
17. The church.
18. The Young Men’s Christian Association, and other religious organizations.
19. Women’s clubs and organizations, of many kinds.
20. Fairs and expositions.
21. Rural libraries.
22. Village improvement societies.
23. Historical societies.
24. Public health regulation.
25. Fraternal societies.
26. Musical organizations.
27. Organizations aiming to develop recreation, and games and play.
28. Rural free delivery of mail (a general parcels post is a necessity).
29. Postal savings banks.
30. Rural banks (often in need of redirection in their relations to the development of the open country).
31. Labor distributing bureaus.
32. Good thoroughfares.
33. Railroads, and trolley extensions (the latter needed to pierce the remoter districts rather than merely to parallel railroads and to connect large towns).
34. Telephones.
35. Auto-vehicles.
36. Country stores and trading places (in some cases).
37. Insurance organizations.
38. Many government agencies to safeguard the people, as public service commissions.
39. Books on agriculture and country life.
40. Good farmers, living on the land.
It is through the activity and growing cooperation of these various agencies that the new rural civilization is now rapidly developing. It will be the purpose of our next chapter to describe the process. Rural progress in recent decades has been surprising and encouraging in many quarters.