file was produced from images produced by ,core ,historical ,literature in ,agriculture 7,,chla71 ,cornell ,university47 ,,the ,,farmer ,,and ,,his ,,community ,,by ,,dwight ,,sanderson ,,professor ,,of ,,rural ,,social ,,organization ,,cornell ,,university ,illustration ,,new ,,york ,,harcourt1 ,,brace ,,and ,,company ,,copyright1 #aibb1 ,,by ,,harcourt1 ,,brace ,,and ,,company1 ,,inc4 ,,printed ,,in ,,the ,u4 ,s4 ,a4 ,,by ,,the ,,quinn ,,boden ,,company ,,rahway1 ,n4 ,j4 ,,editor',s ,,preface ,in the good old days of early ,new ,england the people acted in communities4 ,the original ,new ,england towns were true communities2 that is1 relatively small local groups of people1 each group having its own institutions1 like the church and the school1 and largely managing its own affairs4 ,down through the years the town meeting has persisted1 and even to-day the ,new ,england town is to a very large degree a small democracy4 ,it does not1 however1 manage all its affairs in quite the same fashion that it did two hundred years ago4 ,when the ,western tide of settlement set in1 people frequently went ,west in groups and occasionally whole communities moved1 but the general rule was settlement by families on family size farms4 ,the unit of our rural civilization1 therefore1 became the farm family4 ,there were1 of course1 neighborhoods1 and much neighborhood life4 ,the local schools were really neighborhood schools4 ,churches multiplied in number even beyond the need for them4 ,when farmers began to associate themselves together as in the ,grange1 they recognized the need of a strong local group larger than the neighborhood4 ,a subordinate ,grange for example is a community organization4 ,experience gradually demonstrated that if farmers wished to coperate they must coperate in local groups4 ,strong nation-wide organizations are clearly of great importance1 but they can have little strength unless they are made up of active local bodies4 ,gradually1 the community idea has spread over the country1 in some cases springing up almost spontaneously1 until to-day there is a very widespread belief among the farmers1 as well as among the special students of rural affairs1 that the organization and development of the local rural communities is the main task in conserving our ,american agriculture and country life4 ,it is interesting to note that what is true in ,america is proving also to be true in other countries4 ,in fact1 the farm village life in ,europe and even in such countries as ,china is taking on new activities1 and it is being recognized that the improvement of these small units of society is one of the great needs of the age4 ,professor ,sanderson1 in this book1 has attempted to indicate just what the community movement means to the farmers of ,america4 ,he has brought to this task rather unusual preparation4 ,in turn1 a graduate of an agricultural college1 a scientist of reputation1 ,director of an agricultural experiment station1 ,dean of a college of agriculture1 he has had a wide1 varied and successful experience in various states4 ,he finally arrived at the conviction1 however1 that the most important field of work for him lay in dealing with the larger phases of country life1 and he gave up administrative work for further preparation in the new field4 ,in his position as ,professor of ,rural ,organization in the ,college of ,agriculture at ,cornell ,university1 he has been unusually successful1 both as investigator and as teacher4 ,he speaks as one who knows the farmers and not as an outsider1 and also as a thorough student4 ,this book therefore is sent out with a good deal of confidence4 ,it deals with one of the most important of the rural topics that can be discussed these days4 ,it points out fundamental principles and indicates practical steps in applying principles4 ,,kenyon ,l4 ,,butterfield4 ,,foreword ,in recent years we have heard a great deal about the rural community and rural community organization4 ,all sorts of organizations dealing with rural life discuss these topics at their meetings1 the agricultural press and the popular magazines encourage community development1 and a number of books have recently appeared dealing with various phases of rural community life4 ,the community idea is fairly well established as an essential of rural social organization4 ,one might gain the impression that the community is a new discovery or social invention were he to read only the current discussions4 ,it is1 however1 a form of social organization as old as agriculture itself1 but which was very largely neglected in the settlement of the larger part of the ,united ,states4 ,this new emphasis on the community is1 therefore1 but the revival in a new form of a very ancient mode of human association4 ,the community becomes essential because the conditions of rural life have changed and rural people are again being forced to act together in locality groups to meet the needs of their common life4 ,the author has attempted to define the rural community and to describe the new conditions which are determining its structure and shaping its functions1 in the belief that an understanding of the nature of the rural community should aid those who are seeking to secure a better social adjustment of the countryside4 ,it attempts to relate ,the ,farmer and ,his ,community4 ,the problems and methods of community organization have been discussed but incidentally1 and the book is not designed as a handbook for community development4 ,its chief aim is to establish a point of view with regard to the rural community as an essential unit for rural social organization through a sociological analysis of the past history and present tendencies of the various forms of associations which seem necessary for a satisfying rural society4 ,it is hoped that such an analysis presented in an untechnical manner may be of service to rural leaders who are working for the development of country life by giving them a better understanding of the nature of the community and therefore a firmer faith in its future and greater enthusiasm and loyalty in its service4 ,the present volume is a brief summary of a more extended study of the rural community1 not only in this country but in other lands and in other times1 which is now in preparation for publication4 ,,dwight ,,sanderson4 ,,cornell ,,university4 ,may1 #aibb4 ,,contents ,,chapter ,,page ,i4 ,,the ,,rural ,,community #c ,,ii4 ,,the ,,farm ,,home ,,and ,,the ,,community #ad ,,iii4 ,,the ,,community',s ,,people ,,and ,,history #bi ,,iv4 ,,communication ,,the ,,means ,,of ,,community ,,life #cg ,v4 ,,the ,,farm ,,and ,,the ,,village #df ,,vi4 ,,community ,,aspects ,,of ,,the ,,farm ,,business #eh ,,vii4 ,,how ,,markets ,,affect ,,rural ,,communities #fg ,,viii4 ,,how ,,co,,peration ,,strengthens ,,the ,,community #gg ,,ix4 ,,the ,,community',s ,,education #ia ,x4 ,,the ,,community',s ,,education1 ,,continued2 ,,the ,,extension ,,movement #ajg ,,xi4 ,,the ,,community',s ,,religious ,,life #aba ,,xii4 ,,the ,,community',s ,,health #acg ,,xiii4 ,,the ,,community',s ,,play ,,and ,,recreation #aec ,,xiv4 ,,organizations ,,of ,,the ,,rural ,,community #afi ,,xv4 ,,the ,,community',s ,,dependent #aha ,,xvi4 ,,the ,,community',s ,,government #aif ,,xvii4 ,,community ,,organization #bji ,,xviii4 ,,community ,,planning #bbb ,,xix4 ,,community ,,loyalty #bcd ,,appendix ,a #bdg ,,the ,,farmer ,,and ,,his ,,community ,the core of the community idea1 then--as applied to rural life--is that we must make the community1 as a unit1 an entity1 a thing1 the point of departure of all our thinking about the rural problem1 and1 in its local application1 the direct aim of all organized efforts for improvement or redirection4 ,the building of real1 local farm communities is perhaps the main task in erecting an adequate rural civilization4 ,here is the real goal of all rural effort1 the inner kernel of a sane country-life movement1 the moving slogan of the new campaign for rural progress that must be waged by the present generation4--,kenyon ,l4 ,butterfield1 in ,the ,farmer and the ,new ,day4 ,,chapter ,i ,,the ,,rural ,,community ,no phase of the social progress of the ,twentieth ,century is more significant or promises a more far-reaching influence than the rediscovery of the community as a fundamental social unit1 and the beginnings of community consciousness throughout the ,united ,states4 ,i say the rediscovery of the community1 for ever since men forsook hunting and grazing as the chief means of subsistence and settled down to a permanent agriculture they have lived in communities4 ,in ancient and medieval ,europe1 in ,china and ,india1 and among primitive agricultural peoples throughout the world1 the village community is recognized as the primary local unit of society4 ,in medieval ,france the rural communaute was the local unit of government and social administration4 ,its people met from time to time at the village church in regular assemblies at which they elected their local officers1 approved their accounts1 arranged for the support of the church1 the school1 and local improvements4 ,in most of ,france and throughout much of ,europe the farm homes are still clustered in villages1 from which the farm lands radiate4 ,there the village is primarily a place of residence1 and with the lands belonging to it forms the community4 ,new ,england was settled in much the same manner1 being divided into towns which still form the local units of government1 and which for the most part are single communities1 though here and there more than one center has sprung up within a town and secondary communities have developed4 ,the ,new ,england town meeting has ever been lauded as the birthplace of representative democratic government in ,america1 and in its original form it was a true community meeting1 dealing not only with the political government1 but considering all religious1 educational1 and social matters affecting the common life of the town4 ,although the ,new ,england tradition determined the form of local government in the areas settled by its people in the central and western states1 the township was but an artificial town resulting from methods of the land surveys4 ,the homesteader took up his land with but little thought of community relations4 ,he traded at the nearest town2 church was first held in the school-house and later churches were erected in the open country at convenient points2 his children went to the district school2 and his social life was chiefly in the neighboring homes4 ,his life centered in the immediate neighborhood4 ,as railroads covered the country1 villages and town sprang up at frequent intervals1 and gradually became the real centers of community life1 but usually there was but little realization on the part of either village or farm people of their community interests4 ,the farmer's attention was on the farm1 the townsman's chief interest was his business1 and not infrequently their interests were in conflict and they gave little thought to their real dependence on each other4 ,in the ,south the plantation system of the landed aristocracy1 which as long as it existed was quite self-sufficient1 gave little encouragement to community development4 ,the county was the most important unit of local government and the carpet-baggers' efforts at establishing local townships were repudiated with the ending of their rgime4 ,only in recent years have conditions throughout the ,south1 largely the result of increased immigration and the breaking up of large plantations1 favored the development of local communities4 ,in general1 the ,american farmer has voted and taken his share in local politics and government1 has attended his own church1 has traded where most convenient or advantageous1 has joined the nearest grange or lodge1 and with his family has visited nearby friends and relatives and joined with them in social festivities2 he has loyally supported these various interests1 but until very recently1 he has had little conception of the interrelations of these institutions in the life of the community or of the possible advantages of community development as such4 ,but new wants and new problems have arisen which may only be met by the united action of all elements of both village and countryside4 ,the automobile demands better roads and both farmer and businessman are interested to have them built so that the natural community centers may be most easily reached4 ,better schools1 libraries1 facilities for recreation and social life1 organization for the improvement of agriculture and for the better marketing of farm products1 are all community problems and force attention upon the community area to be served by these institutions4 ,a consolidated school or a library cannot be maintained at every crossroads4 ,only by the support of all the people within a reasonable distance of a common center are better rural institutions possible4 ,the trend of events was thus bringing about a recognition of the place of the community in the life of rural people1 when the ,great ,war hastened this process by many years4 ,liberty ,loan1 ,red ,cross1 and other war drives were organized by communities which vied with each other in raising their quotas4 ,a new sense of the unity of the community was brought about by the common loyalty to its boys in the nation's service4 ,having created state and county councils of defense1 national leaders came to appreciate that the primary unit for effective organization for war purposes must be the community1 and ,president ,wilson wrote to the ,state ,councils of ,defense urging the organization of community councils4 ,thousands of these had been organized when the ,armistice was declared1 and although most of them were not continued1 the importance of the local community was given national recognition and attention was directed to the need of the better organization of local forces for community progress4 ,what1 then1 is the rural community8 ,is it a real entity or is it merely an idea or an ideal8 ,where is it and how can we recognize it8 ,we are indebted to ,professor ,c4 ,j4 ,galpin1 now in charge of the ,farm ,life ,studies of the ,united ,states ,department of ,agriculture1 for first developing a method for the location of the rural community4 ,professor ,galpin#a holds that the trading area tributary to any village is usually the chief factor in determining the community area4 ,he determines the community area by starting from a business center and marking on a map those farm homes which trade mostly at that center4 ,by drawing a line connecting those farm homes farthest from the center on all the roads radiating from it1 the boundary of the trade area is described4 ,in the same way the areas tributary to the church1 the school1 the bank1 the milk station1 the grange1 etc41 may be determined and mapped4 ,the boundaries of these areas will be found to be by no means coincident1 but it will usually be found that most of them center in one village or hamlet1 and that the trade area is the most significant in determining the area tributary to this center4 ,when the areas served by the chief institutions of adjacent centers are mapped1 it is usually found that a composite line of the different boundary lines separating these centers will approximate the boundaries of the communities4 ,a line which divides adjacent community areas so that most of the families either side of this line go most frequently to1 or their chief interests are at1 the center within that boundary1 will be the boundary between the adjacent communities4 ,thus1 from the standpoint of location1 a community is the local area tributary to the center of the common interests of its people4#b ,as indicated above the business center may usually be taken as the base point or community center1 from which to determine the boundaries of the community4 ,however1 in the older parts of the country or in hilly or mountainous regions1 the trade or business center is not always the same as the center of the chief social activities of the people1 and may not be the chief factor in determining the community center4 ,not infrequently a church1 school and grange hall located close together may form the nucleus of a community which does its business at a railroad station village some distance away1 possibly over a range of hills4 ,the chief trading points cannot1 therefore1 be arbitrarily assumed as the base points for determining community areas1 but those points at which the more important of the common interests of the people find expression should be considered as community centers4 ,it is not simply a question of where the people go most often1 but of where their chief interests focus4 ,with this concept of a community it is obvious that the center of a community must be the base point for determining its area4 ,it would seem that the community center is essential to the individuality of any community3 ,the community center need not necessarily be at the geographical center of the community2 indeed in many cases it is at or close to one of its boundaries1 though in an open level country it will tend to approximate the center4 ,the term community center is here used in a literal sense of being the center of the activities of the community4 ,it should be distinguished from the community-center idea which refers to a building1 whether it be a community house1 school1 church1 or grange hall1 as a community center4 ,such a building in which the activities of the community are largely centered may be a community center in a very real sense1 but in most cases these activities will be divided between church1 school1 grange hall1 etc4 ,no one of them can then be a center for the whole community1 but taken together they constitute the center in which the chief interests of the community focus4 ,every community must necessarily have a more or less well defined community center2 it may or may not have some one building in which the chief activities of the community have their headquarters4 ,such buildings1 of whatever nature1 may well be called community houses or social centers4 ,although attention has been directed to the area of the community1 the community consists not of land or houses but of the people of this area4 ,its boundary merely gives a community identity1 as does the roll of a company or the charter of a city4 ,the community consists of the people within a local area2 the land they occupy is but the physical basis of the community4 ,the nature of the community will depend very largely upon whether its people live close together or at a distance4 ,in the ,rocky ,mountain ,states many communities are but sparsely settled and may have a radius of forty or fifty miles and yet be true communities1 while on the ,atlantic seaboard a definite community with as many people may have a radius of not over a mile or two4 ,nor is the community a mere aggregation or association of the people of a given area4 ,it is rather a corporate state of mind of those living in a local area1 giving rise to their collective behavior4 ,there cannot be a true community unless the people think and act together4 ,the term neighborhood is very frequently used as synonymous with community1 and should be definitely distinguished4 ,in the sense in which these terms are now coming to be technically employed1 the neighborhood consists of but a group of houses fairly near each other4 ,frequently a neighborhood grew up around some one center1 as a school1 store1 church1 mill1 or blacksmith shop1 which in the course of time may have been abandoned1 but the homes remained clustered together4 ,or the neighborhood may be merely six to a dozen homes near together on the same road or near a corner4 ,the school district of the one-room country school is commonly a neighborhood1 but as there are no other interests which bind the people together it cannot be considered a community4 ,likewise people associate in churches1 granges1 etc41 but church parishes overlap1 and the constituency of any one of these associations is not necessarily a community4 ,only when several of the chief human interests find satisfaction in the organizations and institutions which serve a fairly definite common local area tributary to them1 do we have a true community4 ,in many cases the neighborhood1 particularly the school district1 forms a desirable unit for certain purposes of social organization1 and1 indeed1 in many cases it may be necessary to develop the neighborhood as a social unit before its people will actively associate themselves in community activities1 but the neighborhood cannot function in the same way as the larger community which brings people together in several of their chief interests4 ,the community can support institutions impossible in the neighborhood1 such as a grange1 lodge1 library1 various stores1 etc4 ,the community is more or less self-sufficing4 ,a community may include a variable number of neighborhoods4 ,the community is the smallest geographical unit of organized association of the chief human activities4 ,bringing together these various considerations concerning the nature of the rural community we may say that a rural community consists of the people in a local area tributary to the center of their common interests4 ,obviously the community thus defined has nothing to do with political areas or boundaries1 for very commonly a community may lie in two or three townships or counties4 ,that rural areas are actually divided into such communities and that the community is the primary unit of their social organization may best be tested by taking any given county or township and attempting to map its area into communities on the basis above described4 ,in most of the northern and western states and throughout much of the ,south1 most of the territory may be quite readily divided into communities4 ,this has been demonstrated by the rural surveys of the ,interchurch ,world ,movement#c and by the community maps made by ,county ,farm ,bureaus4 ,a very large part of the ,south1 however1 has no natural community centers and in such sections it will be found very difficult if not impossible to define community areas4 ,the store may be at the railroad station1 the church in the open country1 and the district or consolidated school at still another point4 ,some people go to one store or church and others to another4 ,under such conditions1 no real community exists4 ,usually1 any form of social organization is more or less difficult under such conditions1 for the people are divided into different groups for different purposes and there is nothing which makes united activities possible4 ,it seems probable that only to the extent that certain centers of social and economic life come to be recognized by the people1 and community life is developed around them1 will the most effective and satisfying social organization be possible4 ,recognition of the community as the primary unit for purposes of rural organization has now become quite general4 ,several mid-western states have passed legislation permitting school districts to combine into community districts for the support of consolidated schools or high schools1 irrespective of township or county boundaries4 ,the present tendency in the centralization of rural schools seems to be in the direction of locating them at the natural community centers4 ,rural churches are coming into a new sense of responsibility to the community and the community church is increasingly advocated4 ,the ,american ,red ,cross in planning its peace-time program is recognizing the importance of the rural community as the local unit for its work4 ,the ,county ,farm ,bureaus1 working in coperation with the state colleges of agriculture and the ,united ,states ,department of ,agriculture1 very soon discovered the value of the community as the local unit of their organization1 and carry on their work through community committees or community clubs4 ,possibly no other one movement has done so much to bring about the definite location of rural communities and their appreciation by rural people4 ,a conference of national organizations engaged in social work in rural communities held in #aiai summed up the experience of a group of representative rural leaders in the statement3 ,in rural organization it is recognized that the local community constitutes the functional unit and the county or district the supervisory unit4 ,in other words1 it is the rural community which really carries on1 whatever the executive organization of the county or district may be4 ,the strength of the rural community as a social group lies in two facts4 ,first1 it is not so large but that most of its people know each other4 ,the size of the community in this regard does not depend so much upon the actual number of square miles involved as upon the number of its population4 ,people may all be acquainted in a sparsely settled community covering a ten-mile radius1 and there may be less acquaintance in a small community with a dense population4 ,secondly1 the great majority of the people in the average rural community are dependent upon agriculture for their income1 either directly or once-removed4 ,these two facts make possible common interests and a social control through public opinion which is not possible in larger social units such as the county or city4 ,sir ,horace ,plunkett appreciates this when he says3 ,our ancient ,irish records show little clans with a common ownership of land hardly larger than a parish1 but with all the patriotic feeling of larger nations held with an intensity rare in modern states4 ,the history of these clans and of very small nations like the ancient ,greek states shows that the social feeling assumes its most binding and powerful character where the community is large enough to allow free play to the various interests of human life1 but is not so large that it becomes an abstraction to the imagination4#d ,this inherent social strength of the rural community1 the fact that the community is relatively permanent1 and the appreciation that only through community effort may rural people realize their natural desire to enjoy some of the advantages of cities1 force the conviction that the community must be the primary unit for the organization of rural progress4 ,it is from this point of view that we shall discuss the community aspects of the various human interests of the farmer and the consequent relations of ,the ,farmer and ,his ,community4 ,,footnotes3 #a ,galpin1 ,c4 ,j41 ,the ,social ,anatomy of an ,agricultural ,community4 ,research ,bulletin #ed1 ,agricultural ,experiment ,station of the ,university of ,wisconsin1 ,may1 #aiae2 and also in his ,rural ,life1 ,century ,co41 ,new ,york1 #aibj4 #b ,the following four pages are revised from the author's bulletin1 ,locating the ,rural ,community1 ,cornell ,reading ,course for the ,farm1 ,lesson #aeh4 #c ,see ,reports of the ,town and ,country ,department1 ,committee on ,social and ,religious ,surveys1 #aaa ,fifth ,ave41 ,new ,york1 or ,geo4 ,h4 ,doran1 ,new ,york4 #d ,rural ,life ,problem in the ,united ,states1 p4 #abi4 ,italics mine4 ,,chapter ,,ii ,,the ,,farm ,,home ,,and ,,the ,,community ,the ,american farmer thinks first of his own home2 only recently has he commenced to appreciate that his and other homes form a community4 ,in the age of homespun the pioneer subdued his new lands and built his home2 the farm and the home were his and for them he lived4 ,he bought but little and had but little to sell4 ,farms were largely self-supporting4 ,neighbors helped each other in numerous ways and as the country became more thickly settled neighborhood life grew apace4 ,but there was little sense of relation to the larger community4 ,roads were bad and people were too widely scattered to come together except on special occasions4 ,the family was the fundamental social unit and social life revolved around the family1 or in the immediate neighborhood4 ,but times have changed4 ,the farm is no longer largely self-supporting4 ,it is now but a primary unit in a world-wide economic system1 conducted with money as the basis of exchange and dominated by the interests of capital4 ,farm products are sold for cash and their value is determined by distant or world markets with which the farmer has no personal contact and of which he often has but little knowledge4 ,most of the goods consumed on the farm must be purchased4 ,the marketing of his products and the purchasing of goods have given the farmer increasing contacts with the village and town centers and a broader knowledge of the world at large4 ,during the past century modern ideas of transportation and the development of industries due to inventions and scientific discoveries have resulted in an enormous growth of city populations4 ,the social life of the cities is increasingly dominated by the interests of the individual rather than those of the family1 until the breaking down of urban family life has become a world-wide problem4 ,the family is no longer the social unit of the city as it is in the country4 ,now farm people are by no means as isolated from town and city as is often imagined4 ,their brothers and sisters1 sons and daughters have gone to make up the increasing urban populations4 ,through correspondence and visiting back and forth1 through frequent trips to town1 through the daily city newspapers1 and through the general reading of magazines1 farm people are in more or less close contact with the life and manners of the cities4 ,inasmuch as slightly over half of our people now live in towns or cities and only one-third live on farms1 it is not surprising that urban ideals and values and the urban point of view tend more and more to dominate those of the countryside4 ,there has been a natural tendency1 therefore1 for the association of country people to center in the country town and village1 in the community center4 ,better transportation and the inability to maintain satisfactory institutions in the open country have made this process inevitable and it will do much to abolish the evils of rural isolation4 ,the increasing difficulty of maintaining successful churches in the open country and the growth of the village church1 the dissatisfaction with the one-room district school and the desire for consolidated schools and community high schools1 are evidences of this tendency4 ,the smaller size of the farm family has made it less self-sufficient socially than formerly1 and the fact that fewer near relations live nearby and farms change hands more often has resulted in fewer neighborhood gatherings4 ,the different members of the family tend to get together more with groups of their own age and sex coming from all parts of the community1 and definite effort is made for the organization of such groups according to their various interests4 ,attention is directed to these tendencies because in our present emphasis on the relation of the farmer to his community and on community values1 we must not lose sight of the fact that the family must ever be recognized as the primary social institution of rural life4 ,indeed1 it may not be too much to claim that the largest value in the agricultural industry is in the possibility of the most satisfactory type of home life4 ,the millionaire farmer is so rare as to be negligible1 and although farmers as a class doubtless have as wholesome and satisfactory a living as they would in other pursuits1 yet no one engages in farming as a means of easily acquiring large wealth4 ,the highest rural values cannot be bought or sold4 ,the mere fact that farming is practically the only remaining industry conducted on a family basis--which seems likely to continue--and that all members of the family have more or less of a share in the conduct and success of the farm1 creates a family bond which does not ordinarily exist where the business or employment of the father and of other members of the family is dissociated from the home4 ,although the burden of the farm business on the home is often decried and there is obvious need of lightening the mother's work for the farm as much as possible1 yet under the best of conditions there is on the farm a constant and intimate contact between the father and mother and children which is rarely found under other conditions4 ,primitive woman discovered the art of agriculture4 ,at first1 the men assisted the women in what time they could spare from hunting2 but as game became scarce and the food supply grown from the soil was found to be more certain1 agriculture became man's vocation4 ,permanent home life commenced with the development of agriculture4 ,as he became a farmer1 primitive man stayed at home with his wife and shared with her the nurture of the children4 ,before then the family had been hers1 now it was theirs4 ,the mere fact that the home and the business are both on the farm1 that father is in the house several times a day and that the whole family are acquainted with his farm operations1 will always give the farm home a superior solidarity1 so long as the family lives on the farm4 ,though but few farm homes are ideal and some of them have but little that is attractive1 yet nowhere are conditions so favorable for the enjoyment of all that is most precious in family life as in the better ,american farm homes4 ,if this be true1 that the chief value in agriculture is in the possibility of the most satisfactory home life1 then community development should be considered primarily from the standpoint of its effect on the farm home1 for the social strength of the country will be more largely determined by its homes than by its other social institutions4 ,we should endeavor1 therefore1 to build up that type of community life which makes for better homes and stronger families4 ,while seeking to afford superior advantages to individuals1 all effort toward community improvement should recognize that the strength of the community is in its home life4 ,the need of this point of view with regard to rural community organization has been very forcibly indicated by ,mr4 ,john ,r4 ,boardman1 one of our keenest observers and interpreters of country life in his ,community ,leadership4 ,he says3 ,at the heart of the rural situation is the rural family4 ,the social problems involved in home life in the rural village and on the farm are of two kinds1--developmental and protective4 ,the social unit in the city is the individual4 ,urban conditions have rapidly disintegrated the family as a social unit4 ,grave dangers have resulted from this interference with the unity of domestic life4 ,the rural family is in danger of meeting the same fate4 ,it is now the social unit in the rural social structure4 ,every effort must be put forth to make this situation permanent4 ,the major problem is one of home conservation4 ,protection of the rural family against social exploitation will demand increasing attention4 ,the development of social organization along lines which interfere with the unity and solidarity of rural family life must be approached with extreme caution and tolerated only as they may be absolutely necessary4 ,so far as possible social organization must be built around the rural family and give it every possible opportunity to act as a family in the scheme of organization and activity4 ,the home as a social center must receive increased attention4 ,there is great danger1 in the new interest which is being aroused in rural social life1 that the matter of social organization be greatly overdone4 ,the rural family will be the one to suffer first and most severely as a result of this craze for social organization4 ,in support of this point of view it is interesting to note that the strongest rural institutions1 the church1 the grange1 and the recently organized ,farm ,bureaus1 are all organizations which have an interest for the whole family or for most of its members4 ,with an increasing sense of social needs and responsibilities on the part of rural people1 new organizations will be formed and various community activities must be undertaken1 but if country people will remain true to their traditions and1 with clear view of changing conditions1 will seek to organize their community life as an association of farm and village families1 they will create the most satisfying and enduring type of society4 ,the community buildings now becoming so popular in rural communities are a good example of a family institution organized to furnish better recreation and social facilities for the whole family4 ,inasmuch as the home is its primary social institution1 the rural community must give its first consideration to its relations to the home and how the home life may be strengthened1 if the rural family is to withstand the influence of the disintegrating home life of the city4 ,for the farm home is in a process of readjustment to modern conditions and the recognition of ideals and objectives of home-life by the community will be a powerful factor in their maintenance4 ,the mother has ever occupied the central position in the home4 ,under modern conditions1 as a result of her education and broader knowledge of life1 through her more frequent contacts with town and city and through her wider reading1 many a farm mother is coming to feel that her position is an anomalous one4 ,in some cases she may be able to solve her own problems1 but only a general change in public opinion concerning their position will bring a more acceptable status to farm women as a class4 ,some of the farm woman's problems arise from the increasing division of labor between her husband and herself and from the marketing of the farm products2 these are the problems of her economic status4 ,the peasant woman of medieval ,europe or the wife of the ,american pioneer never worried that she did not receive a monthly allowance or a certain share of the farm income4 ,she worked with her husband and family in raising the farm products and she shared in their consumption1 for but relatively little was sold off the place4 ,to-day1 the wife of the farm owner does little work on the farm2 its products are sold and much of the food and practically all of the clothing is purchased4 ,she and her children contribute a considerable amount of the labor of the farm enterprise1 and do all of the housework2 but the husband does the selling and most of the buying1 she often has but little share in the management of the family's finances1 and rarely knows what she may count on for household expenses4 ,she comes to feel that she is no longer a real partner1 but a sort of housekeeper1 though without salary or assured income4 ,in over nine thousand farm homes studied in the northern and western states1#e one-fourth of the women helped with the livestock1 and one-fourth worked in the field an equivalent of #f4g weeks a year1 over half of them cared for the home gardens1 and one-third of them kept the farm accounts4 ,over a third of them helped to milk1 two-thirds washed the separators1 and #hh percent washed the milk pails1 #fj percent made the butter and one-third sold the butter1 but only #aa percent had the spending of the money from its sale4 ,likewise #ha percent cared for the poultry1 but only #bb percent had the poultry money for their own use and but #af percent had the egg money4 ,these figures do not give us a complete analysis of the household finances in relation to the amount contributed by farm women1 but they are indicative of the general situation4 ,it is because of these facts that farm women feel that a larger portion of the farm income should be spent in giving them better household conveniences1 somewhat commensurate with the amount that is spent for improved farm machinery and barn conveniences4 ,only one-third of these farm homes had running water2 and but one-fifth had a bath-tub with water and sewer connections2 #he percent had outdoor toilets4 ,improvement is in evidence1 however1 for two-thirds had water in the kitchen1 #fj percent had sink and drain1 #eg percent had washing machines1 and #ie percent had sewing machines4 ,it is not that she is merely seeking less work so that she may attend her club or go to the movies1 that the farm mother desires better conveniences and shorter hours--her average working day is now #aa4c hours--but because she has new ideals of the nurture which she wishes to give her family and of what she might do for them had she the time and physical strength4 ,as a result of the coperative survey of #aj1jjj representative farm homes in #bda counties in the #cc northern and western states made by home demonstration agents and farm women1 ,miss ,ward#f gives some interesting side-lights1 which are as illuminating as the statistics3 ,women realize that no amount of scientific arrangement or labor-saving appliances will of themselves make a home4 ,it is the woman's personal presence1 influence1 and care that make the home4 ,housekeeping is a business as practical as farming and with no romance in it2 home making is a sacred trust4 ,a woman wants time salvaged from housekeeping to create the right home atmosphere for her children and to so enrich their home surroundings that they may gain their ideals of beauty and their tastes for books and music not from the shop windows1 the movies1 the billboards1 or the jazz band1 but from the home environment4 ,the farm woman knows that there is no one who can take her place as teacher and companion of her children during their early impressionable years and she craves more time for their care4 ,she feels the need of making the farm home an inviting place for the young people of the family and their friends and of promoting the recreational and educational advantages of the neighborhood in order to cope with the various forms of city allurements4 ,she realizes that modern conditions call for an even deeper realization and closer contact between mother and child4 ,the familiar term1 ',god could not be everywhere so ,he made mothers' has its modern scientific application1 as no amount of education and care given to children in school or elsewhere outside the home can take the place of mothering in the home4 ',the home exists for the child1 hence the child's development should have first consideration4' ,farm women want to broaden their outlook and keep with the advancement of their children 'not by courses of study but by bringing progressive ideas1 methods1 and facilities into the every day work and recreation of the home environment4' ,true enough1 you say1 but these are problems of the individual home4 ,what have they to do with the community8 ,just this3 ,the status of the farm woman is a matter determined more by custom than by individual achievement4 ,it is difficult for any one woman1 no matter how able or strong-minded1 to maintain a status much in advance of that of her neighbors2 but let the women of a community get together and discuss their problems and ideals and the group spirit strengthens each of them in the pursuit of the common ideals4 ,it is such a desire for mutual support--even though they are not conscious of it--which has drawn farm women together into clubs and which has given such an impetus to the ,home ,bureaus1 or women's departments of the county ,farm ,bureaus4 ,not only in women's organizations1 but finally in community organizations of men and women1 such as the ,grange and the church1 the social standards of the community receive the sanction of public opinion1 than which there is no more powerful means of influencing family usages4 ,the community as such1 must give recognition to a new and better status of its farm women4 ,if the rural home remains the primary social institution1 it will be due to its intelligent effort at self-defense1 and not to any inherent right which it has to such a position4 ,originally the family was but a biological group4 ,until modern times the agricultural family was chiefly an economic unit4 ,only with the isolation of the ,american farm1 did the individual family assume the primary social position known to our fathers and grandfathers4 ,physical isolation and large families made the farm home the only possible social center4 ,isolation is largely passing1 families are smaller1 and organizations of all sorts and commercial amusements compete with the family4 ,it is the use of leisure time which reveals the true loyalty of the family group4 ,if there be nothing to attract them to the fireside1 they will inevitably go elsewhere whenever possible4 ,hence1 if it would have its foundations strong1 the community must encourage the enrichment of home life1 particularly1 in the hours of leisure when life is most real4 ,the family games after supper1 the group around the piano singing old and modern songs1 the reading aloud by one member of the circle1 the cracking of nuts and the popping of corn1 the picnic supper on the lawn1 the tennis court or croquet ground1 the home parties1 the guests ever-welcome at meals1 these are but items in a possible scorecard of the sociability of the home4 ,we are giving much thought to all sorts of group activities1 but how much attention have we given to systematically encouraging the social unit which has the largest possibilities1 the family8 ,last summer my friend1 ,professor ,e4 ,c4 ,lindeman1 of the ,north ,carolina ,college for ,women1 spent several weeks in becoming acquainted with rural ,denmark under peculiarly favorable conditions4 ,a statement in a letter from him regarding ,danish home life is apropos in this connection3 ,i observed that the country people find a great deal of social expression within their own homes4 ,the home life is organized on a much higher plane than is common in ,america4 ,in addition1 there is a larger content of cultural and educational material within the family circle4 ,in the same way the economic position1 health1 education1 and all other phases of life of the family are the most potent influences both in the life of its members and of the community4 ,the question arises1 therefore1 what is the community doing to strengthen the home8 ,in recent years the new discipline of ,home ,economics has vigorously attacked the problems of diet1 clothing1 and household management1 and has accomplished much4 ,it is now concerning itself with health1 child welfare1 and even with child psychology and the family as an institution4 ,yet the home economics point of view is necessarily restricted to that of the institution which it serves1 i4e41 the home2 it has the same limitations1 when pursued solely from the home standpoint1 that farm management has as an interpretation of farming if not related to agricultural and general economics4 ,we need a consideration of the problems of the home from the standpoint of other social institutions and with regard to its function in social organization4 ,we need a clearer concept of the relation of the home to the community and to community associations and activities4 ,the community institutions1 the school1 the church1 and various organizations1 have had too much of a tendency to compete with the home rather than to support and strengthen it4 ,thus the tendency of the school has been to demand a larger and larger portion of the child's time and to assume that because certain phases of education can be more economically given in the school1 that1 therefore1 it should take over as much of the educational function of the home as is possible2 a conclusion which is by no means valid4 ,in the home project a new educational principle has been discovered1 which has far-reaching significance3 for in it the school and the home coperate1 the school outlining1 standardizing1 and interpreting1 while the home furnishes supervision1 advice1 and encouragement4 ,thus1 the home is stimulated to perform those educational functions in which it is superior1 through a definite effort upon the part of the school to strengthen them4 ,the same principle is being applied to education in hygiene4 ,why should not the church and ,sunday school adopt similar methods and undertake a definite system of encouraging the home to give moral and religious education in an adequate fashion1 rather than attempt to give homeopathic doses to children en masse8 ,why should not the church1 or the school1 or both1 give parents instruction and inspiration as to how to educate their children in matters of sex1 about which they are in the best position to gain their confidence8 ,should not our clubs and social organizations1 for men and women1 boys and girls1 face the question1 as to whether their aggregate activities are unduly competing with the home1 and should they not give definite thought as to how they may assist and strengthen the basic institution of our social organization8 ,if the home is the essential primary social institution1 then its well-being should command the consideration of every institution of the community2 for the function and objectives of the home cannot be determined solely by either its own ideals and purposes1 or by the values established by the various special interest groups4 ,the home and the community institutions are constantly in a process of adapting themselves to each other1 and to the extent that each recognizes the function of the other and is willing to coperate rather than to compete1 is the highest success of each made possible4 ,this problem of the relation of the home to the community is a relatively new one1 and is largely the result of better means of communication which have enlarged the horizon of every farm home4 ,when the life of the child was almost wholly within the home and the neighborhood1 the parents gave themselves little concern about the influence or conditions of the larger community4 ,but when her children go to a consolidated school and their school associates are unknown to her1 when they attend the movies in the village1 and when they read the local weekly or the city daily newspaper and the monthly magazines1 so that they know what is going on throughout the world1 then1 if she be wise1 a mother commences to realize that the community is having a growing influence in shaping their character and that however ideal the home may be1 it is but a part of their lives4 ,she commences to appreciate that she must have an understanding of the life and forces of the community so that she may use her influence toward making their social environment what it should be and so that she may be able to make the home so attractive that it will hold their primary interest and loyalty4 ,thus community problems of health1 of education1 of recreation and social life1 and of religion become inter-related with those of the home4 ,the successful homemaker can no longer concern herself solely with home-management1 but must assume her share of responsibility in community-management1 or community housekeeping4 ,with the new responsibilities of suffrage rural women are following the example of their city sisters in taking a larger interest in civic affairs and social legislation1 and with a most wholesome influence on community life4 ,there is1 however1 some danger that while the men are engaged with their business problems1 these social problems will be too largely left to the women2#g for without the sympathetic understanding and hearty coperation of their husbands1 rural women will find that their new social ideals will materialize but slowly4 ,here again1 such family organizations as the ,grange1 the ,church1 and ,farm and ,home ,bureau1 in which community activities engage both men and women are peculiarly serviceable4 ,an interesting example of how the family may function in community life is found in a small town in southern ,michigan 7,centerville7 where the people have established a coperative motion picture theater1 to which the families buy season tickets1 and where one may find whole families together enjoying the best pictures to the accompaniment of a community orchestra4 ,this is also being accomplished in many community buildings4 ,on the other hand the home need not abdicate all of its old-time functions as a social center4 ,a few years ago in attending a rural community conference at the ,university of ,illinois ,i was interested to hear a farm woman1 a graduate of that university1 tell how she and her neighbors had held amateur dramatic entertainments on their front verandas during the summer4 ,the young people took the parts and the audience sat on the lawn1 and thus many families were brought under the influence of the better homes who would not have thought of visiting them4 ,when winter came on1 these entertainments were continued in a slightly different manner1 so that neighboring families were brought into contact without any tendency toward undue intimacy between families which would not associate otherwise4 ,family parties for young and old1 should by no means be abandoned in favor of community parties1 however satisfactory and attractive the latter may be4 ,the social responsibility of the rural home must receive new recognition1 for the day when we can live to ourselves in the enjoyment of a select group of personal friends is rapidly passing1 if we are to have satisfactory social conditions4 ,it is one of the bad effects of the increasing amount of tenancy in our best farming sections1 and of the frequent changing of farm ownership1 that the shifting of residence makes it difficult for the family to secure a satisfactory social position in the community life4 ,in the last analysis1 however1 the largest contribution of the home to the community and the best means of solving the problem of its relation to community life1 is in the development of the best social attitudes among its members toward each other and toward the life of the community2 for all sound social organization is but an application of the relations of the family to the affairs of larger social groups1 and unless attitudes of mutual aid1 common responsibility1 and voluntary loyalty1 are maintained in the home1 so that its relations form a norm for all other human groups1 rural society will have lost the chief dynamic of social progress4 ,,footnotes3 #e ,from ,the ,farm ,woman's ,problems1 ,florence ,e4 ,ward4 ,u4 ,s4 ,dept4 of ,agriculture1 ,circular #adh 7#aibj74 #f ,ibid41 pp4 #ad1 #ae4 #g ,benjamin ,kidd claims that this superior interest of women in race welfare is due to woman's cultural inheritance and that from the very nature of the division of labor between man and woman1 man is less capable than woman of devoting himself to human welfare4 ,but the fact of the age which goes deeper than any other is that the male mind of the race as the result of the conditions out of which it has come1 is by itself incapable of rendering this service to civilization4 ,it is in the mind of woman that the winning peoples of the world will find the psychic center of ,power in the future4--,the ,science of ,power1 p4 #bda4 ,,chapter ,,iii ,,the ,,community',s ,,people ,,and ,,history ,the community is composed of people in a certain area1 but the community may be dead or it may be alive4 ,the life of the community is determined by the degree to which its people are able to act together for the best promotion of their common welfare4 ,this ability to act together will obviously depend upon the extent to which the people have common aims and purposes4 ,if the people of a community form distinct groups with diverse ideals and purposes1 it will be much more difficult to secure that sympathy1 tolerance1 and understanding which are necessary for united action1 than if they are more alike4 ,yet it is just such diversity of interests of different elements in the community which gives rise to community problems and which brings about an appreciation of the need of developing community life4 ,it is necessary1 therefore1 to have some appreciation of how the characteristics of its population influence community life4 ,in the first place1 a community of people of different nationalities or races1 or sometimes even of people from different states1 find it much more difficult to secure a common loyalty than if they were of one stock4 ,it is1 of course1 quite true that many an old community of a single stock is divided by family1 religious or political feuds2 yet usually there is more solidarity between people of common traditions and culture4 ,the largest problem in the so-called ,americanization of foreigners in rural communities is to get the natives to understand and appreciate the newcomers and to realize that the future of the community depends upon mutual respect and good will4 ,had we a little more of an historical perspective1 we would remember that all of our ancestors were foreigners but a few generations back4 ,in almost every part of the ,united ,states are communities in which alien groups form one of the chief obstacles to a better community life4 ,throughout the ,south1 the most fundamental problem is that of a better understanding between the two races1 and until some means of amicable adjustment is attempted1 there is little prospect for the development of community life4 ,in some of our best agricultural sections there have been successive waves of immigration of different nationalities4 ,thus in ,dane ,county1 ,wisconsin1 of which ,madison--the state capital--is the county seat1 ,dr4 ,j4 ,h4 ,kolb#h describes communities in which ,germans1 ,norwegians1 and ,swiss have largely supplanted the original settlers from ,new ,england4 ,in an interesting study of ,americanization in a community in the ,connecticut ,valley of ,massachusetts1 ,john ,daniels#i has described how the ,french ,canadians and ,irish and then the ,poles have taken up the land1 and how good feeling between them and the native ,yankees was gradually established4 ,on the other hand1 a nearby community in southern ,new ,york comes to mind1 in which there is a colony of ,bohemians1 and another of ,finns1 which have been fairly successful in building up hill farms deserted by the descendants of the original settlers1 and yet the community as a whole has done little toward making these people feel that they are a part of its life1 although their industry is one of its largest economic assets4 ,america is the home of the free and most of our people do desire a real democracy1 but we seem to have assumed that it will develop spontaneously1 and we have not appreciated that good will and common understanding require some means of acquaintance and exchange of ideas1 and that the interests and desires of all the people in a community1 young and old1 must receive recognition4 ,unless we can establish democracy in our own local community1 how can we expect it in the state or nation8 ,a second factor in community life is the age of its people4 ,how often do you find a community composed chiefly of elderly people which is progressive8 ,in the more progressive communities are not the middle-aged and young married people in control8 ,the younger people desire better advantages for themselves and particularly for their children1 and so they stand for better schools1 better churches1 and better facilities for all phases of community life4 ,it is largely for this reason1 it seems to me1 that older communities seem to have cycles of relative decline and progress1 according to the proportion of older and younger people4 ,it is to be hoped that in future generations the ability to keep young may become more common2 indeed1 this is one of the chief objectives of modern education4 ,the density of population is also a determining factor with regard to many phases of community life1 for it is obviously much easier to carry on many community activities where the people live fairly close together and not very far from the community center1 than where the country is but sparsely settled4 ,even with automobiles and telephones1 the distance between homes will have a large influence in determining the nature of community activities4 ,one of the most difficult of our rural problems is how to bring to the people in sparsely settled regions the advantages which they rightly crave4 ,it will be physically and economically impossible for them to have as good opportunities as sections which are more densely settled1 but ways must be found whereby a larger degree of equality of opportunity is available to more thinly inhabited communities4 ,changes in population immediately affect community needs4 ,where immigration is increasing rapidly1 institutions such as schools1 churches1 and stores are often inadequate1 and there is every incentive toward the development of community spirit and united effort to meet the common needs4 ,on the other hand1 in the older sections decreasing populations make it impossible to maintain as many institutions as formerly4 ,many an eastern community has inherited two or three churches1 which were once well filled1 but which now merely serve to divide the community as none of them are able to operate successfully1 though it is obvious that unless the people are more loyal to their common needs than to their differences that the community will be unable to survive4 ,in relatively new communities1 and often for several generations1 the influence of the original settlement of the community may have a strong effect on its life4 ,thus where a new section is settled by acquaintances from an older community1 by relatives1 or those of one church1 there is a bond between them from the beginning1 but where land is settled by homesteaders from different sections1 the process of establishing common ideals and purposes is a gradual one4 ,many a community in the middle west still bears the stamp of its original settlers4 ,about in the center of ,west ,virginia is the little community of ,french ,creek which was settled by a few ,new ,england families a little over a hundred years ago4 ,a recent study#aj of this community shows that it has had a powerful influence in the educational life of the whole state1 and that its progressive spirit is largely traceable to an ancestry of energetic people with high ideals which have been passed on by each generation4 ,on the other hand1 in many cases this influence is soon lost1 due to some radical change in local conditions and the influx of new elements4 ,its history plays an exceedingly large rle in advancing or retarding community development4 ,history and tradition are the memory of the community2 they bring to mind its past experiences4 ,common ancestors and common participation in important events in the past give a sense of identity and heighten community consciousness4 ,pride in the history of the community is like pride in a good family1 and is a strong factor in maintaining the standards of its people4 ,of course the past may be one of which no one is proud and which they may prefer to forget1 but this is a spur to new endeavor as it is to a family to attain a new status4 ,community life is likely to be at a low ebb where there is but little knowledge of1 or interest in1 the history of its past4 ,i was recently impressed with this in visiting a small inland community1 which was not without many events of interest in its earlier development4 ,i failed1 however1 to find any connected records of the community's past or any of its people who know much of its history4 ,so far as ,i could learn there had been few celebrations or community activities for many years and there was a general feeling that the community had been on the down grade and needed redirection4 ,it seemed to me that one of the things which might arouse community loyalty in this instance would be for its people to clean up some of the old neighborhood cemeteries where many of the early pioneers lie buried1 and which are now grown up and unkept4 ,then ,i think of another community where every few years on important anniversary events the history of an organization or of the community as a whole is related and often published in the local press4 ,its past has no more striking events than that of the locality last mentioned1 but these people have pride in their community and their loyalty is renewed on these anniversary occasions4 ,miss ,emily ,f4 ,hoag#aa has recently given a good picture of how the history of their community has been made to live in the hearts of the people of ,belleville1 ,new ,york1 through their loyalty to the old ,union ,academy1 and she has given a fine example of how a community may be brought to a realization of the contribution which it has made to the life of the state and nation4 ,only by a knowledge of the community's history can the nature and origin of the attitudes of its people be understood4 ,a generation or two ago1 perchance1 there was a quarrel between two families which was carried into the school meeting1 and to this day two factions have persisted4 ,the attitudes of the people in many a progressive town may be directly traced to the influence of some outstanding leaders--a teacher1 minister1 or doctor1 perhaps--long since gone to their reward4 ,a village fire1 the coming of a railroad or its deflection to a nearby town1 a bank failure1 a prohibition crusade1 the establishment of a library are but a few examples of events which form crises in the life of every community and which have a far-reaching and subtle effect in moulding its character4 ,the cultivation of a knowledge of its own history is1 therefore1 one of the first duties of a community which seeks to understand itself so that it may better direct its life4 ,every community should maintain a record of its history1 and have some means of preserving important historical material4 ,the ,new ,york legislature has recently passed an act authorizing any township or village board to appoint a local historian1 without salary1 and to furnish safe storage for historical records4 ,one of the most progressive rural communities in the country is the ,quaker settlement at ,sandy ,spring1 ,maryland1#ab whose first historian was appointed in #ahfc and whose historian reads the record of the year at each annual meeting4 ,these ,annals form a most intimate account of the community's progress4 ,the custom of some rural newspapers of publishing local history of the past year on ,new ,year's ,day serves much the same purpose4 ,one of the best means of encouraging historical appreciation1 and one which is very generally neglected1 is the teaching of local history in the schools4 ,educators have learned that it is more pedagogical to commence instruction in geography with the local environment of the child1 which it can know and understand1 than to begin--as formerly--with the nebular hypothesis2 but they are only commencing to appreciate that the same principle applies to the teaching of history4 ,is it not true that most children can glibly recite dates and events in the history of their own and foreign countries1 of whose significance they have only a vague appreciation1 but who never secure any real historical point of view or an appreciation of the importance of history because it has not been made concrete and intimate1 as must be the case in considering local events8 ,if national history is taught to develop patriotism1 why should not local history be taught to inspire civic loyalty8 ,such a study of the efforts and sacrifices of former citizens would bring a new sense of obligation to be worthy of the heritage they have bequeathed1 and would gradually establish an attitude of loyalty to the community which would be considered as essential to respectability as devotion to one's country4 ,indeed1 how can one be truly loyal to a great country which is mostly unknown to him if he is not loyal to the people with whom he lives day by day in his home community8 ,one of the best means of reviving interest in the community's past is through the production of an historical pageant1 which is discussed on page #afa2 for as the people act together the events of the past1 they gain a new realization of what they owe to the life of the community in bygone days1 and come to appreciate that men come and men go but the community continues and perpetuates their influence for better or for worse4 ,socrates' injunction to know thyself is the epitome of wisdom for the community as it is for the individual4 ,the first step in this process of self-acquaintance is to secure an accurate knowledge of the kinds of people which compose the community1 and how its past is influencing its present4 ,,footnotes3 #h ,rural ,primary ,groups1 a study of agricultural neighborhoods4 ,research ,bulletin #ea1 ,agr4 ,exp4 ,station of the ,university of ,wisconsin1 ,madison1 #aiba4 #i ,america via the ,neighborhood1 p4 #dai1 ,d4 ,appleton ,co41 #aibj4 #aj ,a4 ,j4 ,dadisman1 ,french ,creek as a ,rural ,community1 ,bulletin #agf1 ,agricultural ,experiment ,station1 ,west ,virginia ,university1 ,june1 #aiba4 #aa ,the ,national ,influence of a ,single ,farm ,community1 ,bulletin #ihd1 ,united ,states ,department of ,agriculture1 ,dec41 #aiba4 #ab ,see ,a ,rural ,survey of ,maryland1 ,dept4 of ,church and ,country ,life1 ,board of ,home ,missions of the ,presbyterian ,church in the ,u4 ,s4 ,a41 #aiab2 reprinted in part in ,n4 ,l4 ,sims' ,the ,rural ,community1 p4 #bbg1 ,new ,york1 ,scribners1 #aibj4 ,,chapter ,,iv ,,communication ,,the ,,means ,,of ,,community ,,life ,we have seen that the real life of the community depends on common interests and the ability of its people to act together4 ,this having things in common is the basis of all community and is achieved only through the exchange of ideas by various means of communication4 ,without communication there would be no community and no civilization4 ,it is man's ability to communicate through spoken and written language that has made him human4 ,man is more than animal because he can exchange ideas with his fellows1 and can profit by the experience of the race4 ,this power of communication creates a new world for him in which he lives on a different plane from all other living things4 ,the very words community and communication1 both derived from communis--common1 indicate their relation to each other2 community--the having in common1 communication--the making common4#ac ,until modern times practically all communication between the masses of the people was by word of mouth4 ,the people of the old world lived together in villages which were largely self-dependent1 and only the higher classes were educated to read and write4 ,there was little opportunity for contact with the outside world1 and the people felt little need of better means of communication4 ,it has been frequently asserted that isolation has been the chief rural problem in ,america4 ,the reason for the dissatisfaction with life on isolated farms is better appreciated when we remember that during all previous history men have lived together in close association and their whole mode of thought1 customs1 attitudes1 and desires have been formed in the intimate life of compact groups4 ,it is but natural1 therefore1 that life on the isolated farm with but few contacts with others than immediate neighbors should become irksome and that town and city have had a peculiar attraction for farm people4 ,we cannot here examine the causes and history of the development of our modern means of communication1 but we must recognize that it is due to them that rural community life as we are coming to know it in the ,united ,states is made possible4 ,without these newer facilities for more frequent association and exchange of ideas1 rural life would still be confined to the small local neighborhood4 ,at the same time1 the railroad and trolley have abolished the isolation of the rural community and have made possible the diversion of local interests and loyalties to larger centers4 ,thus while communication aids the integration of the community it affords equal facilities for its disruption4 ,doubtless some of the smaller community centers will be unable to compete with the attraction of nearby larger centers1 but there seems no good reason to believe that better communication will injure the best life of communities which are of sufficient size to support the institutions which will command local loyalty4 ,this dual influence of means of communication on the internal and external relations of rural communities creates some of the chief problems of rural social organization1 for the increase of means of communication in the past two or three generations has been more momentous and has had a more far-reaching effect on human relations than in all the previous centuries since the invention of writing4 ,a brief survey of the more important of these new agencies will indicate how they affect the relations of the farmer to his community and to other communities4 ,these may be considered under the two general heads of means of transportation1 and means for the exchange of ideas4 ,as long as transportation was by wagon and by boat1 commerce was slow and expensive2 each community was compelled to be largely self-dependent1 and life was isolated to an extent that it is difficult for us to conceive4 ,anderson has well stated the situation when he says3 ,merchandise and produce that could not stand a freight of fifteen dollars per ton could not be carried overland to a consumer one hundred and fifty miles from the point of production2 as roads were1 a distance of fifty miles from the market often made industrial independence expedient4#ad ,it was the steam railroad which made larger markets available1 made possible the growth of our large cities and the opening up of new lands distant from markets4 ,the railroad and manufacturing by power machinery put an end to the age of homespun1 and made it more profitable for the farmer to sell his products and to purchase his manufactured goods in exchange4 ,the railroad1 and the markets which it made available1 changed the village center from a place of local barter to a shipping point and so tended to center the economic life of larger areas in the villages with railroad stations4 ,better local roads were necessary and business tended to become centralized in the village4 ,the numerous wayside taverns along the main highways disappeared1 as did the neighborhood mill and blacksmith shop4 ,the railroad1 more than any other one factor1 has determined the location of our rural community centers4 ,the electric railroad made the village centers more available to farm people and gave transportation facilities to many villages without railroads1 but it also made it possible for the people of smaller communities to go to the larger centers for trading and other advantages4 ,trolleys have made it possible for many farm children to get to high school who could not otherwise have attended and have enabled those living near them to more easily get back and forth from the village centers for all phases of community life4 ,on the whole1 however1 they have probably carried more traffic between communities1 and it seems strange that they have not more generally been able to find a profit in hauling produce from the farms to the nearest markets or shipping stations4 ,of more importance to community life has been the development of good roads1 a movement which did not get under way until the present century and which was chiefly due to the rural free mail delivery and the automobile4 ,the change in rural life due to automotive vehicles can hardly be exaggerated4 ,in our best agricultural states practically every farmer has his automobile4 ,he can get to the community center as quickly as the business man or laborer gets to his work in the average city1 and can go to the county seat or neighboring city as quickly as one can drive to the business section from the more distant parts of ,new ,york or ,chicago4 ,auto-bus lines radiate from most of our small cities1 and auto trucks not only bring freight from nearby wholesale centers1 but are rapidly supplanting horses for hauling farm produce to the shipping station or market4 ,as good roads have been due chiefly to state and county1 and more recently to national aid1 it is but natural that they should have been constructed where the traffic is heaviest connecting the main centers4 ,what is now most needed to build up the local communities is a systematic development of the principal local roads radiating from the community centers4 ,good roads and automobiles have made possible a new sort of a local community1 which could never have existed without them4 ,consider the present possibility of consolidated schools with auto-busses to haul the children2 the numbers of automobiles which come in from the farms to every village center where there is a band concert or movie show2 the ability to get in the flivver after supper and ride to a relative's or friend's on the other side of the town and be back for early bedtime2 and one can perceive how the people in a community area are bound together and develop common interests in new advantages made possible by their ability to get together easily and quickly4 ,how could the county agricultural agent or the visiting nurse cover a county as effectively as they now do without the automobile8 ,the rural community can now enjoy the services of expert paid executives in many fields of work as diverse as a county commercial club secretary1 a ,boy ,scout leader1 a ,sunday school executive1 or county health officer1 because the county has become a unit which can be covered as easily as a city and is large enough to support such a division of labor as no one community could enjoy4 ,we shall have occasion to refer to many county organizations and agencies which not only build up the county and the county seat1 but which strengthen the life of every community which they serve1 and whose work is very largely possible because of good roads and automobiles4 ,where bad roads still exist many of these services must wait and less community life is possible4 ,nor does the home lose with the community advancement due to better transportation4 ,surely it is better to have the children living at home than boarding in the village while they attend high school2 the doctor is secured more quickly and the visiting nurse is available2 and the family can come and go as a family because less time is required and there is no waiting for the horses to feed1 or to get rested4 ,it is true of course that the automobile makes it possible for people to go to the larger towns and other village centers1 and to visit their particular friends and relatives in neighboring communities1 and thus seems to furnish means for breaking down and stratifying community life4 ,these tendencies exist1 but they will not seriously injure the community which has anything worth while for its people4 ,better transportation simply makes possible a more highly organized community life1 and any complex organization is the more easily deranged2 a complex machine or a high-bred animal is more susceptible to injury than a simple tool or scrub4 ,many ministers have railed against the automobile1 while others have used it to fill their pews4 ,we cannot get away from that oldest of paradoxes1 first learned by ,father ,adam1 that every new good has possibilities of evil4 ,a certain type of mind has always enjoyed condemning every new invention as of the ,devil1 and yet the world wags on and no one who knows them would go back to the good old days4 ,the automobile has brought new ideas both to the community and to the farm and home4 ,farmers and their wives are traveling by auto much more than they ever did by train1 and it is impossible not to pick up new ideas4 ,one of the most effective educational devices is the farm tour in which a group of ,farm ,bureau members travel from one farm to another studying the methods of farming1 and the women have adopted the idea for an inspection of farm homes4 ,to discuss all the effects of automotive vehicles--cycle1 car1 truck1 bus1 and tractor--on farm life would fill a book in itself3 space forbids except for incidental mention in the following chapters4 ,turning to the mechanisms for the transmission of ideas1 we appreciate the even more wonderful inventions which have brought the whole world to the farmer's door4 ,a generation ago farmers went several miles to the nearest postoffice for their mail1 and usually got it but two or three times a week4 ,to-day over the greater part of the country it is delivered to them daily1 and they can ship small packages by parcels post from their doors4 ,this daily delivery has greatly widened the circulation of the daily newspapers and magazines of all sorts1 and has given farm people a new knowledge and a livelier interest in city and world-wide affairs4 ,the parcel post has made the mail-order business1 but it is even more beneficial to the local merchant who can fill a telephone order and mail it to a customer for less expense than delivery costs in the city4 ,correspondence and advertising by farm people have greatly increased4 ,it is true that the abolition of many rural postoffices has destroyed an old-time rendezvous1 but farmers probably go to the community center more frequently than formerly4 ,a more unfortunate feature of the rural delivery service is that it often gives the farmer a mail address at a postoffice of a community where he rarely goes1 and fails to indicate the community in which he is located to one unacquainted with the local geography 7see page #bcb74 ,even more important as an aid to community activities is the telephone4 ,visiting is now done more over the phone than in person1 but conversation can be had with any one in the community at any time1 and isolation is banished4 ,the telephone has brought a larger protection to the farm home in calling the doctor1 police1 or fire assistance4 ,the economic value of the phone soon became apparent for the distribution of market reports and weather forecasts or for ordering goods or repairs from town1 and the marvelous wireless telephone will greatly extend these services4 ,the ,extension ,service of the ,kansas ,agricultural ,college is installing a wireless outfit which will receive market and weather reports and will transmit them to the farm bureau offices at the county seats1 where they may be relayed through the local telephones to every farmer4 ,thus world-wide conditions may be flashed to the farmer's fireside4 ,within the community the telephone has made possible a degree of organization hitherto impossible4 ,meetings are called1 committees are assembled1 or their business is done over the phone1 so that both social and economic life are greatly stimulated4 ,the farmer is sometimes chided for not having organized rural life more effectively4 ,the simple reason is that he has not had the mechanisms whereby he could do so4 ,with only mud roads and horses people could get together but infrequently1 and arrangements had to be made when they were together4 ,city life was better organized because people could get together more easily4 ,to-day both time and space have been so largely overcome that communication in the country is almost as rapid as in the city and more effective organization is possible4 ,better transportation1 mail1 and telephone service have made available agencies for the communication of ideas1 previously accessible only to the few or patronized so infrequently by those further away as to furnish too small a constituency for their successful maintenance4 ,the free public library is a powerful educational agency1 but many a community has been too small for its support4 ,now county library systems are being organized--thanks to automobiles--which give branch stations to every community 7see p4 #ajb74 ,lyceum courses of lectures and entertainments1 chautauqua courses1 public forums for the discussion of current problems1 and last1 but not least1 the moving picture shows with their pictures of important events from all parts of the world and showing life from ,central ,africa to the ,antipodes1 all of these are agencies for bringing new ideas to the rural community1 and are becoming increasingly common as better transportation makes it possible for the people to utilize them4 ,the fact that these agencies must be located where they can serve the largest number of people1 determines their location at the community centers and they are thus a large factor in unifying the community4 ,modern transportation has abolished the isolation of the farm and new means of communication have freed the spirit of the farmer and brought the world to his doors4 ,together they make possible so many satisfactions heretofore only available to the cities1 as to quite revolutionize the whole aspect of rural life4 ,they give a new position to the rural community and to the farmer's status in it4 ,,footnotes3 #ac ,community is derived from the ,old ,english word commonty which came to mean the body of the common people1 commons4 ,communication is from the ,latin communicare1 also derived from communis--common1 and ic 7the formative of factitive verbs7--to make1 or to make common4 #ad ,the ,country ,town1 p4 #bj4 ,,chapter ,v ,,the ,,farm ,,and ,,the ,,village ,we have seen that an active community must focus its life at some center1 and that this center is usually a village which has been established primarily for business purposes4 ,the relation of the ,american village to the surrounding farms is historically unique and is largely due to the rapidity and ease with which large areas of the ,united ,states were settled after the advent of railroads4 ,in the colonial period and the early days of the ,new ,west1 every settlement was so isolated that it was obliged to be largely self-sufficient4 ,transportation was slow and uncertain and prohibitive for other than the necessities which could not be locally produced4 ,under these conditions the farmer and village business man were so inter-dependent that they were forced to consider each other's interests4 ,but when settlement became safer and transportation easier the homesteaders took up their claims without relation to village connections2 they traded where it was most convenient1 and their social life centered largely in the immediate neighborhood and in the district school and country church4 ,on the other hand the village was settled by men who came primarily for business4 ,the spirit of the age was that of competition and they came primarily for profits4 ,their business came from the farms1 but they felt little sense of obligation to them4 ,every village was a potential city in their eyes and its growth and the rise of real estate values was of more concern to them than the development of the community's basic industry of agriculture4 ,the village craftsman and business man gets most of his living from the farms and it should be to his interest to give them the best of service1 but more and more he has become primarily a business man or craftsman1 coming to the village to make money and moving on when he sees better opportunities elsewhere4 ,his business and craft affiliations link him to the centers of commercial and industrial life in the cities1 and he is strongly inclined to take the city's point of view4 ,particularly has this been the case with the country banker who has so largely controlled the economic life of the village and countryside4 ,too often he has inevitably been more largely influenced by the interests of eastern capital and the mortgage owners than by the real needs of his local constituency4 ,the result has been an increasing friction between the villages and the farms1 and we have come to think of them as two separate groups or interests rather than as essential and inter-dependent parts of a social area--the community4 ,the literature of country life and of rural sociology has very rightly recognized the existing situation1 but many writers seem to accept the division between village and farm as inevitable1 and even question whether there can be a rural community of the type herein described1 rather than to recognize that this is but a necessary stage in the beginning of community life1 due to the mode of settlement and temporary conditions4 ,this friction between farmer and villager has been most acute in the ,middle ,west and has found its extreme expression in the ,non-partisan ,league ,movement1 which has engendered a degree of bitterness between the two factions which cannot be permanently maintained without serious injury to their common interests4 ,this1 however1 is only an attempt of the farmers to secure redress through political control1 and is but the political form of expression of a protest which is being more effectively made as an economic movement through coperative buying and selling agencies1 particularly strong in ,kansas and ,nebraska1 but rapidly spreading throughout the country4 ,some rural leaders would have us believe that the interests of the village and the farm are fundamentally antagonistic and irreconcilable4 ,they advocate that the consolidated school or high school be placed in the open country where it will be uncontaminated by the urban-mindedness of the village2 that the grange is the farmers' organization and is sufficient for him and has no need of affiliating itself with the affairs of the village2 that the farmers should develop their own coperative stores and selling agencies so that they can be economically independent of the parasitic trader of the village4 ,such a nave point of view has a certain logical simplicity which is based on the presupposition that conflict is inevitable and that justice and equity can be secured only through dominance4 ,the same line of reasoning finds no solution of the problem of capital and labor1 or of the interests of producer as over against consumer1 except in strong organization and eternal economic conflict4 ,it is apparent that there is much justification for this view and that it seems in many cases to be a necessary stage in the adjustment of interests1 but that it is either inevitable or a permanent necessity is controverted both by experience and by a more thorough analysis of the relationships involved4 ,there is no gainsaying the fact that conflict has been one of the chief agencies of human progress in the past2 but neither can it be disputed that coperation1 or mutual aid1 has been of equal importance4 ,neither attitude can be conceived as primary or dominant2 they have interacted throughout the history of mankind4 ,fundamentally1 the problem of the relationship of these two phases of life is much the same as that of the nature and function of good and evil4 ,the one cannot exist without the other1 and both are relative terms4 ,our present thought on these problems has been too largely dominated by a wrong interpretation of the theory of the survival of the fittest as the primary force in human evolution4 ,we have assumed1 and the ,german militarists carried the doctrine to a logical conclusion1 that this hypothesis gave the sanction of a biological law to a competitive struggle between men4 ,but such an inference was explicitly denied by ,charles ,darwin1#ae and has no biological foundation4 ,the struggle he described is between species and not between members of the same species4 ,on the other hand1 we find throughout nature that those species have been most successful which have developed the most effective means of mutual aid4#af ,thus our economic and political thought has been dominated for the past two or three generations with a blind worship of the dogma of unrestrained competition1 which has no basis of proof either in biological or social science4 ,when we examine what has gone on in the older sections of our country and project the present tendencies into the future1 we get a different point of view1 and come to see that only by an adjustment of the relations of the village and the farm to each other can the best life of both be secured4 ,we shall have occasion in subsequent chapters to consider the social and political problems involved1 but let us here discuss merely the economic relations1 which have been the chief source of discord4 ,in the first place if we examine the situation in the older parts of the country we find a much more cordial relation between village and country than farther west1 and a greater sense of belonging to a community4 ,the reasons for this cannot be discussed in detail1 but a large factor is the increasing tendency to centralize institutions2 school1 church1 grange1 lodge1 stores1 etc42 in the village as the country becomes older1 roads are better1 and higher standards develop4 ,furthermore1 the relative status of the farmer changes the situation4 ,in the older parts of the country most of the capital needed to supply credit to farmers and their business organizations comes from within the locality1 whereas in the newer sections they are dependent upon outside capital4 ,in the older sections where land has become more valuable and wealth has accumulated1 the farmer as well as the villager is a bank director1 and the amount of capital which the farmer has invested in his business is often much greater than that of the village business man4 ,when the farmer comes into town in his first-class automobile as frequently as he desires1 he has a very different status from former days4 ,the banker-farmer movement1 which started as an effort of the banker to assist the farmer in better methods of production and marketing1 has now become a farmer-banker movement in which the country banker has been forced to give new thought to the credit facilities of his patrons1 and is already challenging the justice of the country's credit facilities being dominated by the large city banks which are chiefly interested in financing industry and commerce4 ,there is no question that in many a rural town there are too many stores1 as there are in the cities1 that in many cases their service is very inefficient1 and occasionally their prices are exorbitant1 but several forces are already tending to remedy these evils where they occur1 and improvement may be hastened by intelligent and constructive discussion4 ,thus exorbitant prices or poor service has made possible the large sales of the mail-order houses1 but the total volume of their business in most localities is relatively small and their competition has probably been beneficial to the wide-awake merchant4 ,for first-class merchants have been able to show that they can meet the mail-order prices if the customer is willing to pay cash1 and the advertising of the mail-order houses has undoubtedly increased the wants of the average farm household4 ,in a recent address ,dr4 ,c4 ,j4 ,galpin has pointed out that one of the shortcomings of the average country merchant is that he has not studied the needs of his patrons and brought to their attention new inventions and the better grades of goods4 ,he holds that the higher standard of living of city people is largely due to the fact that attractive goods and better equipment are constantly brought to their attention in the shop windows and by salesmen4 ,the coperative buying of farm supplies and machinery1 which is now assuming such large proportions1 is due not merely to an effort to secure lower prices1 but to secure better goods4 ,it is a notorious fact that for many years the farmer has had to buy inferior fertilizers and feeds from local dealers because they were all he could get4 ,both mixed feeds and fertilizers have been sold under certain brands on much the same principle as patent medicines1 until the farmer has organized his own agencies to secure their manufacture in accordance with the best scientific formulas4 ,this has been primarily due to a short-sighted policy on the part of manufacturers1 but it has done greater injury to the retailer who1 in general1 has made little effort to learn the real needs of his trade and supply it with the best goods4 ,the same has been true of seeds and agricultural machinery4 ,as a result of this one of the chief claims of such a coperative agency as the ,new ,york ,grange-,league-,federation ,exchange is that it is able not only to sell at a lower price but to furnish the best quality4 ,the wide-awake country merchant has been keen to appreciate these facts and wherever he has studied his trade and devoted himself to its interests he has built up a successful business4 ,the ,country ,gentleman has done a real service in recently publishing a series of articles by ,a4 ,b4 ,mac,donald which have described the successes of a few of the outstanding ,big ,country ,merchants4 ,the chain store has not as yet invaded the village1 but it is rapidly gaining a foothold in the smaller cities and village merchants may as well prepare for its competition1 for there seems no good reason why its greater buying power and superior organization should not enable it to undersell the local merchant if the customer is willing to pay cash4 ,as yet all chain stores are on a cash basis and this would seem to prevent their gaining much of the business of the farmer who has depended on long time credit4 ,but the coperative stores1 which do business only for cash1 have solved the credit problem by establishing credit facilities whereby short-time loans may be made and a credit established against which purchases are charged4 ,there is no question that both farmer and merchant would be better off if credit were carried by a financial institution4 ,the farmer is being rapidly educated in business practices1 and it will be surprising if some enterprising corporation does not establish a chain of village stores which will do a cash business1 but which will arrange for separate credit on a strictly business basis4 ,if one looks at the trend of business in the cities and towns during recent years1 he cannot but come to the conviction that either country merchants will have to get together so as to pool their purchasing power and get the advantages of expert assistance in advertising1 accounting1 store arrangement1 and other technical services which the chain store enjoys1 or they will be forced to content themselves with the poorer and less profitable class of trade4 ,i have seen no studies of the matter1 but it would be interesting to know how large an amount of farmer trade is now enjoyed by the chain groceries in our larger towns4 ,my own impression is that they are a much more serious competitor of the small country merchant than is the mail-order house4 ,these are but a few of the forces which will bring better service from the village merchant4 ,there are also ways in which farmers may secure better service without attempting to operate a coperative store of their own or deserting the local merchants4 ,farm ,bureau associations have in numerous cases made arrangements with a local dealer whereby he would handle their seeds1 fertilizers1 or spraying materials at a specified rate of profit1 upon condition that they give him all their trade in these articles and place their orders in advance4 ,this principle of collective buying through an established merchant at an agreed rate of profit has much to commend it1 and is being utilized by the ,grange-,league-,federation ,exchange in ,new ,york state to take care of its local business as far as possible4 ,the fact is that the profits of a strictly coperative store1 after paying the salary of a competent manager and other costs of operation1 which would make a very attractive income for a single merchant1 do not make a dividend to each of its many patrons much more than a good rate of interest on the total cost of purchases4 ,it may as well be recognized that unless there be a strong loyalty to the coperative principle by a considerable group of patrons and unless there be peculiar need of a coperative store that it is not a mechanism which will automatically secure much lower prices or superior service1 for the success of the enterprise depends primarily on the manager and if he be competent1 he must be paid sufficient to command not only his services but his loyalty and initiative4 ,the coperative store will find it good business to have a profit-sharing arrangement with its manager and employees1 if it expects to secure the same service from them that may be secured from the better merchants4 ,on the other hand1 if by pooling their buying power a group of farmers can throw their business to one merchant in consideration of his selling at a specified profit1 even if only for a particular line of goods1 they get the advantage of their collective purchasing power and have none of the responsibility for maintaining the business4 ,although it is my belief that the coperative principle is essentially sound and must ultimately dominate our business life1 yet it will need to find means of giving larger incentive to its managers if it is to compete with the best individual business men4 ,after all1 what is wanted is to get business on a functional basis1 and if this can be accomplished by means of collective buying through an established business which furnishes its own capital and management1 the farmer is the gainer4 ,the essential thing is that business be put on the basis of public service rather than private profit4 ,when that principle is recognized as being the only sound basis of our economic system1 then the methods of business organization will be determined by what experience shows to be most advantageous to the community1 and it may well be that true coperative competition between individual merchants and coperative stores may exist side by side with advantage to all concerned4 ,another factor in rural community life is the increase of industrial establishments in villages and small towns4 ,there can be no question that the centralization of industry in our large cities1 which has proceeded so rapidly since the development of steam power1 has now passed its maximum and that there will be a considerable decentralization of certain industries which can be operated profitably in small units4 ,the metropolitan city has passed its maximum of economic efficiency for many phases of manufacturing1 if economic efficiency is judged by its power to produce well-being1 rather than mere wealth4 ,we have been obsessed with the glamour of the bigness of the modern city and we are but beginning to seriously question its real efficiency4 ,the possibility of superior living conditions in a small town are now being recognized both by employer and laborer1 and better transportation and the development of electric power lines make possible the organization of certain of our large industries in small units4 ,as this process proceeds the business of the village and small town will no longer be chiefly dependent on agriculture and there will be a further need for accommodation of the different interests of the community4 ,here again1 some see only loss to rural life2 but if one examines the situation more thoroughly1 mutual advantages are equally apparent4 ,if the farmers are organized for coperative selling1 they will be benefited by the better local markets1 which are the backbone of the agricultural economy of so prosperous a country as ,france4 ,certain local industries1 whose production is of a seasonal nature1 might so arrange their operation that some of their labor might be available to work on the neighboring farms during the rush season4 ,even more important would be the increased purchasing power of the community1 making possible better stores and business and professional services of all sorts1 and the increase of wealth which would make possible the support of better schools1 churches1 and social advantages of all sorts4 ,it is1 of course1 true that the introduction of industry in not a few cases seems to have lowered the standards of community life1 but this is by no means universal or inevitable4 ,one of the unfortunate phases of the efforts of small communities to secure industrial plants is that they often secure establishments which are not adapted to local conditions or whose financial status is insecure1 and the enterprise inevitably results in failure1 with discouragement to all concerned4 ,there is great need for county chambers of commerce or commercial clubs with skilled commercial executives as secretaries who can give the same expert service to the business life of the small rural communities that the cities now have4 ,the business life of the community might profit as much from such a service as the farms have from the expert assistance afforded through the ,farm ,bureaus4#ag ,we have been considering the economic relations of the farm and the village as affecting community life1 for they are at present the chief factor in creating community interest1 as well as the leading cause of group friction4 ,the rural community of to-day is primarily an economic unit1 but in the future it seems probable that business will occupy a relatively less important place than the social activities of the community center4 ,not that there will necessarily be less business1 although the widening of markets constantly tends to take business from the local centers1 but that business will be more efficient and less competitive2 business will not occupy so large a share of attention1 but will take its rightful place as a means to an end1 while the community will take more interest in those institutions which actively promote all phases of its higher life1 of health1 education1 art1 sociability1 and religion4 ,these social institutions will increase in relative importance and they must be located at the community center if they are to have a sufficient constituency to be efficient in their work and command the loyalty of rural people4 ,inasmuch as both farmer and villager are necessary for the adequate support of church1 lodge1 school1 and other community organizations1 they cannot be expected to work together in these activities if one is antagonistic to the other1 or if the one is helping to put the other out of business4 ,the farmer has had many grievances against the townsman1 but the fault has not been entirely on one side1 and only by mutual support and the recognition of their dependent interests can a satisfactory community life be maintained4 ,the root of the whole trouble lies in the imaginary division of the community into town and country4 ,with the realization that their common interests are essential and that their differences are due to lack of proper adjustment1 many of these difficulties will be alleviated4 ,it is my experience that in the most successful communities1 the farmers speak of our town1 they are proud of our bank1 and our stores1 school1 and churches are the best in the region4 ,such loyalty is the best of evidence that the business men of the town have devoted themselves to supplying the farmers' needs1 and that there is mutual understanding between them4 ,only by a common loyalty to mutual service can the true community exist4 ,farmers need the village and it should be to them our town1 of whose successes and improvements they are proud4 ,as the villagers cannot exist without the farmers they should be interested in supporting every movement for the farmers' weal4 ,as they have more frequent contacts with other centers and with cities1 they will be the first to bring many new ideas and suggestions to the community1 but they must realize that only as all elements of the community are agreed will any new movement be permanently successful4 ,there must be loyalty to farm leaders as well as to those of the village4 ,indeed1 the most successful rural communities are those in which all are one big community family whose institutional interests center in the village4 ,,footnotes3 #ae ,see ,george ,nasmyth1 ,social ,progress and the ,darwinian ,theory4 #af ,see ,p4 ,kropotkin1 ,mutual ,aid4 #ag ,see ,l4 ,h4 ,bailey1 ,the ,place of the ,village in the ,country-,life ,movement1 ,york ,state ,rural ,problems1 ,,ii1 #adh4 ,albany1 ,n4 ,y41 #aiae4 ,,chapter ,,vi ,,community ,,aspects ,,of ,,the ,,farm ,,business ,in the days of the pioneer the farm business was hardly affected by community conditions4 ,a general store where necessities could be purchased1 a mill where grain could be ground1 and a blacksmith shop were about the only necessary business agencies4 ,the farm was largely self-sufficient and there was but little real community life4 ,nor was there much change in the next generation or two among the farmers who built substantial homes1 supported their neighborhood churches and schools1 and with the free labor of a good-sized family made a comfortable living4 ,their interests were chiefly in their families and neighbors1 and questions of local government were about the only community bond4 ,when new sections of the country were opened up by railroads and with the growth of cities farm lands increased rapidly in value1 there was an era of speculative farming1 which ,dr4 ,warren ,h4 ,wilson has called the era of the exploiter4#ah ,a farm was bought with an idea of its improvement and resale at a good profit1 and many farmers moved from one section to another in search of new land which was both fertile and cheap4#ai ,the era of land speculation has by no means passed1 as has been learned to their sorrow by many who bought farms at inflated prices during the ,world ,war1 and whenever there is a sudden rise in land values1 speculation will doubtless recur4 ,on the other hand1 as cheap lands become scarce1 as the better lands become more valuable and the amount of capital required to equip and operate a farm in the better agricultural sections increases1 there will be less tendency to be on the lookout for a profitable sale and the farm business will become more permanent because of the large effort and capital expended in the enterprise and the consequent attachment of the owner4 ,a man with a considerable investment does not care to move frequently4 ,thus higher land values--inevitable with an increasing population--will favor a more permanent type of farming1 conducted on scientific and business principles1 of what ,dr4 ,wilson calls the husbandman type4 ,this type of farmer not only desires but requires better institutions of all sorts1 which can only be maintained at a community center4 ,thus permanency of ownership of farm operators conduces to community development4 ,unfortunately1 however1 the rise of values of the best land seems to encourage tenancy rather than ownership1 for tenancy is greatest and increases most on the best farm lands4 ,the general economic aspects and the ultimate solution of the tenancy problem are national rather than local problems4 ,the effect of tenancy as it now exists1 with a frequent shifting from one community to another1 is1 however1 a very serious community problem1 for all observers agree that the maintenance of a satisfactory standard of community life is much more difficult where tenancy predominates4 ,one important economic aspect of tenancy is that tenants1 who are frequently moving1 will less readily and effectively affiliate in coperative enterprises1 and we shall see that coperative organizations have a large influence in promoting the solidarity of the rural community4 ,this has been well brought out by one of our best students of the tenancy problem1 ,dr4 ,c4 ,l4 ,stewart1 who says3 ,farming efficiency in the future1 however1 will probably consist to a greater extent in the ability to increase net profits through coperative dealing with the market4 ,the efficiency test must1 therefore1 rule more strongly against operators of the tenures1 whose characteristics are opposed to successful coperative effort on their part4 ,that tenants1 he continues1 changing from farm to farm at more or less short intervals1 should generally be more active and successful than owners in building up coperative organizations is hardly in the line of reason4444 ,if in the future1 coperation assumes forms requiring greater permanency of membership in the societies1 greater intimacy of acquaintance among the members1 or greater investment per member1 the tenants will doubtless find themselves handicapped in their relation thereto4#bj ,the effect of a large percentage of tenants is even more serious upon the social side of community life4 ,those who have studied the problem are agreed that both schools and churches tend to be inferior in tenant communities4 ,there is little chance of development of deep friendships and associations which give vitality to church life where a large proportion of the tenants are frequently moving1 nor can they give as good financial support to the church as landowners4 ,the frequent shifting of the tenant population creates a difficult problem for all the social life of the community1 for it is impossible for a community to assimilate a considerable percentage of its population every year and to develop those strong ties of loyalty which are essential to real community life4 ,thus a reasonable permanency of residence of its population is essential to successful community life and this is largely determined by the economic situation of the farm business4 ,and the importance of the effect of tenancy1 or any other economic aspect of agriculture on the life of its people must be recognized as a fundamental consideration in determining rural policies4 ,well being on the land and not wealth from the land is the final goal of agriculture4 ,community life is also affected by the type of farming which is prevalent among its people4 ,modern agriculture is becoming specialized1 and the crops grown are determined both by soil and climate and by the markets available4 ,fruit sections are due primarily to the former1 while the regions producing market milk are determined chiefly by the latter factor4 ,now various types of farming make distinctly different demands upon the time of the farmer and so to a considerable extent they condition his social life4 ,dairying is probably the most confining sort of farming1 and on the one-man farm there is little opportunity for getting away4 ,haven't missed milking morning or night for six years1 one dairyman replied to me when asked if he ever had a vacation4 ,the fruit grower1 on the other hand1 during the winter can take a few weeks to go ,south or visit relatives without injury to his business4 ,in the ,south after the crops are laid by in midsummer is the season for camp-meetings1 picnics1 and frolicking in general4 ,not only does the fruit grower have more leisure than the dairyman1 but population is denser in a fruit-growing or trucking community and hence the communities are smaller and more compact4 ,just what characteristics of community life may be attributed to these differences in vocation it would be difficult to say1 for so far as ,i am aware no exact studies have compared several communities of each type1 but that they exercise a large influence on community customs and the social attitudes of the people is patent to even a casual observer who passes from a dairy section to a fruit region1 or from the northwestern grain belt to a region of general farming4#ba ,specialization in agricultural production also affects community life in that its economic interests are unified both as regards production and marketing and as the income of most of its people comes from one or two products1 their attention is focused upon them and a greater degree of solidarity results than where farming is more diversified and farmers are not so dependent on the sale of one or two crops4 ,specialization is chiefly due to advantages which it ensures in marketing1 as will be indicated in the next chapter1 and it is because there is less economic pressure to compel general farmers to market together and that they lack the solidarity developed by specialization1 that coperative selling associations have not generally succeeded in a general farming region when they have attempted to handle various farm products4 ,specialization in agriculture encourages further division of labor because there is a sufficient volume of work to pay for expert services4 ,thus dairy communities have developed cow-test associations1 which employ one man to test the percent of butter-fat for each cow1 to interpret their milk production records1 and sometimes to advise them with regard to feeding4 ,in fruit regions a considerable business is done in contract spraying4 ,threshing crews and threshing-rings have long been common4 ,custom plowing by tractor1 and hauling of farm produce by motor truck are becoming common4 ,it seems probable that such division of labor will increase as much as is practicable1 but it finds very definite limitations in the agricultural industry1 due to the very short season in which many operations can be performed and which thus gives short employment for any of the seasonal operations4 ,division of labor also involves increasing the manufacture or processing of agricultural products which is an asset to the community if performed locally as far as possible4 ,butter is no longer made in the home but at the creamery1 and milk is prepared for the city market at the shipping station1 or is sold to a local condensary1 all of which employ more or less skilled labor4 ,with crops which are perishable or bulky1 processing must be performed locally4 ,thus canneries are located where the vegetables or fruits are grown4 ,although the selling of equipment for coperative canning plants has been almost as much of a swindle as promoting coperative creameries1 yet large numbers of coperative creameries exist where conditions for them are suitable1 and there seems no inherent reason why coperative canneries cannot be made successful when farmers have learned how to organize and to employ expert help4#bb ,in his delightful vision of the possibilities of a new ,ireland1 entitled ,the ,national ,being1 ,george ,william ,russell 7,a4 ,e471 holds out the hope that the increase of such local coperative manufacture of agricultural products may be the means of furnishing an opportunity for the rural laborer to better his status4 ,but what ,i hope for most1 he says1 is first that the natural evolution of the rural community1 and the concentration of individual manufacture1 purchase1 and sale into communal enterprises1 will lead to a very large coperative ownership of expensive machinery1 which will necessitate the communal employment of labor4 ,if this takes place1 as ,i hope it will1 the rural laborer1 instead of being a manual worker using primitive implements1 will have the status of a skilled mechanic employed permanently by a coperative community4 ,he should be a member of the society which employs him1 and in the division of the profits receive in proportion to his wage1 as the farmers in proportion to their trade4#bc ,to the extent that processing farm products is taken from the farm and performed at the community center1 or that there is a division of labor1 the local community is thereby strengthened1 for its life is more highly organized2 it is more inter-dependent4 ,an interesting phase of the relation of the community to the farm business is in the protection of crops and animals from insect pests and diseases4 ,if one man plants his wheat late enough to escape the ,hessian fly his crop is benefited1 but if all in a community do so the subsequent infection is greatly reduced with consequent advantage to all4 ,the chief obstacle preventing the successful combating of the cotton boll weevil in the ,south has been the difficulty of securing united action in the necessary cultural measures for its control4 ,most striking results have been secured in the eradication of the ,texas ,fever ,tick from large areas of the ,south1 although this has been carried on using the county as a unit2 for many purposes in the ,south the county is practically a community4 ,some of the best community work in this field has been in the ,west in poisoning ground squirrels and other injurious rodents and in rabbit drives4 ,although the poisoning campaigns are conducted over whole counties or several counties1 they are organized by communities and their success is possible only because every one in the community does his part4 ,whenever the farmers of a community become convinced that they are unable to fight a pest or disease individually1 but can do so if they act collectively so that a sufficiently large area is treated as to prevent immediate re-infection1 a new community bond has been established4 ,whether these activities are carried on by communities of the exact nature previously defined 7page #aj7 is immaterial4 ,the significant fact is that their people are learning how to act together in the common defense1 for it was the common defense which first compelled mankind to live in communities1 and it is defense for one purpose or another which is ever compelling the people of a locality to act together4 ,farm management experts point out the practical value to the farmer of community experience with regard to methods of farm practice peculiarly adapted to local climate1 soils1 and markets4 ,if one is going into dairying he can learn little from his neighbors if he locates in a fruit section1 but in a dairy section he may constantly learn from the common experience4 ,dr4 ,g4 ,f4 ,warren says3 ,there is so much to learn about farming in any community that one man cannot hope to learn it alone4 ,the experience of the community is of the utmost value to every farmer4 ,different men try out new varieties of crops1 new machines1 different breeds of animals1 different methods of raising crops1 different methods of building construction1 different ways of saving labor4 ,each man gets the experiences of all2 if a man is following a type of farming different from his neighbors1 he cannot hope to try all these things4 ,he is not likely to progress very rapidly4#bd ,these advantages occur if there be a true community2 i4e41 if through communication one may learn the experience of others1 but in some cases the experience is of little value because it is not available4 ,finally farmers are coming to find it profitable to establish the reputation of a community for advertising purposes4 ,so at the railroad station we are faced with the sign1 ,kalamazoo1 the home of celery4 ,we know of ,kalamazoo1 direct to you stoves1 but we had forgotten that it is one of the oldest and best celery-growing communities in the country4 ,thus increased specialization gives very real advertising values to a community which builds up a reputation for its products4 ,but such a reputation is simply the recognition by the outside world of the character of the community4 ,thus ability to advertise itself is a very real index of its solidarity1 and the desire to be able to gain advantage from advertising may become a real motive for activities of a community1 as it does with many an individual4 ,the ability to advertise but shows the economic value of the creation of a real community4 ,common interests in the farm business form the primary bond for the establishment of true rural communities1 and the strongest of these common interests are those involved in the problems of marketing4 ,,footnotes3 #ah ,see ,the ,evolution of the ,country ,community4 #ai ,see ,hamlin ,garland1 ,a ,son of the ,middle ,border4 #bj ,land ,tenure in the ,united ,states with special reference to ,illinois1 ,university of ,illinois1 ,studies in the ,social ,sciences1 ,vol4 ,v1 ,no4 #c1 ,sept41 #aiaf1 p4 #abd4 #ba ,see ,john ,m4 ,gillette1 ,constructive ,rural ,sociology 7#ast ,ed471 ,chapter ,,iii4 #bb ,for an excellent discussion of ,processing ,farm ,products1 see ,theodore ,macklin1 ,efficient ,marketing for ,agriculture1 ,macmillan1 ,new ,york1 #aiba1 ,chap4 ,,vi4 #bc ,the ,national ,being1 ,some ,thoughts on ,irish ,polity1 p4 #eg1 ,maunsel ,co41 ,dublin and ,london1 #aiaf4 #bd ,farm ,management1 p4 #ih1 ,macmillan ,co41 ,new ,york1 #aiac4 ,,chapter ,,vii ,,how ,,markets ,,affect ,,rural ,,communities ,we have already observed the influence of transportation and the growth of markets in revolutionizing the self-sufficient farming of the pioneer and the industrial self-dependency of the isolated community1 but we must give further consideration to the influence of markets on rural community life1 for the world is now facing problems of the readjustment of its whole economic system which necessitate a better understanding by the farmer of his dependence on markets and by urban populations of their dependence upon the raw materials produced by the farm1 if the mechanism of our complex modern civilization is to be maintained4 ,these relations involve the largest questions of the interdependence of industries and of national and international policy in relation thereto1 and we can but call attention to some of the more fundamental principles involved4 ,an understanding of some of the elementary principles of agricultural economy in relation to national and international economy by the masses of our farmers1 but particularly by their local leaders1 is essential to any permanent progress not only of agriculture1 but of industry and commerce4 ,before the time of railroads when rural communities were isolated from the few cities situated on the seaboard and along the larger waterways1 there was little incentive for the inland farmer to raise more than he needed for the use of his own family4 ,as a result there was inefficient farming and a low standard of living4#be ,railroad transportation made it possible for the farmer to send his products to the existing markets and so made it an object for him to produce a surplus1 but1 more important1 it also made possible the rapid growth of numerous industrial and commercial centers and so was directly responsible for the creation of new and growing markets4 ,steam power1 the use of coal1 and the economies of the factory system made it possible to manufacture in large city factories many articles previously produced in the farmer's home or in the village centers4 ,thus a division of labor was effected which was profitable to all parties2 the growth of industrial populations gave the farmer a market for his produce1 and in turn he was able to purchase from the city many goods previously unknown to the farm--fertilizers1 agricultural machinery1 factory-made clothing1 furniture1 and other factory products too numerous to mention4 ,furthermore1 transportation and reasonably stable government made possible the growth of international commerce so that the markets of many staple farm products became practically world-wide and a division of labor arose between certain nations4 ,england and ,germany are dependent on other countries for a considerable part of their food supplies and raw materials1 while certain agricultural countries depend on them for manufactured goods4 ,the point which must ever be borne in mind in considering the relation of rural and urban communities is their interdependence2 that the development both of modern industrial centers and of modern agriculture and the higher standards of living on ,american farms1 have been due to an exchange of commodities and services which was mutually advantageous4 ,without the growth of markets our farms would still be self-sufficing1 but they would lack the many comforts and cultural advantages which they now enjoy1 and this rise in the farmer's standard of living has stimulated further growth of industry and so made better markets4 ,these considerations are particularly pertinent at the present time of agricultural and business depression4 ,the present position of ,american agriculture1 and its lack of buying power in our markets1 has been largely due to the fact that ,europe has heretofore furnished an open market for our surplus agricultural products4 ,to-day ,europe is unable to purchase this surplus4 ,the cause seems to be chiefly an economic paralysis resulting from the political interference by the tariff walls of newly-created states with the established economic relations of agricultural areas and manufacturing centers1 and an unwillingness of the farmer to do business with a currency so debased that its value is highly problematical4 ,so we see the great city of ,vienna1#bf once one of the gayest and most brilliant capitals of ,europe1 now reduced to destitution1 and the cities not only of ,russia but of ,germany being forced to revert to the ancient system of barter in order to secure adequate food4 ,the ultimate dependence of all cities upon the farms and mines is to-day exemplified in ,europe with such appalling tragedy1 that even the smug isolation of the ,american farmer and the ,american business man is broken down1 not only by human sympathy but by the necessity of a better adjustment of their own economic system to the world crisis from which they are unable to escape4 ,this shift of control from the city to the country has been powerfully portrayed by ,norman ,angell3 ,moreover1 the problem 7of feeding ,great ,britain7 is affected by what is perhaps the most important economic change in the world since the industrial revolution1 namely the alteration in the ratio of the exchange value of manufacture and food--the shift over of advantage in exchange from the side of the industrialist and manufacturer to the side of the producer of food4#bg ,before the ,war the towns of ,europe were the luxurious and opulent centers2 the rural districts were comparatively poor4 ,to-day it is the cities of the continent that are half-starved or famine-stricken1 while the farms are well-fed and relatively opulent4 ,in ,russia1 ,poland1 ,hungary1 ,germany1 ,austria2 the cities perish but the peasants for the most part have a sufficiency4 ,the cities are finding that with the breakdown of the old stability--of the transport and credit systems particularly--they cannot obtain food from the farmers4 ,this process which we now see at work on the continent is in fact the reverse of our historical development4#bh ,but although the farmer may have sufficient food for the time--though in ,russia millions are starving1 due in considerable measure to the economic and political chaos of the nation--yet if this reverse process should go on1 rural civilization would be reduced to that of former generations1 and its advance would be possible only when the industries which furnish its material basis were revived and confidence in the medium of exchange were again established4 ,the city owes its existence to the farm1 but without the city the farm would go back to the hoe and the sickle and the age of homespun4 ,i am not seeking to justify the modern city1 for its economic and social weaknesses are ever increasingly apparent1 but it is important that we fully realize the fact that rural progress has been chiefly due to the goods and services received in exchange from urban markets4 ,we have already noted the tendency toward specialization in agriculture and its effect on the rural community1 and that specialization has been chiefly due to markets4 ,one of the chief factors in encouraging specialization in the growth of certain products by whole communities and sections is the fact that a larger volume of a given product ensures better marketing facilities and a better price to the producer as long as the supply is not in excess of the demand4 ,where there is a considerable volume of a certain product1 buyers can meet their demands more easily and are attracted to it1 whereas a small lot of howsoever good a product must seek a buyer4 ,freight rates are reduced1 damage in transit is reduced1 and better transportation is secured in carload and trainload than in small shipments4 ,the middleman's charges are less if he is assured a considerable volume of business4 ,thus specialization makes possible a more effective system of marketing than is possible with indiscriminate production4 ,not only must there be sufficient volume of a given product1 but it must be so standardized with regard to varieties1 grade and quantities or packages that the reputation of the goods may be established in the market4 ,in order to secure uniformity it has been found necessary to standardize varieties and to grow a few well-known varieties of a given product which are best adapted to local conditions and to the market1 rather than a number of varieties1 as might be feasible if they were all sold directly on the local market4 ,uniformity of grading and packing is also essential to establish a reputation on the market4 ,a concern like the ,california ,fruit ,growers' ,exchange cannot afford to spend half a million dollars a year in advertising unless it knows that its product will be as advertised1 for advertising an unreliable product may secure temporary sales1 but will hardly be a profitable investment1 for the value of advertising an honest product is cumulative4 ,to secure necessary uniformity of grading and packing it has been found necessary with almost all agricultural products to have the grading and packing done at a central establishment rather than on the farm4 ,for even assuming the honesty and good intent of the farmer1 the standards and skill of different farmers will vary to such an extent that uniformity is impossible4 ,uniformity of grade and package must be secured at some stage of the process of marketing before the goods are bought by the retailer4 ,until recently much of this service has been performed by the commission men at the central markets1 who have taken what was shipped to them or what their agents purchased and graded it to meet the demands of the trade1 and who1 of course1 had to charge for their services4 ,it has been found more profitable with most products to have the grading and packing done as near to the farm as is possible to secure a sufficient volume of business for the enterprise4 ,thus we have local packing houses for fruits1 potatoes1 poultry products1 grain elevators1 etc41 usually located at the point of primary shipment4 ,these local plants1 as well as local creameries1 canneries1 and other agricultural factories and storage plants1 become community institutions as they meet the needs of the farmers within the areas tributary to the centers where they are located4 ,it is true1 of course1 that many of these plants are located in the open country or at mere railroad stations1 and that many of them draw their patronage from several communities2 yet more commonly than otherwise they are located at village centers and serve the areas tributary to them4 ,with the advent of good roads and motor trucks1 the areas served by such establishments will tend to become larger1 but there are many local circumstances which will tend to limit the process of centralization4 ,whether these plants are operated by private individuals1 by stock companies1 or by coperative associations of the producers1 they are essential to an effective marketing system and may greatly strengthen community life4 ,if1 however1 there be two or three elevators in a little village1 each operated for profit by a private owner1 where all the business could be more economically handled by one concern and where the competition creates friction and suspicion1 then like the rivalry between an excessive number of churches1 they tend to divide the community4 ,students of marketing problems seem agreed that better marketing systems will benefit the farmer through greater efficiency which will reduce the costs of the process rather than through greater profits from higher prices1 and that in many lines the largest improvement is possible in the grading1 packing1 and shipping from the local station4 ,this being the case1 it seems obvious that the solution of the marketing problem will increasingly depend upon community action4 ,better transportation and storage facilities tend to stabilize prices over large areas and to give the larger markets increasing advantage in bargaining for the farmer's products4 ,not that there is any concerted action upon the part of the buyers to take an undue advantage of the farmer1 for there is usually keen competition between them1 but inevitably the centralization of the buying power of the larger markets makes it possible for them to very largely determine the price1 just as the large employers of labor can to a considerable extent determine the wages they will pay if labor is unorganized2 for whenever there is a surplus the individual farmer must sell1 while the buyer can1 within limits1 purchase where or from whom he chooses4 ,thus for the same reason that labor is forced to organize trade unions to maintain its wages and working conditions1 farmers are forced to organize to market their products together and to bargain collectively for their price4 ,this is the outstanding agricultural movement of the past decade and at the present time is so successfully challenging the established system of marketing as to command national attention4 ,the success of such a movement depends primarily upon the solidarity and efficiency of the local units1 so that collective bargaining requires the organization of the agricultural community into selling associations for its various products4 ,the whole process encourages the economic organization of the rural community and heightens community consciousness through the effort of its members to defend their common economic interests4 ,the method of collective selling may vary1 but in practice the coperative selling association has proven the most satisfactory and will be discussed in the following chapter4 ,when the most successful farmers on the best land in ,illinois lose twenty-five cents on every bushel of corn they raised1 as was the case in #aiba1 and when it is easier for isolated farmers in ,kansas to burn corn than to buy coal at the prices current1 while at the same time millions of innocent women and children are starving in ,europe1 it seems evident that the complex system of marketing upon which modern industry and civilization has depended1 is pretty well out of gear and that national and international questions must be wisely solved before it can again function4 ,yet in last analysis the solution of the complex problems of marketing rests not alone with international treaties1 but with the farmers' selling associations of the rural communities4 ,if we are to have a marketing system which is truly functional1 which is built on the principle of the greatest service at the lowest cost1 rather than on the principle now implicit in business of sufficient service to secure the maximum of profit which the traffic will bear1 then it must be a coperative system1 the primary unit of which is the local coperative association1 whose success depends upon the loyalty of its members to the coperative principle4 ,so coperation is a community problem4 ,nor can we expect marked progress in other phases of rural life as long as the economic question is acute4 ,it is not true that economic prosperity in agriculture will of itself ensure the higher culture of the countryside2 but it is true that so long as the farmer is compelled to devote all of his strength and time to making a competence for his family1 that his attention must necessarily be fixed on economic ends and that he will have neither the means nor the time for those satisfactions of life which are possible to one with some leisure4 ,says ,a4,e43 ,i believe the fading hold the heavens have over the world is due to the neglect of the economic basis of spiritual life4 ,what profound spiritual life can there be when the social order almost forces men to battle with each other for the means of existence8#bi ,for weal or woe the material existence of both farmer and townman throughout the civilized world is inextricably inter-dependent4 ,if a better economic system is to arise it must come through the general understanding of these relations by the education of all parties and by a willingness to find satisfaction in the well-being of all rather than in the largest individual profit4 ,unless these attitudes can be established in the local community1 how can we expect to secure harmony of interests among larger groups8 ,loyalty to the common good must first be developed in the local community among neighbors4 ,in subsequent chapters we shall have occasion to consider various forces and methods for creating this spirit of community1 and we shall see that whereas the higher culture of rural life awaits a better economic system1 this spirit of loyalty which is essential for coperative organizations may be developed through various forms of community activity4 ,,footnotes3 #be ,see ,percy ,wells ,bidwell1 ,rural ,economy in ,new ,england at the ,beginning of the ,nineteenth ,century4 ,trans4 ,comm4 ,acad4 ,arts and ,sci41 ,vol4 #bj1 p4 #bec1 #aiaf2 and ,e4 ,g4 ,nourse1 ,agricultural ,economics1 p4 #fe4 #bf ,see the account of ,mr4 ,a4 ,g4 ,gardiner1 ,manchester ,guardian1 ,weekly ,edition1 ,feb4 #f1 #aibj1 quoted by ,norman ,angell in ,the ,fruits of ,victory1 p4 #bg3 ,suddenly all this elaborate structure of economic life was swept away4 ,vienna1 instead of being the vital center of fifty millions of people1 finds itself a derelict city1 with a province of six millions4 ,it is cut off from its coal supplies1 from its food supplies1 from its factories1 from everything that means existence4 ,it is enveloped by tariff walls4 #bg ,the ,fruits of ,victory1 p4 #ab1 ,new ,york1 #aiba4 #bh ,ibid41 p4 #ad4 #bi 7,george ,william ,russell71 ,the ,national ,being1 p4 #afg4 ,,chapter ,,viii ,,how ,,co,,peration ,,strengthens ,,the ,,community ,the greatest improvements in marketing are being effected through coperation4 ,we have indicated that willingness to work together for the common good and loyalty to this principle are essential for successful coperative enterprises4 ,as these same attitudes are the basis of community life1 it seems obvious that to the extent that membership in coperative associations becomes general throughout a community1 the stronger will be the community life4 ,indeed1 the very etymology of the two words1 coperate--to work together1 and community--having in common1 indicate that community activities are essentially a form of coperation--of working together4 ,inasmuch as coperative enterprises are rapidly increasing and that they must1 therefore1 exercise a powerful influence upon community life1 it is necessary to gain a clear idea of just what is involved in the principle of coperation and to what types of organization the term is applicable4 ,in a general way there has always been a certain amount of coperation between neighboring farmers in the exchange of work in barn-raisings1 threshing1 silo-filling1 slaughtering1 etc4 ,out of this have grown such coperative organizations as threshing rings1 and groups for the common ownership and use of all sorts of more expensive machinery1 the coperative ownership of sires1 cow-test associations1 and many other forms of organization for mutual aid in farm operations4 ,all of these are coperative associations in the common usage of the word coperation1 but in recent years the term has come to have a more technical meaning to denote a form of organization in contrast to the corporation or stock company1 which has been the most prevalent type of business organization in recent years4 ,the coperative association differs from the corporation or stock company in three essentials4 ,first1 it is democratic in its control2 all true coperative organizations employ the principle of one man1 one vote1 the influence of each member of the association being equal as far as the legal control of its administration is concerned4 ,the individual members and not the amount of stock owned controls the policy of the association4 ,coperation is democracy applied to business4 ,second1 the coperative association is organized to secure more efficient service rather than to exact profits4 ,this is a point upon which there is much misunderstanding upon the part of those starting coperative enterprises and which requires further explanation4 ,third1 the earnings or savings of the association 7commonly thought of as profits7 are distributed among the members or patrons of the association pro rata according to the volume of the business which they have transacted with the association1 so that although its control is democratic its benefits accrue according to the amount of financial interest involved4 ,there are certain other principles of business procedure which have been found essential to the successful operation of different kinds of coperative associations1 but these three--individual voting1 service rather than profits1 and pro-rating the earnings--are fundamental to all truly coperative associations1 and it is to this combination of business methods to which the term coperation has now come to be applied in a technical sense4 ,exclusive of associations formed for coperation in the general sense of the term1 i4e41 for various purposes of farm operation as mentioned above1 farmers' coperative associations may be divided into three general groups3 for buying1 for selling1 and for finance4 ,coperative buying has been most successfully developed by industrial workers in towns and cities and is commonly known as consumers' coperation4 ,starting with a few poverty-stricken workers who pooled their meager savings so that they could buy at wholesale and share in the profits of the retailer1 the ,rochdale system has grown until the wholesale coperative societies of ,england and ,scotland are probably the largest general merchandising corporations in the world1 doing a business of approximately a billion dollars a year4 ,coperative buying of farm supplies1 fertilizers1 machinery1 spraying materials1 feeds1 binder twine1 etc41 is one of the first forms of coperative effort ordinarily undertaken by farmers' associations1 and is carried on by numerous methods4 ,in most cases the services rendered in the business management of such buying is at first largely on a voluntary basis or is but poorly paid4 ,only in a few sections of the country has the coperative buying of agricultural supplies assumed a permanent or stable form of organization1 and in those cases it is very frequently a department of a coperative selling association1 such as a fruit exchange4 ,from an educational standpoint there is much to be said for commencing coperation through organization for buying agricultural supplies1 for through it farmers are trained in the principles of coperation with the greatest possibility of advantage and the least risk of loss4 ,there is little probability of loss in judicious coperative purchases of carload lots with orders in hand1 while in coperative selling1 unless marketing facilities are so bad as to force him to take the risk1 the chance of loss is a serious consideration to the farmer4 ,this point has been well stated by ,edwin ,a4 ,pratt1 a leader of agricultural organization in ,england1 who says3 ,inquiry into the conditions under which organization of agriculture has been successfully carried out in other countries showed that a beginning had invariably been made with the simplest form of combination for the joint purchase of agricultural necessaries4 ,in this way the advantages of coperation could be brought home to cultivators1 who were gradually educated in the theory and practice of combination without having their suspicions aroused and their mutual distrust stimulated by proposals that they should at once alter their old conditions of trading in accordance with that system of combination for transport or sale which really constitutes not the beginning of agricultural organization1 but one of the most difficult and most complicated of all its many phases4#cj ,one of the allurements of coperative buying has been to at once establish a coperative store for a general merchandising business4 ,the history of such stores started by granges in the #gj's and #hj's is instructive in this connection4 ,a few of them survive1 but most of them were failures4 ,only after years of experience and education in coperative purchasing and other coperative enterprises have the aims and methods of operating coperative stores been sufficiently appreciated by most rural communities to ensure their successful establishment4 ,we have already considered 7page #dh7 some of the considerations which should govern the attempt to compete with local merchants4 ,generally the successful operation of a coperative store is more difficult for an average group of farmers to manage than the simpler forms of coperative purchasing1 or coperative credit or selling associations4#ca ,moreover1 a coperative store will seriously affect the solidarity of a small community unless a goodly majority1 both from farm and village1 are convinced of the necessity of competing with local retailers and will give the store their patronage4 ,except in the buying of agricultural supplies1 which may be considered rather as the raw materials and equipment of the farm as a manufacturing business and which are therefore entitled to wholesale prices1 consumers' coperation as usually conducted through coperative stores is not a distinctively agricultural problem1 but is the same for the farmer as for the villager or industrial worker1 and its desirability and limitations are determined by similar considerations4 ,with the change to a commercial type of farming and with the higher price of land1 the ,american farmer has had to make larger use of borrowed capital and his business has been seriously hampered by a lack of credit facilities to meet his needs4 ,probably in no field of coperative effort have the benefits been more apparent than in that of the rural credit banks which are found throughout ,europe and which have thoroughly demonstrated their usefulness4 ,attention has been called to the fact that our best farm lands are more and more operated by tenants1 and that this is inimical to strong community life4 ,one of the reasons for this tendency has been the inability to secure long-term loans on farm real estate by the man who has little capital of his own4 ,as lands rose in value this became increasingly difficult4 ,to meet this situation a commission representative of all sections of the ,united ,states visited various countries in ,europe in the spring of #aiac1 and as a result of their report1 in #aiaf ,congress finally enacted the ,federal ,farm ,loan ,act establishing a system of farm land banks4 ,under this system one-half of the value of a farm and buildings up to #aj1jjj may be borrowed and paid off under the amortization plan in from five to forty years at a low rate of interest4 ,the details of the system do not concern our present discussion1 but the essential feature of the system is the local land bank through which the loans are made and collected4 ,the local land bank is strictly a coperative society organized to secure long-term credit facilities for its members under the terms of the federal act through the regional land banks of which each local bank is a member4 ,like other coperative associations1 the area in which the local bank does business is not necessarily that of a community1 it may be a whole county where there are but few members1 or there may be more than one bank in a single community1 but more commonly it is located at a village center and tends to become a community institution4 ,equally important for financing the current expenses of farming operations and to make possible the orderly marketing of crops1 is the farmer's need for short-time credit4 ,our banking system has been developed to meet the needs of the business world1 and the period for which loans can be made is too short to meet the needs of the farmer1 who often requires credit for six months to a year4 ,in some ten states legislation has been passed authorizing the formation of local credit associations1 which are really local coperative banks1 but the number of credit associations established in rural communities has been insignificant1 thirty-three out of a total of thirty-six being in ,north ,carolina4#cb ,the tremendous losses suffered by ,american farmers during #aiba and their inability to secure sufficient credit from their local banks has shown the necessity for better short-time credit facilities1 and bills are now before ,congress which will enable the local land banks to also handle short-time loans in coperation with the ,federal ,reserve ,banks4 ,if this is done1 the amount of business done by these local banks will be greatly increased and the coperative principle in banking will be greatly strengthened4 ,coperative selling associations have had a rapid growth in the ,united ,states during the past decade4 ,in #aiai the federal ,bureau of ,markets estimated that agricultural products worth one and a half billions out of a total of nearly nineteen billion dollars sold from farms were marketed through coperative associations1 and the total has greatly increased since then4 ,the ,california ,fruit ,growers' ,exchange1 probably the largest coperative selling association1 does a business of over #ej1jjj1jjj annually and has one of the most efficient distributing systems in the country4 ,at the present time some very ambitious programs of national organizations for coperative marketing are being started1 such as the ,united ,states ,grain ,growers1 ,inc41 which is modeled after the successful ,canadian ,grain ,growers1 ,inc4 ,one of the chief obstacles to all such plans of effectively organizing the marketing of various agricultural products is the fact that a strong central organization can be developed only by the federation of local associations whose members understand the purposes of the organization and are loyal to them4 ,the history of all coperative movements shows that those which have been permanently successful have arisen through the federation of strong local associations1 and numerous failures of well-intentioned efforts at large-scale coperative marketing have been due to the fact that numerous local associations cannot be organized by the parent association with any assurance that they will function effectively4 ,the late ,g4 ,harold ,powell1 for many years the successful manager of the ,california ,fruit ,growers' ,exchange1 in his discussion of the fundamentals of coperation emphasizes that coperative associations must be born of a real need3 ,among farmers1 who under existing conditions are already prosperous1 the need of business organization is not usually felt1 even though the costs of marketing and extravagant profits of the middlemen or the railroads might be greatly reduced4 ,they must feel the pressure of need before they can launch a successful business association4 ,when the farmers buy their supplies at reasonable prices1 and sell their products readily at a good profit1 they do not feel the necessity of organization4 ,it has been the experience of the past that they must feel the need of getting together to meet a crisis in their affairs1 and the realization of the need must spring from within and not be forced upon them from without by the enthusiasm of some opportunist who seeks to unite the farmers on the principle that organization is a good thing4444 ,in short1 if an organization is to be successful1 the investment of the farmer must be threatened by existing social and economic conditions before he can overcome his individualism sufficiently and can develop a fraternal spirit strong enough to pull with his neighbors in coperative team work4#cc ,the tremendous losses suffered by ,american agriculture in #aiba furnish exactly such a crisis as ,mr4 ,powell suggests1 and have given the strongest impetus to the coperative movement4 ,but even when the necessity exists and is recognized it takes time to build up a strong coperative association4 ,the successful operation of a local coperative association is a matter of slow growth1 because it requires the education of the membership in the principles both of coperation and of marketing1 and what is equally essential1 the development of a willingness to sometimes forego the advantage of larger profits by individual members in order to ensure the permanent success of the association4 ,the local association has to learn how to conduct its business just as does the individual business man1 and it has to compete with individuals and firms who are in business for profit and who have the advantage of experience in the existing marketing system and the financial backing of its business connections4 ,in the attempt to create local selling associations rapidly so as to secure a sufficient volume of business to ensure the success of large marketing enterprises1 there is always a tendency to encourage the local members to believe that they will secure a considerably larger share of the consumer's dollar1 and when prices are not materially better than under the old system they readily become dissatisfied and withdraw4 ,the best authorities and advocates of coperative marketing insist that it will be successful only to the degree that it can become more efficient than the existing system and so effect savings and make legitimate earnings1 but that there is little prospect for large profits2 indeed1 that the legitimate objective of coperation is not profits1 but savings4 ,professor ,macklin summarizes the matter as follows3 ,the true coperative organization seeks to establish and maintain a distributing system to provide adequately and dependably at minimum cost the essential marketing services of which the industry and its individual members have constant and vital need4 ,its justification lies in rendering these services at a lower cost and in bringing to farmers a higher proportion of the consumer's dollar4#cd ,with the factors involved in successful coperative selling associations we are not here concerned1 except to insist upon the point that as the weakest link measures the strength of a chain1 so the strength of the local association determines the strength or weakness of the central selling association4 ,a joint stock company may afford more efficient management than a coperative association1 and unless the local membership is convinced of the superior equity and ultimate advantages of a strong coperative system1 there is little hope for the coperative to compete with the stock company4 ,coperation means working together1 and its emphasis is more on duties and obligations than on rights and personal advantage4 ,in coperative enterprises the individual must be convinced that his best interest in the long run is bound up with the best interest of the whole membership1 and unless he is sometimes willing to forego immediate personal advantage and unless he can learn how to work with others1 sometimes without compensation or with less than he could secure otherwise1 there is little chance for developing a strong organization4 ,for coperation is but democracy applied to certain phases of business1 and1 like democracy in politics or any other sphere of life1 its highest sanction lies in belief and satisfaction in the collective well-being4 ,it seems obvious1 therefore1 that those attitudes which are essential for coperation are the same which encourage community life1 and that where the coperative spirit dominates1 community activities will be strengthened4 ,whereas1 on the contrary1 in those localities where family1 political1 or personal feuds1 jealousies and suspicions are rife1 coperative enterprises will be difficult and the community will be weak4 ,that coperation does develop those qualities which make for better communities is attested by all who have observed its effects4 ,as a result of his long experience ,sir ,horace ,plunkett says3 ,it is here1 in furnishing opportunity for the exercise of education secured from the agricultural colleges1 that the educational value of coperative societies comes in2 they act as agencies through which scientific teaching may become actual practice1 not in the uncertain future1 but in the living present4 ,a coperative association has a quality which should commend it to the social reformer--the power of evoking character2 it brings to the front a new type of local leader1 not the best talker1 but the man whose knowledge enables him to make some solid contribution to the welfare of the community4#ce ,so1 likewise1 a keen observer of ,danish coperation describes its influence in creating scientific and social attitudes3 ,among the indirect1 but equally tangible results of coperation1 ,i should be inclined to put the development of mind and character among those by whom it is practised4 ,the peasant or little farmer1 who is a member of one or more of these societies1 who helps to build up their success and enjoy their benefits1 acquires a new outlook4 ,the jealousies and suspicions which are in most countries so common among those who live by the land fall from him4 ,feeling that he has a voice in great affairs he acquires an added value and a healthy importance in his own eyes4 ,he knows also that in his degree and according to his output he is on an equal footing with the largest producer and proportionately is doing as well4 ,there is no longer any fear that because he is a little man he will be browbeaten or forced to accept a worse price for what he has to sell than does his rich and powerful neighbor4 ,the skilled minds which direct his business work as zealously for him as for that important neighbor4#cf ,it is interesting to note that the three highest authorities on the coperative movement in ,ireland all lay great stress on its importance as a means of community organization and value its social effects as highly as its economic benefits4 ,thus ,sir ,horace ,plunkett says3 ,gradually the 7coperative7 ,society becomes the most important institution in the district1 the most important in a social as well as an economic sense4 ,the members feel a pride in its material expansion4 ,they accumulate large profits1 which in time become a sort of communal fund4 ,in some cases this is used for the erection of village halls where social entertainments1 concerts and dances are held1 lectures delivered and libraries stored4 ,finally1 the association assumes the character of a rural commune1 where1 instead of the old basis of the commune1 the joint ownership of land1 a new basis for union is found in the voluntary communism of effort4#cg ,in the same vein ,smith-,gordon and ,staples in their account of the coperative movement in ,ireland1 see it as the most important force for socialization because it makes the most immediate and practical appeal to men of all parties and sects and establishes a business system which develops the community attitude3 ,the present individualist system which takes care of the business interests of the farmer is a dividing and disintegrating force4 ,it tends to destroy the natural associative character and to set each man against his neighbor4444 ,but as a member of a society with interests in common with others1 the individual consciously and unconsciously develops the social virtues4444 ,the society is in miniature a community1 and the community is but a part of the larger social group4#ch ,george ,william ,russell 7,a4,e471 the poet-prophet of ,irish agriculture1 bases his whole conception of a desirable polity for the ,irish ,state upon coperative communities1 and considers coperative societies as a prerequisite to rural organization4 ,after describing the marked economic and social changes which have taken place in a typical ,irish community as the result of coperation1 he says3 ,i have tried to indicate the difference between a rural population and a rural community1 between a people loosely knit together by the vague ties of a common latitude and longitude1 and people who are closely knit together in an association and who form a true social organism1 a true rural community1 where the general will can find expression and society is malleable to the general will4 ,i will assert that there never can be any progress in rural districts or any real prosperity without such farmers' organizations or guilds4 ,wherever rural prosperity is reported in any country inquire into it1 and it will be found that it depends on rural organization4 ,wherever there is rural decay1 if it is inquired into1 it will be found that there was a rural population but no rural community1 no organization1 no guild to promote common interests and unite the countrymen in defence of them4#ci ,the same observations might be made upon the effect of coperative enterprises in solidifying rural communities in the ,united ,states4 ,it seems doubtful whether coperative associations in the ,united ,states will develop a general social program as they have done in ,ireland1 ,belgium1 and ,russia4 ,on account of a different social inheritance and account of our facility in forming and belonging to numerous organizations1 it seems probable that we will limit our coperative societies to strictly economic functions1 and will use the increased income secured through them in other organizations for social purposes4 ,commercial farming is breaking down the old individualism of the farmer1 for the exigencies of the economic situation are forcing him to market collectively through coperative selling associations1 and as he learns that his own best interests are bound up with those of the whole community1 he becomes increasingly concerned for the common welfare2 he commences to think in terms of us and ours1 instead of only me and mine4 ,the community becomes a reality to him4 ,,footnotes3 #cj ,agricultural ,organization1 p4 #ii4 ,london1 ,p4 ,s4 ,king ,son1 #aiab4 #ca ,see ,clarence ,poe1 ,how ,farmers ,coperate1 ,chap4 ,,iii1 p4 #cg4 ,coperative buying is good2 coperative merchandising may or may not be4 ,new ,york1 ,orange ,judd ,co41 #aiae4 #cb ,v4 ,n4 ,valgren and ,e4 ,e4 ,engelbert1 ,the ,credit ,association as an ,agency for ,rural ,short-time ,credit4 ,department ,circular #aig1 ,u4 ,s4 ,dept4 ,agr41 #aiba4 #cc ,coperation in ,agriculture1 pp4 #bb1 #bc4 ,new ,york1 ,the ,macmillan ,co41 #aiac4 #cd ,theodore ,macklin1 ,efficient ,marketing for ,agriculture1 p4 #bfj4 ,new ,york1 ,macmillan ,co41 #aiba4 #ce ,the ,country ,life ,problem in the ,united ,states1 p4 #abc4 #cf ,harvey1 ,denmark and the ,danes1 p4 #adf1 quoted by ,f4 ,c4 ,howe1 ,denmark a ,coperative ,commonwealth1 p4 #fa4 #cg ,ibid41 p4 #abh4 #ch ,rural ,reconstruction in ,ireland2 a ,record of ,coperative ,organizations4 ,new ,haven1 ,yale ,univ4 ,press1 #aiai4 #ci ,the ,national ,being1 p4 #ci4 ,,chapter ,,ix ,,the ,,community',s ,,education ,,the ,,school ,at its beginning the ,united ,states ,government gave support to education by the allotment of public lands to the states as an endowment for public schools1 and although the federal government has done but little since then for primary education1 the support of education has become one of the chief concerns of state and local governments4 ,in colonial times public schools were largely confined to ,new ,england4 ,with the settlement of the ,middle ,west district schools were established with the aid of the government land grants4 ,but in the ,south conditions were not favorable for public schools until long after the ,civil ,war1 and only in the last generation or two has public education become firmly established4 ,the district school1 the famous little red school-house of the nineteenth century1 was frequently the neighborhood center and the school district commonly formed a neighborhood area1 particularly in hilly sections where its lines were adjusted by topography4 ,a recent study of neighborhood areas in ,otsego ,county1 ,new ,york1 shows that about half of them are identical with the school districts1 chiefly on account of topography1 while in ,dane ,county1 ,wisconsin1 more neighborhood areas are determined primarily by the school district than by any one factor4#dj ,formerly the district school-house was quite frequently used for ,sunday school or preaching services2 spelling-bees and other entertainments were held from time to time2 and political meetings and elections were commonly held there4 ,although the district school is still a neighborhood social center in many sections1 its decadence commenced at the close of the nineteenth century1 the change depending upon the general progress or isolation of the community1 particularly as affected by transportation4 ,several factors have combined to make the district school unsatisfactory to the rural community of to-day4 ,in the older parts of the country the population has so decreased that in many districts the maintenance of a school has become exceedingly expensive1 it is difficult to secure competent teachers1 and there are too few pupils to make the school attractive4 ,the better educational advantages of town and city schools have caused much dissatisfaction upon the part of the better class of farmers who wish their children to have the best possible start in life1 and many of those who can afford to do so have moved to town to educate their children1 thus making a bad matter worse for the district school4 ,as long as roads were poor the district school was the only one possible1 but with better roads1 automobiles and trolleys1 the consolidation of schools has proceeded rapidly in the past decade1 particularly in the prairie states4 ,a modern school cannot be maintained at every other crossroads4 ,improved roads naturally radiate from the village center and hence it is the logical point for a consolidated school or high school4 ,there are localities in isolated regions where it might be desirable to establish consolidated schools in the open country1 but in most cases where there is a natural village center1 the school should be located there and the school laws should make possible the organization of the consolidated school district regardless of township or county lines4 ,indeed legislation has already been enacted to this end in several states and forms one of the most important movements for strengthening the rural community4 ,here and there are to be found consolidated schools which have been placed in the open country at the center of a township because it was the point most easily agreed upon by all the patrons1 particularly where the township is an administrative unit of the school system4 ,in some cases somewhat successful efforts are being made to have such consolidated schools serve as social centers1 but it is believed that in the long run community life will flow to its natural centers and that the seeming success of such social centers in the open country1 unless the neighborhood be an isolated one1 will tend to weaken the communities concerned4 ,usually a consolidated district of this sort will contain parts of two or three community areas and the location of the school at a point between them weakens the support of the community centers to that extent4 ,here we encounter one of the many ways in which our artificial unit of rural government--the township--interferes with community progress4#da ,formerly only the children of the upper classes who were preparing for college received a secondary education1 but during the past generation there has been a rapid growth of public high schools which serve as the people's colleges4 ,at first these were found only in the cities and larger towns1 but rural communities have demanded equal advantages and state and national legislation has aided them in the cost of maintenance4 ,federal aid for secondary education in vocational subjects1 now available through the ,smith-,hughes ,act of #aiag1 has encouraged the establishment of rural high schools and has greatly increased the number giving instruction in agriculture and home economics4 ,hundreds of rural high schools are now giving agricultural courses better than the agricultural colleges gave twenty-five years ago4 ,rural high schools with full four-year courses have been found mostly in the larger villages and towns1 but the movement is now well under way to divide the period of secondary education into a junior and senior high school 7the so-called six-six plan71 and junior high schools1 including the seventh to ninth grades1 are being established in many smaller communities by simply adding a grade to the consolidated schools4 ,the educational forces of the country1 as expressed by statements of the ,u4 ,s4 ,bureau of ,education and the ,national ,education ,association1 are now committed to the policy of consolidated rural schools wherever they are practicable and to the establishment of a sufficient number of high schools so that every rural child may attend high school and still be able to live at home4 ,obviously it is important from the standpoint of community development that the high schools should be placed at community centers and that where some of the communities are too small to support senior high schools that they should be located at a village which serves as a center of what1 for want of a better term1 we may call the larger community 7see pages #bcb-c74 ,one of the reasons for consolidated schools is that the objectives of rural education are changing and that country people are demanding that their children be educated for country as well as for town life4 ,formerly the content and method of rural education was an imitation of that of the city and inevitably made industrial1 commercial1 and professional occupations the ideal of the pupil4 ,the schools of ,new ,england have done an immense service to the rest of the country but they were an important factor in depopulating many a ,new ,england town4 ,the introduction of nature study1 agriculture1 and home economics is becoming general in rural schools4 ,educators do not desire to train rural children solely for farm life1 and thus to segregate a farm class1 even were that possible1 but they are attempting to give equal emphasis to the values of country life so that it may prove equally attractive to the best as well as to the less efficient rural youth4 ,furthermore the whole attitude of rural as well as urban education is changing from that of teaching individuals so as to equip them with intellectual tools for their personal advancement1 to one of training future citizens who will attain their own best interests by useful service to the community4 ,the curriculum and objectives of the school are rapidly becoming socialized1 and as this process goes on the school will more and more become the most important single institution for creating community loyalty4 ,the community school1 particularly the high school1 no longer confines itself to the instruction of its regular pupils2 it is the educational center and headquarters of the community4 ,with the assistance of the ,extension ,service of the agricultural colleges1 rural high schools are holding one-week extension schools for farm men and women1 and under the ,smith-,hughes ,act they are offering continuation short courses for the younger farmers4 ,the progressive rural high school is taking a live interest in the one-room district schools which may be too far from the center for consolidation1 and is seeking to interest their pupils in attending high schools through athletic meets1 play festivals1 and similar assemblages of all the schools of the community1 which thus create a natural bond of interest and common enthusiasm4 ,the principal of the high school at ,oxford1 ,n4 ,y41 recently organized a public-speaking contest of representatives of all the country schools in his supervisory district1 in connection with the annual play festival which he had established several years before4 ,this proved to be a huge success and gave the boys and girls from the district schools new confidence in their ability of self-expression4 ,one of the greatest needs which farmers' organizations are to-day feeling is their lack of leaders who can speak for them effectively at public gatherings and before legislative hearings in competition with men who make their living by talking4 ,such contests1 particularly when the topics discussed deal with affairs of country life with which the children are acquainted and in which they are vitally interested1 as was the case with the one at ,oxford and to which much of its success was attributed1 are therefore of great value and may well be substituted for the academic debates so often heard on subjects quite foreign to the child's life and beyond his real comprehension4 ,in many places new school buildings are being constructed with an auditorium1 which may be used as a gymnasium1 library room1 dining room1 etc41 so that they may serve as social centers for the community4 ,where the community is not large enough to afford a separate community house this is frequently the best and most economical means of meeting this need4 ,this will be discussed further in considering community buildings4 ,numerous rural high schools are conducting lyceum and entertainment courses1 and some are operating motion-picture shows on ,saturday nights4 ,where no other organization is better adapted for taking the responsibility of furnishing high-class entertainment to the community1 this is a useful service4 ,school orchestras and bands1 choruses1 and dramatic clubs are also valuable additions to the community life4 ,the successful community school will not center all of its activities in its own building1 but it will take some of its talent to the country schools for local athletic and play contests1 dramatic or musical entertainments1 etc41 and thus magnify the importance of the local school in the neighborhood1 for only by acquiring a desire for these advantages will the people in the more isolated parts of the community come to interest themselves in the activities of the whole community at its village center4 ,it is becoming more and more apparent that if the school is really to function as it should1 that it must have the active interest and support of its patrons4 ,it is not enough that they should assemble at the annual school meeting1 elect school officials1 vote taxes for its maintenance1 and then leave its management to the school board and teachers4 ,it is highly desirable that every encouragement should be given toward making teaching a life profession1 but as teaching becomes professionalized it tends1 like every other calling1 to become more or less of a bureaucracy4 ,it is essential that educational methods should be determined by and be in charge of educators who are trained for such service1 but if they get the idea1 as sometimes seems unfortunately the case1 that it is the business of the people to supply funds for the support of the schools and then to leave their entire operation to the teachers and superintendents1 they assume an attitude which is fatal to the life of the school1 for no educational system1 however ideal in theory1 can be effective without the sympathetic understanding and cordial support of the majority of its patrons4 ,it is for this reason that large emphasis is being placed by progressive educators on the organization of parent-teachers associations or school improvement leagues for the discussion of school problems by parents and teachers4 ,in many cases the parent-teachers association forms one of the chief bonds of the country community and the ,state of ,virginia has built up a remarkable system of community organization through its ,coperative ,educational ,league with hundreds of local leagues which interest themselves in all phases of community life4 ,the school is also coming to realize that although it is the institution specially created for the systematic education of the child1 that much of his education is received outside the school and that certain phases of his education may be accomplished more effectively through the coperation of the school with other institutions and agencies4 ,thus instead of seeking to absorb all of the time of the child and to give it all kinds of training within the school or as part of its curriculum1 the school is commencing to develop methods for strengthening and cordinating the educational work of the home1 the church1 and of various organizations4 ,the teaching of agriculture has been made vital and effective by the home project in which the boy comes to appreciate the value of the principles studied at school in connection with an agricultural enterprise in raising crops or livestock of his own on the home farm4 ,this tends to enlist the interest of the parents1 who contribute largely to the educational process4 ,the same principle is being applied to a less extent in work in home economics1 and the giving of school credit for various kinds of home work has established a community of interest between home and school4 ,in the teaching of hygiene1 and particularly with regard to sex hygiene1 the school finds it difficult to establish those habits and attitudes which are as important as mere knowledge without the help and coperation of the home4 ,so1 too1 the medical inspection of school children1 with the work of school nurses and clinics held at the school for children of pre-school age1 stimulate the home to better health4 ,because of the separation of church and state in this country we have very largely neglected all effort toward religious education in our public schools1 and even ethical training has been more or less of a secondary objective until very recently4 ,a growing appreciation of the inadequacy of the ordinary ,sunday school has led to a movement for giving systematic instruction and training in religious education under church auspices at a time set apart by the school and for which school credit is given when it meets reasonable educational standards4 ,the week-day school of religion is still in an experimental stage4 ,it has been established longest in cities1 but is now being attempted in rural communities1 and if sectarian dogmatism and jealousies can be submerged1 there seems every reason to hope that this may be a most important feature of our educational system4 ,so1 too1 the boys' and girls' clubs in agriculture and home economics1 the boy and girl scouts1 the campfires1 the little mothers' leagues1 the health crusades1 the ,y4,m4,c4,a and ,y4,w4,c4,a41 and other organizations for children and youth1 have created new interest in certain aspects of school work and are a source of educational dynamic which progressive educators are utilizing as valuable allies4 ,thus in very many ways the school is adapting its methods to meet its responsibility for developing good citizens who are loyal to the welfare of the community1 and the school principal is rightly expected to be a leader in community affairs in so far as they concern the participation and interests of the school4 ,it is a far cry from the isolated one-room1 box-type district school1 with a young girl with no professional training teaching a dozen youngsters of all ages as best she can with little or no equipment1 to the modern consolidated school or rural high school with all the intimate connections with the life of the whole community above described1 but this difference measures one phase of the progress which has been made in recent years toward the integration of the rural community and depicts one of the most important forces involved in this process1 whose influence is only commencing to be felt4 ,how different will the life of rural communities be a generation or two hence when in most of them practically all of the parents and children will have had a high-school education1 with all the broader contacts and outlook on life which that involves6 ,we need only to study the influence of the ,danish ,folk ,high ,schools#db to visualize the outcome4 ,,the ,,public ,,library ,the public library has possibilities as an educational institution exceeded only by those of the school4 ,in many cases it is the intellectual center of the community1 while in others the caricature of the library of ,gopher ,prairie in ,sinclair ,lewis' ,main ,street1 where one of the chief objects was to keep the books from being soiled or worn out1 is not much overdrawn4 ,increasingly1 however1 the librarian is studying methods of salesmanship for increasing the local consumption of the products of the world's best minds in books and magazines1 and is of inestimable service to all organizations whose members have occasion to study what human thought has contributed to the solution of their problems4 ,the public library gives the means of further education to many a person deprived of academic privileges1 who may realize the truth of ,carlyle's saying3 ,the true ,university of these days is a ,collection of ,books4 ,in many states public libraries are aided by state and local appropriations1 particularly in ,new ,england and the states settled by ,new ,england stock1 for it is to ,new ,england#dc that we are indebted for the public library as well as the public school4 ,it is not1 however1 economically possible for every small community to support a permanent local library1 and many of those established have a precarious existence and are maintained only through the devotion of public-spirited individuals4 ,to meet the need of isolated neighborhoods a few county libraries1 notably in ,washington ,county1 ,maryland1 and a few counties in ,delaware and ,minnesota1 have made use of book-wagons which are accompanied by a librarian who makes a rural free delivery of books to each home and assists the families in their selection4 ,it seems1 however1 that the chief value of the book-wagon is as a means of creating a desire for books1 and that when this is created it will be much more economical to furnish them through branch stations at neighborhood or community centers4 ,systems of traveling libraries are also supported by many states and make it possible for the most isolated neighborhoods to secure the best of books4 ,unfortunately1 however1 the places which need them most do not always know of them nor will they take the initiative to secure them4 ,they are of particular value for securing collections of books on special topics for the use of granges1 churches1 and study clubs of all sorts4 ,but as the demand for traveling libraries grows1 the administration of the system from the state library becomes a large undertaking and the need of better local libraries is realized4 ,a system of county libraries has been developed in ,california1 has spread to several other states1 and is now being advocated by the ,american ,library ,association and by library leaders generally4 ,under the county system a central library is established at the county seat1 with branches or loan stations at the different community centers1 and with traveling collections for the more isolated neighborhoods4 ,the larger centers which have local libraries continue to maintain them and simply serve as part of the system4 ,thus the library resources of the county are pooled and the farm people are given the same sort of service that a city library gives its people through its branches4 ,the feature of interest from a community standpoint is that1 although this is a county system1 it recognizes the usefulness of local branches and makes possible a library service adapted to its needs for every small community1 whereas separate libraries have heretofore been possible only in the larger centers4 ,,the ,,country ,,weekly ,one of the most important educational agencies of the rural community is the oft-derided weekly newspaper4 ,after a period of difficult competition with city dailies the surviving weeklies are becoming recognized as community institutions4 ,those which are succeeding are doing so by becoming the voice of the community and the means of its self-acquaintance4 ,no agency may be more powerful in unifying or disrupting the life of the local community4 ,this new concept of the country weekly has been well expressed by ,w4 ,p4 ,kirkwood1 of the ,university of ,minnesota3 ,community building was a concept unknown to the editor of thirty or forty years ago4 ,to-day it is an accepted concept of dynamic force1 full of significance in most of the country towns of ,america4 ,community service1 as such a concept1 is fast finding its way into the country press--in the ,middle ,west1 at least4 ,as this ideal gains acceptance1 giving definite direction to newspaper effort for the upbuilding of communities1 the press gains an enlarged constituency with a truer conception of the power and usefulness of the newspaper4444 ,community service1 community building1 then1 as a master motive1 establishes the country weekly newspaper publisher securely in his position of leadership4 ,it assures added community prosperity and the local development of the finer satisfactions of life in which he must share1 and no other agency can take this from him1 neither the city daily1 coming in from a distance and concerned with the larger affairs of the larger community1 nor the school1 nor the church1 nor any other4#dd ,in a bulletin on ,the ,country ,weekly in ,new ,york ,state1#de ,professor ,m4 ,v4 ,atwood1 of the ,new ,york ,state ,college of ,agriculture and for several years a successful publisher1 discusses the purposes and future of the country weekly4 ,he holds that the country weekly is not1 as often stated1 and should not be a molder of public opinion1 but should rather express and interpret the sentiment of its constituency4 ,the country newspaper1 he says1 is a service agency2 it is a community institution like the church1 the school1 the library1 and the farm and home bureau4 ,it helps all these institutions to do their work4444 ,if the country newspaper does not do much thought-molding it does offer a medium for the dissemination of thought1 for the propagation of ideas of the people of the community4 ,the value of the newspaper to the community becomes especially apparent when some local project is to be considered1 like the erection of a school1 the building of good roads1 or the installation of a water system4 ,for weeks the paper will offer in the form of letters1 the views of different people of the community4 ,the subject is thoroughly aired4 ,even if the editor takes no sides in the matter1 his paper has been of inestimable service to the community4 ,indeed1 as we shall see later1 such a free discussion is a most essential step in all community activities1 and the service of the newspaper is probably greater if it acts as a free and open forum for discussion rather than a partisan of either side4 ,of the news of the future1 ,professor ,atwood says3 ,most of these papers will also be printing much more farm news than they do to-day because as the publishers have surveyed their fields they will have found the primary interest of their readers is agricultural4 ,there will be some exceptions for some communities will have ceased to be dominated by agriculture because of the coming of factories4 ,the real country weeklies will not become agricultural text hooks2 but the news of the farms1 the improvements to farm buildings1 and the experiences of successful local farmers will find much space in their columns4 ,the community editor of the future is not going to worry much about 'hot' news4 ,he will realize that most of the striking facts of any story have already been printed in the neighboring city papers1 but he will realize also that the genuine community interest in the event has not been glimpsed by the city editor1 who is out of touch with the local situation2 around these community aspects the local editor will weave his story4 ,possibly the best appreciation of the country weekly is a prose poem written by ,professor ,bristow ,adams1 editor of the ,new ,york ,state ,college of ,agriculture1 and presented at the first country newspaper conference held at that institution during ,farmers ,week #aibj1 entitled ,i am the ,country ,weekly1#df and which vividly depicts its service as an agency for developing community consciousness3 ,i am the ,country ,weekly4 ,i am the friend of the family1 the bringer of tidings from other friends2 ,i speak to the home in the evening light of summers vine-clad porch or the glow of winters lamp4 ,i help to make this evening hour2 ,i record the great and the small1 the varied acts of the days and weeks that go to make up life4 ,i am for and of the home2 ,i follow those who leave humble beginnings2 whether they go to greatness or to the gutter1 ,i take to them the thrill of old days1 with wholesome messages4 ,i speak the language of the common man2 my words are fitted to his understanding4 ,my congregation is larger than that of any church in my town2 my readers are more than those in the school4 ,young and old alike find in me stimulation1 instruction1 entertainment1 inspiration1 solace1 comfort4 ,i am the chronicler of birth1 and love and death--the three great facts of man's existence4 ,i bring together buyer and seller1 to the benefit of both2 ,i am part of the market-place of the world4 ,into the home ,i carry word of the goods which feed and clothe1 and shelter1 and which minister to comfort1 ease1 health1 and happiness4 ,i am the word of the week1 the history of the year1 the record of my community in the archives of state and nation4 ,i am the exponent of the lives of my readers4 ,i am the ,country ,weekly4 ,,footnotes3 #dj ,out of #ahe neighborhood areas1 #ci were chiefly due to the school district1 the next most important influence being the church parish which determined the neighborhood in #cc cases4 ,j4 ,h4 ,kolb1 ,rural ,primary ,groups4 ,research ,bull4 #ea1 ,agr4 ,exp4 ,sta4 of the ,univ4 of ,wisconsin1 p4 #dh4 #da ,the relation of the consolidated school to township and community lines is well shown in a study of the schools of ,randolph ,county1 ,indiana1 and ,marshall ,county1 ,iowa1 by ,dr4 ,a4 ,w4 ,hayes1 in his ,rural ,community ,organization 7,chap4 ,,vi1 ,univ4 of ,chicago ,press1 #aiba74 ,in ,randolph ,county more of the schools are located in the open country while the more recent consolidations in ,marshall ,county are located mostly at the village centers4 ,dr4 ,hayes recognizes the differences but he gives no facts which make possible a judgment as to the relative efficiency of the two methods from a community standpoint4 #db ,f4 ,c4 ,howe1 ,denmark a ,coperative ,commonwealth4 ,h4 ,w4 ,foght1 ,rural ,denmark and its ,schools4 #dc ,in ,pease and ,niles' ',gazateer of ,connecticut and ,rhode ,island' 7#ahai7 the social library is almost as regularly mentioned in the descriptions of the various towns as are the saw-mills1 or the ministers and doctors4--,bidwell1 ,rural ,economy in ,new ,england1 p4 #cdg4 #dd ,in the ,inland ,printer1 ,february1 #aibj1 quoted by ,atwood1 l4 c41 p4 #cje4 #de ,the ,cornell ,reading ,course for the ,farm1 ,lesson #aee1 ,march1 #aibj4 ,see also his ,the ,country ,newspaper and the ,community1 ,chicago1 ,a4 ,c4 ,mc,clurg ,co41 #aibb4 #df ,quoted by ,atwood1 l4 c41 p4 #cad4 ,,chapter ,x ,,the ,,community',s ,,education 7,,continued7 ,,the ,,extension ,,movement ,the era of modern agriculture in the ,united ,states began with the passage of the ,morrill ,act by the ,federal ,congress in #ahfa4 ,this made a grant of public land to each state to establish a college for instruction in agriculture and the mechanic arts1 and it has been the influence of the land-grant colleges1 more than any other agency1 which has been responsible for our agricultural advancement4 ,in #ahhh the ,hatch ,act made an annual federal appropriation to each of these colleges for the establishment of an agricultural experiment station1 whose investigations1 with those of the ,united ,states ,department of ,agriculture1 have been largely responsible for the scientific basis of modern agriculture4 ,from the beginning the agricultural colleges realized their obligation to bring the results of scientific investigations to the attention of farmers as well as to their own students1 and their faculties spoke before meetings of state and county agricultural societies1 granges1 and farmers' institutes4 ,in #ahge ,michigan was the first state to make an appropriation to its ,state ,board of ,agriculture for conducting farmers' institutes1 and in the next twenty-five years most of the states established systems of farmers' institutes either under their state boards or departments of agriculture or under the agricultural colleges1 through which itinerant speakers addressed one or more meetings of farmers in each county every year4 ,these institutes grew in popularity and led to separate meetings for farm women1 and sometimes for children1 and in some cases permanent county organizations were created for holding institutes with local speakers as well as for managing those furnished by the state4 ,farmers' institutes have performed an important service in the education of the rural community4 ,not only have they given instruction in methods of agriculture and in the problems of country life1 but they have been an important means of bringing rural people together in a common cause2 they are a community activity and strengthen the community bond4 ,in many cases in isolated localities the annual farmers' institute has been one of the few occasions at which the people of the community get together1 and has been looked forward to as a social event4 ,furthermore1 it was through experience with farmers' institutes that the need of better means for bringing instruction to rural communities was appreciated and other methods were developed4 ,it was but a few years after the establishment of the agricultural experiment stations under the ,hatch ,act of #ahhh1 that the colleges commenced to realize that the results of their investigations would not be extensively utilized by farmers unless other means were employed than mere publication of reports and bulletins and addresses at farmers' institutes and agricultural meetings4 ,these were good1 but they were felt to be inadequate and it was evident that to secure the general adoption of new methods some means of more systematic instruction and of local demonstrations were necessary4 ,the agricultural colleges came to feel that they should have definite departments with men who could devote their time to giving instruction to the people on the land4 ,the first appropriation for agricultural extension work was made to ,cornell ,university by the ,state of ,new ,york in #ahid1 but it was a decade later before the leading agricultural colleges had established departments of extension work4 ,in general the early period of the extension movement was chiefly concerned with methods of agricultural production and had no definite program for the local organization of its work4 ,this finally came about through the county agent movement4 ,the county agent movement#dg had its origin in an effort to combat the ravages of the ,mexican ,cotton ,boll ,weevil as it swept through ,texas and advanced eastward from #aijj to #aiaj4 ,it was in #aijc that ,dr4 ,s4 ,a4 ,knapp was commissioned by the ,federal ,secretary of ,agriculture1 ,james ,wilson1 to devise methods whereby the ,texas farmers might be shown how they could grow cotton in spite of the weevil4 ,he soon found that progressive farmers who were using the cultural methods which the entomologists had found to be successful for raising an early crop1 were able to raise fairly good crops before injury became serious4 ,he therefore employed practical farmers to go among their neighbors and get them to agree to give a fair trial to the methods advocated by the government1 i4e41 to demonstrate their practicability4 ,those making the trials were called demonstrators and their neighbors who came to follow their example in testing the new methods were called coperators and were called together at the demonstrator's farm to see the results of his work and to receive instruction from the demonstration agent who supervised the work for the government4 ,as this work was in charge of practical farmers more or less known locally1 it appealed to the farmers as a common-sense method1 the results spoke for themselves1 and the demand for the work spread rapidly4 ,dr4 ,knapp found that the county was the best unit for the work of the supervising demonstration agent1 and he soon came to be known as the county demonstration agent1 which was later contracted to county agent or county agricultural agent4 ,the whole movement came to be called the farmers' coperative demonstration work4 ,three new features in agricultural instruction of farmers were involved in this system2 it was more or less coperative on the part of a local group of farmers2 it used the demonstration method of teaching1 i4e41 the farmer demonstrated to himself by his own trial2 and a local county agent was employed for the supervision of the work4 ,it soon became apparent that merely trying to circumvent the depredations of the boll weevil would not solve the problem and that instead of raising only cotton as a cash crop the farmer must diversify his crops so as to raise more of the foodstuffs consumed on the farm and to have other products for sale4 ,this involved the application of the demonstration method to the growing of corn1 legumes1 hogs1 etc41 in short1 it involved the whole field of farm management and agricultural practice4 ,the work of the county agricultural agents was liberally supported by local business men1 commercial clubs and railroads1 and the ,general ,education ,board1 as well as by the ,u4 ,s4 ,department of ,agriculture4 ,in #aiji the ,mississippi legislature passed the first act permitting counties to appropriate funds for this work1 and this was followed by most of the southern states within a few years4 ,the ,report of ,president ,roosevelt's ,country ,life ,commission in #aiji called attention to the need of a national system of agricultural extension work in charge of the agricultural colleges1 and congressmen and agricultural leaders in the ,north who had observed the success of the county agent movement in the ,south commenced to feel that county agricultural agents might be equally valuable in the ,north as a means of local agricultural education4 ,as a result1 the first county agricultural agents in the ,north were appointed by the ,office of ,farm ,management of the ,u4 ,s4 ,department of ,agriculture in #aiaj and #aiaa4 ,in #aiab1 #aac were employed in coperation with the state agricultural colleges and local county organizations in the ,north and ,west4 ,the success of the work of these agents and of the extension work of the agricultural colleges led to a general demand from the agricultural interests of the country for a federal appropriation to the agricultural colleges for establishing a system of extension work the chief feature of which would be the employment of county agricultural agents who would supervise field demonstrations by the farmers on their own farms4 ,this resulted in the federal ,smith-,lever ,act of #aiad1 which made an annual appropriation to each land-grant college to aid in diffusing among the people of the ,united ,states useful and practical information on agriculture and home economics and to encourage the application of the same 444 through field demonstrations1 publications1 and otherwise1 444 to persons not attending or resident at said college4 ,this act is notable in that it established the most comprehensive national system of non-resident instruction in agriculture and home economics of any country1 and recognized the necessity of de-centralizing this instruction by having it carried on by agents in the counties who could have immediate and continuous contact with individual farmers and groups of farmers4 ,as the work of the county agents in the ,south grew more permanent they found that it was more efficient if they worked with and through local groups of farmers1 and community agricultural clubs were quite widely organized1 but no strong county federation was developed1 except in ,west ,virginia1 where the local clubs formed a county organization which was called a ,farm ,bureau4 ,the term ,farm ,bureau originated in ,broome ,county1 ,new ,york1 in #aiaa1 when the first county agent in that state was employed by the ,binghamton ,chamber of ,commerce1 the ,lackawanna ,railroad1 and the ,u4 ,s4 ,department of ,agriculture4 ,as the number of county agents rapidly increased in the northern states it soon became apparent that if their work was to be of the greatest service to the farmers for whose benefit they worked1 that it should be supported and managed by the farmers themselves rather than by business interests4 ,the ,farm ,bureau ,association1 composed of farmers throughout a county1 soon came to be a prerequisite to the placing of an agricultural agent in a county1 and with the passage of the ,smith-,lever ,act and of state legislation accepting its provisions and appropriating state funds contingent upon similar appropriations by the counties1 this became the usual procedure4 ,the county farm bureau association coperates with the state college of agriculture and the ,u4 ,s4 ,department of ,agriculture in the employment of the county agent1 and the annual membership fees together with county appropriations pay the expenses of the work other than salary4 ,the affairs of the farm bureau association are in the hands of the usual officers and executive committee1 who report to an annual meeting of the membership4 ,further than this the method of organization varies in different states4 ,in most of the northern and western states there is a local committee in each community which arranges for the demonstrations and meetings to be held by the county agent1 and there is no further organization of the local membership1 but in a few states definite local organizations or community clubs with officers and regular meetings have developed4 ,in either case1 however1 the unit of local organization and interest in the work of the farm bureau is usually the community1 although its executive administration is on a county basis4 ,as the extension work came under the local control of these organizations of farmers1 the objectives of the work were more largely determined by the farmers' point of view4 ,whereas the original purpose had been to extend to the farmer the better methods of agriculture discovered by the experiment stations and the federal department of agriculture1 the program of work came to be largely determined by the particular needs and problems of the local communities in a given county4 ,the farmers conferred with the agent--their agent--and pointed out their greatest difficulties4 ,the program of work was then a matter of determining what demonstrations and instruction could be arranged to meet these problems1 under the direction of the county agent and with any assistance possible from the state agricultural college4 ,with the rapid growth of ,farm ,bureaus1--for on ,june #cj1 #aiah1 there were #gia farm bureaus with approximately #bij1jjj members1--the movement became truly a farmers' movement rather than a mere extension of the work of the agricultural colleges1 though the close affiliation with them constituted its strength and furnished its leadership4 ,it so happened that almost as soon as the ,smith-,lever ,act became effective the world was plunged into war and marketing problems became more and more important4 ,whereas in the first decade of the county agent movement interest had been chiefly in better methods of production1 it now rapidly shifted to include better methods of marketing and the development of coperative selling associations1 whose organization was assisted by the farm bureaus wherever they were needed and practicable4 ,the entry of the ,united ,states into the ,world ,war greatly accelerated the farm bureau movement4 ,food will win the war was the slogan which challenged ,american agriculture4 ,the number of county agents in the ,north and ,west increased from #edb to #a1acc within the year ending ,june #cj1 #aiah4 ,it was the county agent system which formed the mechanism through which the federal government secured the whole-souled coperation of the farmers of the ,united ,states under peculiarly trying conditions4 ,the winter of #aiag-ah was severe and seed corn was unusually poor4 ,as a result1 the available supply of sound seed corn in the spring of #aiah was the lowest on record in the face of the greatest need for a bumper crop4 ,had it not been for the remarkable organization developed through the county agents and the farm bureau system of the entire country1 the corn crop of the great ,corn ,belt would have been far below normal4 ,as it was1 nearly a normal acreage was planted and an abundant harvest secured4 ,the rle which the agriculture of the ,united ,states played in the ,world ,war has never been adequately written or appreciated1 but it was full of as much romance and heroism as were the industries which commanded the headlines of the press4 ,dr4 ,bradford ,knapp1 for many years in charge of the county agent work in the ,southern ,states after the death of his father1 its founder1 has called attention to the fact that during the war of the four great activities or industries in ,america1 agriculture1 manufacturing1 mining1 and transportation1--one alone--agriculture1 stood the test1 and that mainly because there was already in existence an organization extending from the ,united ,states ,department of ,agriculture through every state agricultural college 444 to the counties and the farmers1 by which information was rapidly disseminated and farmers were made aware of conditions of what must be done to win the war4 ,it was inevitable that such an organization growing rapidly during a war should develop an unusual solidarity1 and this was but strengthened by the difficulties which agriculture encountered with the cessation of hostilities4 ,during the war several states had formed state federations of the county farm bureau associations and in ,november1 #aiai1 a convention was called at ,chicago for the formation of a national organization1 which resulted in the formal organization of the ,american ,farm ,bureau ,federation#dh in ,march1 #aibj1 with #bh states represented1 and a membership in county farm bureaus of #djj1jjj4 ,in the next two years the southern states1 which previously had developed no strong county organizations1 rapidly adopted the farm bureau idea1 and when the ,american ,farm ,bureau ,federation held its second annual meeting at ,atlanta1 ,ga41 in ,november1 #aiba1 it included #ce states with a local membership of #ifg1bgi4 ,i have dwelt at length upon the growth of the county agent and farm bureau movement1 because there is probably no one agency which has done more in the last decade toward the integration of rural communities throughout the ,united ,states or which has had a larger educational influence on all aspects of country life4 ,the farm bureau usually organizes its local work by communities and in large numbers of counties the community areas have been defined for the first time by the county agents4 ,the value of this organization by communities was repeatedly shown during the war4 ,for example1 in ,new ,york ,state it was possible for the county agents to organize meetings on the ,agricultural ,mobilization ,day called by the ,governor on ,april #ba1 #aiag1 in #a1jhi communities1 with an attendance of #he1jge persons1 upon only a weeks notice4 ,in several of the states which have encouraged community organizations1 a very definite effort has been made to develop an all-round program of community improvement4 ,thus the ,west ,virginia extension service has invented a community score card#di with which several communities have scored themselves for three successive years in order to make an analysis of their social situation and to enable them to outline a program of work for the solution of their local problems4 ,several of the states are now employing specialists to assist the farm bureaus in their problems of community organization4 ,the county organization of extension work has been unique in its educational methods2 methods which have large significance for all movements for rural progress4 ,first1 its educational method is that of the demonstration carried out by farm people under the expert direction of paid county leaders in an effort to solve the immediate problems of the farm and the farm home4 ,it builds on the experience1 point of view1 and interests of its pupils1 who learn under the supervision of a teacher chosen by them1 through a process which involves their making real experiments in finding the best solution of their problems4 ,no class of people1 here or elsewhere1 has ever had opportunity for the training in the scientific attitude and point of view which ,american farmers may now receive1 and on account of the nature and organization of their work they are steadily and surely1 if not entirely consciously1 adopting the method of science4 ,the consequence of this movement in the social and political development of this country cannot be foretold1 for the scientific attitude must finally be the basis of all true democracy4 ,secondly1 the program of work--the subject matter of the educational method--is largely chosen by the people themselves1 but with the help of experts employed by them to supervise its execution4 ,here we have an institution arising from the land1 wholly democratic in spirit and polity1 yet recognizing the services of experts and employing them for its own purposes4 ,in the county farm bureaus1 and the organizations to which they have given rise1 there is developing a new use of science both in the educational methods and in the employment of scientifically trained leaders1 in the service of and directed by a democracy--a democracy no longer provincial but of national scope in that there is real coperation between the local community1 the county1 the state1 and the nation4 ,lastly1 the extension movement recognizes that only by the development and training of the largest amount of enthusiastic1 voluntary1 local leadership can its work have a foundation which will make it permanent4 ,it thus recognizes an essential factor of all social organization1 i4e41 the power of personal leadership in shaping the public opinion of the group1 and it consciously undertakes the development of intelligent initiative as a means of social progress4 ,when one has observed the feeble beginnings of this movement only a decade ago1 and has witnessed its growth to the present nation-wide system1 promoting plans for national organizations for coperative marketing1 he appreciates the power of science1 education1 and organization as new forces in the life of the rural community1 whose future influence one would be rash to prophesy4 ,this account would be misleading if it failed to indicate that the extension movement has given attention to the problems of the farm home1 of the mother and the children1 as well as to those of the farm business4 ,in #aiaj1 girls' canning clubs were started in the ,southern ,states and young women were employed to supervise their work4 ,very soon the mothers became interested and before long home demonstration agents were appointed to work with the agricultural demonstration agents4 ,in #aiaf home demonstration work was in progress in #dbj counties in the ,south4 ,a few home demonstration agents were employed by farm bureaus in the ,northern ,states prior to #aiag1 but the additional funds appropriated by ,congress for food conservation work during the war caused a rapid increase in their number and women's work in the ,north received its chief impetus during the war4 ,the ,smith-,lever ,act specified that its funds should be used for extension work in home economics as well as in agriculture1 but it was not until the farm bureaus commenced to employ home demonstration agents and to organize the women for their support that work with the farm home became established on a permanent basis4 ,in most of the northern states the farm bureau is now organized on what is called the family plan1 that is1 it includes in its program of work projects dealing with the farm for men1 with the farm home for women1 and with club work in agriculture and home economics for boys and girls4 ,in many of the states a separate agent is employed for each of these lines of work and the women are organized in a separate department of the county farm bureau and have their own local farm women's clubs4 ,in ,new ,york ,state the women's work has been further differentiated by organizing it as a ,county ,home ,bureau which with the ,farm ,bureau forms the ,county ,farm and ,home ,bureau ,association4 ,during the war the home demonstration agents gave their attention to food conservations and clothing1 but as a permanent program has developed the local clubs of farm women have shown a lively interest in problems of health1 home management1 care of children1 education1 recreation1 and civics4 ,they have found that the problems of the home cannot be solved without an effort to create better community conditions and community housekeeping has attracted an increasing interest4 ,the present aims of the women's work have been aptly phrased in the ,home ,bureau ,creed written by ,dr4 ,ruby ,green ,smith1 associate state leader of home demonstration agents in ,new ,york3 ,the ,home ,bureau ,creed ,to maintain the highest ideals of home life2 to count children the most important of crops2 to so mother them that their bodies may be sound1 their minds clear1 their spirits happy1 and their characters generous3 ,to place service above comfort2 to let loyalty to high purposes silence discordant note2 to let neighborliness supplant hatreds2 to be discouraged never3 ,to lose self in generous enthusiasms2 to extend to the less fortunate a helping hand2 to believe one's community may become the best of communities2 and to coperate with others for the common ends of a more abundant home and community life3 ,this is the offer of the ,home ,bureau to the homemaker of to-day4 ,nor should we fail to recognize the part which the boys' and girls' club work has had in the extension movement4 ,space will not permit any adequate account of its origin and growth1 or of its methods and influence4 ,no movement has done more to redirect and give dynamic to the rural school than has the club work2 nor has any movement done more to train leadership among the coming generation on the farms4 ,commencing with corn clubs for the boys1 canning clubs were soon organized for the girls1 and later pig clubs1 potato clubs1 calf clubs1 sewing clubs1 cooking clubs1 and clubs are now organized with various projects covering almost all phases of agriculture and home economics4 ,these clubs may be called the ,junior ,farm ,bureau1 for in them farm children are receiving a training which will mean much for the future organization of country life4 ,the public confidence in the work is shown by the fact that in #aibj1 #ejj banks in the northern and western states loaned nearly #ijj1jjj to club boys and girls for financing their projects4#ej ,as a result of the school exhibits of the products of the club work1 many a community fair has been started1 and as a result of club picnics and play days community picnics or festivals have become an annual event in many places and have brought better feeling and increased pride and loyalty to the community4 ,in #aiai1 #dfd1igi boys and girls were enrolled in club work4 ,thus the extension movement started by the agricultural colleges and the ,united ,states ,department of ,agriculture has become a national movement of rural people1 men1 women1 and children1 whose strength is largely due to the fact that it has been the means of organizing the local communities and of bringing them together in county organizations1 which with the aid of state and national funds and supervision1 employ trained executives to stimulate and supervise the work of the local groups4 ,it is a unique agency for the education and organization of rural life which is giving the ,american farmer a new position in the life of the nation4 ,,footnotes3 #dg ,this movement can only be sketched in barest outline4 ,it is fully and authoritatively discussed in another volume of this series by ,prof4 ,m4 ,c4 ,burritt1 entitled ,the ,county ,agent and the ,farm ,bureau4 ,see also ,o4 ,b4 ,martin1 ,the ,demonstration ,work4 ,boston1 ,the ,stratford ,co4 #dh ,for a full discussion of this movement1 its objectives and accomplishments1 see ,o4 ,m4 ,kile1 ,the ,farm ,bureau ,movement1 ,macmillan1 ,new ,york1 #aiba4 #di ,nat4 ,t4 ,frame1 ,lifting the ,country ,community4 ,circular #bee1 ,extension ,division1 ,w4 ,va4 ,university1 #aiba4 #ej ,see ,status and ,results of ,boys' and ,girls' ,club ,work1 ,northern and ,western ,states1 #aibj4 ,george ,e4 ,farell4 ,u4 ,s4 ,dept4 of ,agriculture1 ,department ,circular #aib4 ,,chapter ,,xi ,,the ,,community',s ,,religious ,,life ,from the earliest times and among all peoples the common religious life has formed one of the strongest bonds of the rural community4 ,several of the original thirteen colonies which formed the ,united ,states were settled by those seeking freedom to worship as they chose1 and as their descendants migrated westward many of the new settlements were largely composed of the membership of some one church or those of a similar faith4 ,dr4 ,warren ,h4 ,wilson has called attention to the fact that the ,mormons1 the ,pennsylvania ,germans1 and the ,scotch ,presbyterians are the most successful farmers and remain on the land because they have given a religious sanction to country life and have made the church the center of the life of the community1 as it was in the medieval village community of ,europe4 ,whatever attitude one may take toward their religious beliefs1 all impartial observers are agreed that the ,mormons have established the strongest agricultural communities and that they have discovered and applied to a high degree some of the most fundamental principles of social organization4 ,concerning them ,dr4 ,wilson says3 ,these exceptional farmers are organized in the interest of agriculture4 ,the ,mormons represent this organization in the highest degree4 ,perhaps no other so large or so powerful a body of united farmers is found in the whole country4 ,they have approached the economic questions of farming with determination to till the soil4 ,they distrust city life and condemn it4 ,they teach their children and they discipline themselves to love the country1 to appreciate its advantages and to recognize that their own welfare is bound up in their success as farmers1 and in the continuance of their farming communities4 ,this agricultural organization centers in their country churches4 ,they have turned the force of religion into a community making power1 and from the highest to the lowest of their church officers the ,mormon people are devoted to agriculture as a mode of living4#ea ,but although large numbers of communities throughout the ,united ,states were settled by people of one religious faith1 and thus had the strongest bond of community1 yet large areas were settled by scattered homesteaders belonging to different sects1 and as time went on1 newcomers came into the older communities and established churches of various denominations1 so that throughout most of the country the churches have come to have more of a divisive than a unifying influence on community life4 ,in our discussion of the religious life of the rural community we shall confine our attention to the protestant churches1 because most of our rural people are protestants4 ,it is true that in some sections1 such as ,louisiana and southern ,maryland1 and in many sections recently settled by ,europeans1 the people are mostly ,roman ,catholics2 but in general the catholic church is strongest in the cities and towns and does not have strong rural parishes throughout the country4 ,throughout most of the ,united ,states the ,methodist1 ,episcopal and ,baptist denominations have by far the largest number of churches and membership1 and their traditions and methods have largely shaped the religious life of our rural communities4 ,during the century in which the ,united ,states west of the ,alleghanies has been settled conditions have changed with such rapidity that the religious life is still largely dominated by its development during the days of early settlement and the present generation is faced with the problem of readjustment of its religious institutions to meet the present situation4 ,in the days of the pioneer the circuit rider made his rounds over a large district1 preaching at school houses and private homes and in the few country churches at intervals of one to three months4 ,as the country became more thickly populated1 country churches sprang up and several of them were joined together in the employment of a resident pastor with preaching at the larger churches every week and at the outlying stations once in two or three weeks4 ,doctrinal beliefs were strong and theological differences were frequently bitter4 ,the preaching was practically the only service of the church1 except for an annual protracted meeting or revival4 ,the main emphasis was upon the personal salvation of the sinner4 ,sunday schools had not become a recognized feature of the church and but little thought was given to religious education and training by the church4 ,the minister christened the babies1 married the young people and buried the dead1 but otherwise1 with numerous preaching services1 he was unable to do much pastoral work4 ,a large proportion of the rural churches were located in the open country and like the district school were largely neighborhood churches1 for bad roads and horse-drawn vehicles made it difficult for people to go over two or three miles4 ,in many cases several churches were established in a single village or in nearby neighborhoods by different denominations and were largely supported by home-missionary aid contributed by the older churches in the ,east and the wealthier city parishes4 ,prior to the ,civil ,war when most of our population was engaged in farming and before the exodus of the last half century to the towns and cities1 most of the rural churches were fairly well attended1 but with the recent decline in rural population1 many of them1 and particularly those in the open country1 have faced the same situation as the district school in that there are now too few people to make possible the economic support of a pastor and church building4 ,furthermore1 it must be recognized that the standards of rural people have changed as regards the church in the same way that they have concerning the school4 ,when all of the people have had a common school education1 many of them have had high school training1 a few have been to college1 and many of them now and then visit the larger churches of towns and cities1 they are no longer satisfied with the occasional preaching of an uneducated man1 however religious and earnest he may be4 ,the ,sunday school has become an established part of the work of the church and as people have appreciated the value of education in secular affairs1 they have come to place more hope in the religious training of their children than in merely saving them by sudden conversion4 ,the church is becoming more and more an institution for the training and expression of religious life rather than only a place for preaching4 ,moreover1 the church now has to meet the competition of other institutions and interests which did not exist in the earlier days4 ,the grange1 the lodge1 organizations of all sorts1 moving pictures1 athletics and automobiles1 furnish means of association and command the interest and support of the people1 where formerly there was only the church for the righteous and the tavern or the saloon for the convivial4 ,all of these and other factors have conspired to weaken the relative influence of the church in our rural communities and the situation has become so serious in many sections that it has challenged the attention of denominational leaders4 ,during the past fifteen years there have been a series of careful studies of the condition of the rural churches in various parts of the country4 ,these studies have given indisputable evidence of the conditions responsible for the decline of the rural church and of the measures which must be taken if the religious life of the rural community is to be adequately fostered2 and they have clearly shown that the problems of the rural church must be solved from the standpoint of meeting the religious needs of the rural community rather than that of the interests of the individual church4 ,in the older parts of the country1 and--alas--far too frequently in the newer sections1 the most serious obstacle to the religious life of the community is an unnecessary number of churches1 which divide its limited resources both of funds and leadership4 ,overchurching is more largely responsible for the decadence of the rural church than any one factor4 ,small congregations are unable to support a full time pastor1 and where several of them are competing in a small community1 it is deprived of the services of a resident minister4 ,preaching once in two weeks and practically no pastoral visitation are not conducive to the life of a church4 ,the small church maintains its ,sunday school with difficulty for there are too few of any one age for a satisfactory division of classes4 ,equally serious is the fact that the ablest men will not enter the ministry to devote themselves to what they regard as an unnecessary and unchristian competition4 ,tompkins ,county1 where ,i live1 is a fair average of rural ,new ,york4 ,a recent survey shows that but eight of its twenty-eight rural communities have full time resident pastors1 though there are ministers residing in twenty-five parishes who also serve other parishes nearby4 ,throughout the county there was one church for every #ccb people1 but the average village church had but #ib active members1 and the average country church had but #cb4 ,the church membership has remained practically stationary for thirty years1 while the attendance has decreased from #ba percent of the rural population in #ahij to #ad percent in #aibj4 ,one community of #ijj population had five churches1 no one of which had a resident pastor or over #de members1 while two of them had but #aa members each and were closed4 ,six strictly rural communities in the southern part of the county have #af churches1 though none of these places can properly support more than one church with a resident pastor4 ,after a careful study of the whole county1 ,i am of the opinion that if at least one-third of the rural churches were abandoned or combined1 the work of the church would be greatly strengthened4 ,this county is cited because it is fairly typical2 many worse have been reported in other surveys4 ,another handicap of the rural church is the frequent shift of ministers4 ,in ,tompkins ,county only #d of the #eg churches have had the same pastor for ten years1 #ag changed pastors three times in ten years and #ag of the pastors had been in their parishes one year or less4 ,when a minister stays but a year or two1 his parishioners tend to be only acquaintances and rarely does he really know them4 ,a minister cannot become well enough acquainted with a new parish to do effective pastoral work in less than a year1 and many ministers who have seemingly good programs of work fail to realize them because they attempt to force progress and to secure results more rapidly than is possible4 ,one of the chief duties of the rural pastor is to train leadership4 ,a church is no stronger than its permanent resident leadership4 ,no matter how brilliant the work of the minister1 if he has failed to develop local leadership1 his work is soon dissipated when he leaves4 ,now leadership cannot be produced in a year or so and where it is most needed it requires several years to discover and develop it4 ,unfortunately much of this frequent shifting of rural pastors is directly due to ecclesiastical rule rather than to the needs of the local churches1 though much of it results from meager salaries and sectarian rivalries which soon discourage a man who sees larger opportunities for service elsewhere4 ,numerous studies of the actual condition of the rural church in many parts of the country all show the futility of denominational competition in maintaining two or three churches where only one is needed or can be supported4 ,furthermore1 the present generation of young married people who desire the best religious influences for their children are no longer much interested in the theological or ecclesiastical differences of the various denominations1 and they refuse to support them or do so under protest and with an apathy which makes effective church work impossible4 ,as a result1 there has been a strong movement in recent years toward the consolidation of rural churches and for the establishment of what are called community churches4 ,although much effort has been given toward getting denominational boards and leaders to form state federations for promoting inter-denominational comity1 and although notable progress in this direction has been made in a few states1 particularly in ,maine and ,vermont1 yet the chief impetus to the community church movement has come from the people themselves1 who have insisted upon a combination of the local churches often in spite of ecclesiastical indifference or opposition4 ,the lack of coal in #aiah induced many churches to hold their services together and in many cases gave an impetus to the idea of their permanent federation4 ,the term community church has come to be applied to various forms of churches1 but whatever its form1 its fundamental purpose is the service of the community rather than the advancement of a particular denomination and it admits all ,christian people to its fellowship1 in contrast to the exclusiveness of the purely denominational church which insists upon the importance of particular theological beliefs or systems of church government4 ,as the term is now used a community church may be a church definitely affiliated with some denomination1 it may be a federated church1 or a union church4 ,the union church is unaffiliated with any religious denomination4 ,if it be the only church in a community1 it is then a community church1 but if one or two others decline to unite1 it is a community church only in aspiration4 ,it is this type of independent union church1 to which the term community church is most commonly applied by the laity1 and such community churches have increased rapidly in the past five years as a protest of the people against denominational competition and inefficiency4 ,these independent community churches have now become so numerous in one or two states that they are holding state conventions4 ,the question at once arises whether if they become affiliated in even the most nominal manner they will not soon constitute what will practically be another denomination and will fail to effect the growth of ,christian unity which they desire4 ,on the other hand1 denominational leaders who are in entire sympathy with the abolishment of competition and the establishment of but one church in a rural community where only one is needed1 point out that the union church loses the advantages of affiliation with a body of churches which have regional and national boards and agencies for giving them assistance and support in their work4 ,the history not only of church but of all sorts of secular organizations1 indicates that sooner or later local organizations with common aims and purposes tend to get together in conventions and to establish federations through which they may unite their resources in maintaining agencies to promote the common cause4 ,most organizations1 whether religious or secular1 need the stimulus of association with kindred organizations devoted to the same purposes and the help of expert supervision which can be secured only from state or national bodies4 ,the federated church obviates this difficulty to a certain extent4 ,each of the federating churches maintains its own corporate identity and its affiliation with its own denomination1 to which it sends its contributions for benevolences and denominational work4 ,the federating churches form a joint organization for the employment of a minister and use the same building1 or use two buildings in common--sometimes one for church and one for ,sunday school services or social purposes1--and the church is a community church for all practical purposes4 ,in the long run this usually results in a federated church finally affiliating with the denomination which is preferred by the large majority of its membership and which is least objectionable to the minority4 ,denominational leaders1 on the other hand1 hold that neither union or federated churches will be permanently satisfactory1 but that the community church1 though organized on the federated principle1 should be definitely affiliated with some one denomination1 and that a single denominational church which effectively serves the whole community may be truly a community church4 ,whatever the outcome of this movement may be it has forced the recognition of the fact that the religious welfare of the rural community should be the first consideration and that denominational relations must be conceived as a means rather than an end1 as has commonly been the case heretofore4 ,when country people have learned the advantages of consolidated schools and of coperation in marketing1 and have developed the ability to work together in these and other phases of community life1 they are no longer content to waste their energies in maintaining feeble churches1 whose differences no longer command their loyalties1 and they very naturally desire to bury their religious differences and to coperate in the maintenance of a single church which will give that inspiration and dynamic to all the life of the community which can be furnished only through the religious motive4 ,so in religion as in other phases of life1 the community idea is replacing the older individualism4 ,we have already noted the change of emphasis in the work of the church from that of merely holding a preaching service for the personal salvation of adults1 to a greater reliance upon the power of religious education through the ,sunday school and other organizations of young people4 ,when ,sunday schools were first started1 a century or more ago1 they were bitterly opposed by many of the more conservative church people4 ,to-day they are a recognized part of all protestant churches1 but oddly enough their advancement has been due more largely to the work of the laity than to that of the clergy1 although there can be no question that church membership is most largely recruited from the ,sunday schools4 ,thus in our survey of ,tompkins ,county1 ,new ,york1 we found that out of #age persons admitted to the rural churches on confession of faith1 #fa of whom were adults and #aad children1 #acd were previous members of the ,sunday school4 ,the rural ,sunday school in the small church has the same difficulty as does the district school1 in that it has too few scholars of approximately the same age to form classes of sufficient size to command their interest and enthusiasm4 ,likewise it is forced to depend upon untrained and frequently-changing teachers4 ,although there has been a marked advance in the grading and organization of ,sunday schools and of the literature for their study1 yet there is a growing conviction that a period of twenty minutes a week is inadequate to secure effective religious education4 ,on the other hand1 although the separation of church and state in this country prevents the giving of religious instruction in our public schools1 educators have come to recognize its importance in the education of the child4 ,as a result there is now a definite movement for the organization of week-day schools of religion4 ,when these schools are conducted by trained teachers and their work is of an educational standard satisfactory to the public schools1 the pupils are given credit for their work toward promotion in the public schools4 ,the ,state of ,new ,york has enacted definite legislation permitting the schools to dismiss those pupils whose parents so desire1 for a definite period each week when they may attend whatever school of religious instruction their parents may designate1 and for which the public schools shall give credit when satisfactory as to educational methods4 ,such week-day schools of religious instruction have been carried on in some of our cities for several years1 and at the present time are being introduced into rural communities in various sections of the country4 ,sometimes each church maintains its own school1 but inasmuch as this movement is usually promoted by the inter-denominational ,sunday school associations the tendency is to secure the coperation of all the protestant churches in establishing one school for the community4 ,this movement is still young1 but if it makes the progress which now seems probable1 it should be a powerful agency toward the elimination of weak churches4 ,it makes possible the organization of graded classes of sufficient size so that a real group spirit and interest are created and the instruction can be given with the same pedagogical efficiency as in the public schools4 ,obviously the success of the movement will depend upon the degree to which it can command the support of the whole community and it will thus tend to strengthen community life4 ,a new attitude toward the social life of its people is also having a large influence upon the program of many rural churches4 ,formerly religion was one thing and sociability was another1 and the church felt no responsibility for the recreation of its people4 ,gradually church suppers and sociables became customary1 but they were held either to raise money or as a means for attracting outsiders into the fold4 ,in the days when money was scarce in the rural community it was often difficult to raise the pastor's salary4 ,much of his salary was paid in kind1 and annual donation parties contributed a considerable share of his living4 ,but as markets developed and farmers came to sell most of their products for cash1 money became more plentiful and it became evident that no church can be maintained upon a sound business basis which does not make up an annual budget and raise it by the direct contributions of its people4 ,putting the finances of the church on a business basis has removed the need of church suppers for raising funds1 but their social value has become so apparent that they are now held merely for the better acquaintance and enjoyment of the church people4 ,in so far as the social life of the church has been consciously planned as a bait for outsiders to attract them into the church1 it has1 in the long run usually been ineffectual4 ,too often the motive has been so thinly veiled and the program of the social hour has been given such a religious atmosphere that outsiders very naturally take a defensive attitude1 and although they may enjoy the occasion they are perfectly aware of its ulterior objective4 ,recently1 however1 the church has come to appreciate that play and recreation are a normal and necessary part of the life of its people and that it cannot abolish the saloon and condemn certain amusements without incurring a responsibility to provide1 or to see that there is provided1 satisfying facilities for recreation and sociability4 ,in short1 it is coming to recognize that a social program should be undertaken because it is a worthy service and a real need of the people and not as a mere means to other ends4 ,furthermore1 where the church generously sponsors a social program which is enjoyed by all the people of the community1 without thought of its being aimed at any proselyting1 many of them come to take an increased interest in the strictly religious services and work of the church4 ,so to-day many a rural church is holding community sings1 its young people are staging amateur dramatic entertainments1 its boys have a troop of boy scouts and the girls join the girl scouts or the camp-fire girls1 baseball and basketball teams are formed from the ,sunday school classes1 the men have a club which meets once a month for the discussion of current topics and a supper1 the women come together for sewing parties1 and the whole people assemble for suppers and for the celebration of national holidays and festival occasions4 ,in a small village in western ,new ,york the four ,sunday schools have recently formed an athletic association which has erected a one-story gymnasium in which the boys can play basketball and all can find enjoyment4 ,one of the handicaps of the average country church is that its building is not adapted to social purposes1 although the newer buildings are being constructed with better facilities4 ,sometimes this need is being met by erecting a separate church house which is used for ,sunday school and social purposes4 ,where there is more than one church it is frequently felt that one building may serve the needs of all and so in many communities the churches have united in the promotion of community buildings to serve as social centers for all the people4 ,thus in its social as well as in its educational program the church finds that a satisfactory social life cannot be secured through sectarian competition1 but that by united effort the churches may meet the community needs4 ,although in the past the chief duty of the country minister was to preach on ,sunday1 yet those most beloved and most successful in building up strong churches have won the hearts of their people more largely through their pastoral work1 through their personal acquaintance and influence on the lives of families and individuals4 ,although a broader educational and social program is needed in the rural church1 there is an equal opportunity for a larger service through a new sort of pastoral work by the minister who can serve the community as a social worker4 ,there is an impression that there is no need for so-called social work1 for the expert assistance of the poor1 the neglected1 the delinquent1 and the mentally defective1 in most rural communities2 that this may be necessary for the city slums1 but that there are but few such people in the open country4 ,but the recent work started during the war by the ,home ,service of the local chapters of the ,american ,red ,cross and the work of various child welfare and health organizations have shown that country people are not always aware of the needs of some of their not distant neighbors1 and that there is a deal of service which might be given the more unfortunate members of the average rural community which they are not now receiving4 ,the average rural community cannot support a paid social worker and needs but part of her time1 while the county is usually too large an area for her to cover4 ,why should not the rural minister be qualified to do much of the family welfare work of his community1 calling in outside expert assistance when needed8 ,what better pastoral work could he do1 and yet how many rural pastors are doing this sort of work in any intelligent sort of fashion1 and how many families in need1 outside of his own membership1 would turn to the average rural minister for help8 ,dr4 ,c4 ,j4 ,galpin has well said of the rural minister that he is the recognized community psychologist and sociologist4 ,the trouble is that although he is often so recognized1 he is usually an amateur rather than a professional4 ,obviously1 as a doctor of souls1 the village pastor should be the local social worker of every rural community1 but if he is to so serve he must first be trained so that he can bring to bear a knowledge of social science upon the problems of the families with which he deals4 ,an average rural community can hardly afford more than one pastor with such qualifications1 and it is evident that he would need to give his whole time to one parish4 ,such a modern representative of the old cur of the medieval parish could give real spiritual service to many a rural family which the average rural church never reaches1 and he would be a real father to his people4 ,finally1 and most important1 we must recognize that no other institution can take the place of the ,christian church as a source of those ideals of life which give religious sanction to loyalty to the common good--to the community--rather than to self or particular interests4 ,the ideals of its ,founder who conceived the fatherhood of ,god and the brotherhood of man as the norm of human relationships1 and who thought man's relation to man should be the expression of his loyalty to their common ,father1 will ever furnish the strongest spiritual dynamic for the best community life1 for the whole community movement is but one means toward the realization of ,his ideal of the ,kingdom of ,god on earth4 ,indeed so keen a mind as the late ,professor ,josiah ,royce has interpreted the spirit of the early church and the ultimate aim of ,christianity as that of the beloved community4#eb ,though it may require new equipment and new methods to meet the changed conditions of modern life1 the mission of religion to interpret the highest values of life will ever make it the motive force of community life1 the heart of the community4 ,as ,dr4 ,e4 ,de,s4 ,brunner has well said1 ,the aim of the country church movement is not to substitute anything for the ,gospel4 ,it is to assist in expressing the best religion of the ages in terms of the best spirit of the age4#ec ,,footnotes3 #ea ,the ,evolution of the ,country ,community1 p4 #fc4 ,boston1 ,the ,pilgrim ,press1 #aiab4 #eb ,cf4 ,the ,problem of ,christianity4 #ec ,the ,country ,church in the ,new ,world ,order1 p4 #ci4 ,,chapter ,,xii ,,the ,,community',s ,,health ,in the early days in which the country was but sparsely settled1 sickness1 except for epidemics of such diseases as smallpox and yellow fever1 was regarded as an individual affair4 ,in recent years bacteriology and medical science have revealed the causes of many diseases and the manner in which they are spread4 ,with a denser population and with more frequent contacts as a result of better transportation1 the possibility of contagion has very largely increased and we now appreciate that the health of the family--even of the rural family--cannot be maintained without attention to the health of the community as a whole4 ,good health has become a responsibility of the community4 ,the rapid growth of cities in the last fifty years has forced them to take measures for the preservation of health1 and public health administration has become a distinct branch of medical science4 ,it is the health problems which have arisen in the congested sections of our large cities1 and those which are due to a sedentary life or to unhealthful conditions of certain trades and industries1 which have incited the discoveries of medical science and which have created a new attitude toward sanitation and hygiene among city people4 ,there has been a distinct change with regard to the attitude of society toward health4 ,a generation or two ago many people--particularly elderly females--were not ashamed of enjoying poor health1 and a delicate physique was regarded as rather incidental to the more highly cultured4 ,to-day1 although we sympathize with the afflicted1 society places a premium upon a sound physique4 ,the importance of physical exercise1 of recreation and athletics for the development and maintenance of a sound body are now much more fully appreciated than they were fifty years ago4 ,we are coming to understand that good health is largely due to habits of personal hygiene which must be instilled by the home and the school1 and that without such habits the mere knowledge of sanitation and hygiene will not be generally applied4 ,this new emphasis upon physical fitness has naturally received larger attention in the cities on account of the more unfavorable conditions of city life1 while the new knowledge and appreciation of the value of health has not been so constantly forced upon the attention of rural people4 ,gradually we are coming to appreciate that we have an ethical responsibility for good health1 and it is even receiving a religious sanction1 for we have come to know that the cause of evil behavior may be due primarily to an unsound body rather than to a perverted soul4 ,the church has ever ministered to the sick and has supported hospitals1 but to-day it is commencing to advocate the prevention of disease through sanitation and hygiene1 and to preach the religious duty of fostering health and preventing sickness4 ,one of the principal factors in the farmer's relative indifference to health measures is the fact that he has become accustomed to think that an outdoor life and isolation from other people give him an ability to withstand sickness and he has rather gloried in his ability to throw off ordinary ailments and to withstand the physical hardship which his work often demands4 ,he can see how health conditions may need attention in the city where people are crowded together1 but he is not impressed that other causes make such diseases as typhoid and malaria much more prevalent in the open country1 and that bad sanitation on a farm a mile away may cause sickness in his own family4 ,american farmers have been educated on the nature and spread of disease by their experience with animal diseases1 such as bovine tuberculosis1 hog cholera1 and ,texas fever4 ,if they can be interested to utilize this knowledge in the care of the health of their own families1 and if they will provide health facilities for their own families equal to those which they feel necessary for their livestock1 health conditions on the farm will show rapid improvement4 ,it is not that the farmer is indifferent to the health of his family1 but he has been forced to have his herd tested for tuberculosis1 and he faces the possibility of heavy losses if he does not have his hogs vaccinated for cholera1 while he has not appreciated that by preventative agencies the better health of his wife and children may be insured and the cost of remedial treatment be greatly lessened4 ,the purely economic aspects of sickness and disease have been a potent factor in the health movement1 particularly in cities4 ,the vast sums invested in life insurance have led progressive insurance companies into extensive campaigns for promoting public health so that their risks may be reduced4 ,vast quantities of the best health literature have been distributed by some of the industrial insurance companies and they have done much to demonstrate the value of public health nursing by employing nurses who visit their policy holders4 ,the extension of the insurance method to health insurance1 and the adoption of insurance by large corporations for their employees has furthered this general movement1 and has revealed the tremendous economic losses due to preventable sickness and disease4 ,the farmer has failed to appreciate the purely economic handicap under which he labors as a result of sickness and the lack of adequate medical service and efficient public health administration such as cities enjoy1 because the cost of sickness is distributed and is borne by each family and he has no means of knowing the aggregate cost for the whole community4 ,were it possible for a rural community to secure and have brought to its attention the total economic loss due to sickness in a given year and the proportion which might be preventable with a reasonable expenditure for better health facilities1 its people would doubtless become as interested in better health administration as does the employer in a large city industry1 and the true economy of better health facilities would be apparent4 ,few concrete studies of the losses occasioned by sickness in rural communities have been made1 but one of ,dutchess ,county1#ed ,new ,york1 in #aiae well illustrates the conditions which would doubtless be found in many another rural county4 ,this survey covered five districts of the county with an aggregate population of about #aa1hjj--most of which was rural territory4 #a1fjj cases of serious illness were found to have occurred during the year4 ,some #i1jjj days were lost by men and women of working age 7#ae to #ed years74 ,children lost #ac1gjj school days4 ,on the average this cost the community for each child at least #cc cents a day for which it received no return4 ,these two items safely represent a money loss of #bj1jjj to #be1jjj4 ,as a result of the study it was estimated that the total money loss occasioned by sickness in a year within the whole county would be at least #dab1jjj4 ,of the #a1fjj patients whose care has been analyzed in this report1 #gb percent could have been cared for adequately in their own homes had there been available medical and nursing service4 ,the remaining #bh percent 7#ddb patients7 could not have been cared for adequately in their own homes 444 #bd percent of the patients secured no medical care4 ,many startling instances of unnecessary and indefensible suffering and misery were found4444 ,of the #aac women who went through childbirth in their homes1 only one had the continuous care of a graduate nurse1 and only #ah had any service whatever from graduate visiting nurses4 #ce percent of the children born came into the world under unfit conditions and surroundings4 ,largely as a result of this study1 ,dutchess ,county now has an efficient county health association through which a number of public health nurses are employed1 who visit all districts of the county4 ,one of the most serious handicaps in maintaining the health of the rural community is its frequent lack of medical service4 ,the number of doctors practising in the open country was always inadequate1 but in recent years it has decreased until now many large sections are without any resident physician4 ,the influenza epidemic of #aiah1 following the shortage of doctors during the war1 revealed the plight of many a rural community without medical service4 ,the higher standards now required by medical colleges and state licensing boards has resulted in a real shortage of physicians and the young men are not going into the country to practise4 ,a recent study made by the ,new ,york ,state ,department of ,health showed that in #bj rural counties #hh percent of the physicians had been practising over #be years and only #c percent less than ten years4 ,this means that most of the rural doctors in these counties have less than ten years more to practise and that there is no indication that their places will be filled by younger men4 ,in ,manitoba one rural municipality has employed a physician on full time1 and a recent act of the ,new ,york legislature makes it possible for towns to employ physicians4 ,it seems probable that country people will be forced to employ physicians on a salaried basis if they are to secure adequate medical service4 ,this does not necessarily mean1 however1 that the physician will be employed by the local government4 ,industrial workers are now employing physicians on a salary and farmers' organizations are employing salaried veterinarians4 ,why cannot a local health association be formed to employ a physician1 whose job it will be to keep its people well8 ,two factors prevent the larger use of physicians now available4 ,chief of these is the cost4 ,farmers handle relatively less actual money than townsmen1 and their income is less frequent so that they have less on hand1 while the cost of medical attendance is necessarily higher in the country4 ,fear of running up a bill deters many a farm woman from calling a doctor1 when one call might prevent many more later on4 ,the farm home tends to employ a physician only for serious sickness1 rather than as a medical adviser who may forestall illness4 ,another difficulty is one of the physician's own making4 ,the experience is far too common that in cases of immediate need when the family doctor cannot be located1 doctors will refuse to attend a case on account of so-called professional courtesy4 ,it is time that public opinion be aroused so that such cases be brought to the attention of county medical societies with sufficient public opinion to force them to take suitable action4 ,the ethics of every profession must be shaped to meet the needs of those it serves as well as the pocketbooks of its members4 ,lack of medical attendance is most serious for the farm mother during confinement1 and the mortality of rural mothers during childbirth1 as shown by the investigations of the ,u4 ,s4 ,children's ,bureau1 is an indictment of our supposed civilization4 ,when we learn that in a homesteading county in ,montana there were #ab4g deaths of mothers per #a1jjj births1 which is twice the rate for the ,united ,states as a whole1 which is higher than that of fifteen foreign countries for which statistics were available in #aiae1 we face a condition which cannot be neglected4 ,when we find that in ,wisconsin this rate was but #f per #a1jjj1 and that #fh percent were attended by physicians1 and in ,kansas it was but #b4i per thousand and #ie percent had physicians1 while in ,montana only #dg percent were attended1 loss of life due to isolation and lack of medical care is apparent4 ,in sparsely settled regions the solution of this problem seems to demand the provision of local maternity hospitals1 for the difficulty is primarily one of isolation4 ,since medical science has shown that sparkling spring water may carry the deadly typhoid germ as a result of distant contamination1 that wells are frequently contaminated by nearby privies or barn yards1 that malaria is carried by mosquitoes1 and that the house fly may carry typhoid fever and intestinal diseases of infants1 we have come to appreciate that isolation and pure country air do not insure freedom from infection1 and that sanitation is as important on the farm as in the city4 ,indeed the transmission of disease by flies is much easier on the farm1 for too often the manure pile where they multiply is not far from the house1 while in many a city the smaller number of horses and the cleaning of manure from the streets prevents their increase4 ,the sanitation of the farm home thus becomes a very large factor in the health of the rural community4 ,surveys made by health officers in recent years have shown the general need of better sanitary provisions and also the possibility of the direct benefits secured from their improvement4 ,in ,indiana the ,state ,board of ,health surveyed nine typical rural counties taking only the homes on farms and in unincorporated villages4 ,the average score of #f1abd rural homes in these nine counties was but #ef4b percent1 the average for individual counties varying from #dc to #fa percent4 ,in #aiad1 #aiae1 and #aiaf1 the ,u4 ,s4 ,public ,health ,service made sanitary surveys of #ea1edd farm homes in #ae rural counties scattered throughout the ,united ,states1 but mostly in the ,south4 ,its report#ee states that only #a4bb percent of these farm homes were equipped for a really sanitary disposal of human excreta1 while in one county in ,alabama less than #bj percent of the farm homes had toilets of any kind4 ,sixty-eight percent of the water supply used for drinking or culinary purposes was obviously exposed to dangerous contamination from privy contents2 and only #cb4hh percent of the houses were effectively screened against flies4 ,a very considerable improvement in farm sanitation has resulted from the educational campaigns conducted during the past decade1 but effective rural sanitation awaits the employment of public health officials who will convince the people of each local community of their individual responsibility for the health conditions on their own farms and of their common liability for the health of each other4 ,with the above conditions in mind1 let us now consider the agencies for health conservation in rural communities4 ,we have already seen that the old-fashioned country doctor is rapidly disappearing4 ,with better transportation now available it seems probable that physicians will live in the larger village centers1 but with telephone communication and the automobile it should be possible to secure as prompt medical attendance4 ,we may as well recognize that many a rural community is too small a unit to support a resident physician and that if satisfactory medical treatment is to be secured we shall have to have better hospital and clinical facilities so that the time of the physician can be economized and frequent attention can be given4 ,most rural townships have a local board of health and health officer1 who is charged with reporting births and deaths and with the enforcement of quarantines against contagious diseases1 but it is notorious that these local health officials are rarely efficient or take any leadership in the betterment of public health4 ,ordinarily the health officer receives little if any pay1 and is a resident physician who is not inclined to antagonize his own clients when the enforcement of health regulations would meet their opposition4 ,students of rural health problems are now fairly agreed that the only means of securing efficient administration of public health regulations in rural communities is by the employment of a full time county health officer1 working under a county board of health1 who will have the same general duties as the health officers in our cities4 ,local health officers would be retained1 but their work would be under the supervision of the county health officer and would have the benefit not only of his support and encouragement1 but also of his superior technical training4 ,if a county superintendent is necessary for our schools1 a county health officer is equally necessary for the supervision of public health1 and several states have enacted legislation requiring or permitting the employment of county health officers4 ,the county is usually the best unit for rural health administration4#ef ,the county health officer would have laboratory facilities for the examination of drinking water1 and samples of blood1 urine1 or sputum for the detection of disease1 and would give direction for the taking of samples which might be sent to the laboratories of the state department of health for the examination of those specimens for which his laboratory was not equipped4 ,he would have general supervision of the medical examination of school children4 ,in numerous ways he would promote better means for health conservation1 as can be done by one who has had special training for such work and who is giving his whole time and thought to its problems4 ,although the county health officer is necessary for the administration of the technical aspects of public health administration1 the most important gains in the health of the rural community will come through the personal education of its people on matters of hygiene and sanitation4 ,this is the field of public health nurses1 and ,i believe that the records of their work in rural communities will show that they have done more for health education than any other one agency4 ,a decade ago trained visiting nurses were practically unknown in rural communities4 ,in #aiad the ,american ,red ,cross first organized its ,town and ,country ,nursing ,service and coperated with a few rural communities in supervising the work of trained public health nurses1 but relatively few places employed rural nurses prior to the war4 ,the county tuberculosis societies also employed visiting nurses who worked throughout a whole county and whose work inevitably created a demand for visiting nurses for a more general service4 ,the shortage of physicians during the war and the influenza epidemic of #aiah revealed the need for rural nurses and since the war the local chapters of the ,american ,red ,cross1 which is devoting much of its attention to public health work1 have employed hundreds of rural public health nurses4 ,the success of school nurses in the cities has led to their employment in the smaller towns1 and now county school nurses are being employed in individual counties in several states1 and in other states school nurses are employed by townships or jointly by several rural school districts4 ,wisconsin and ,ohio have recently enacted laws compelling every county to employ at least one public health nurse1 and a dozen or more states have passed legislation making the employment of county or local nurses optional4 ,under whatever auspices they are employed1 rural public health nurses have found that their most effective work may be done at first in connection with the schools4 ,medical examination of school children is now required in many states1 but unless it is followed up by some one who will see the parents and encourage them to secure the necessary medical or dental treatment1 the results of these examinations are often disappointing4 ,a most interesting and instructive account of the work done by a county school nurse during the first year of her work in typical ,minnesota county has been given by ,miss ,amalia ,m4 ,bengtson1 superintendent of schools of ,renville ,county3 ,renville ,county is prosperous2 there are few poor people1 no child is underfed and no one wilfully neglected1 yet our tabulated report shows an appalling amount of physical defectiveness4 ,out of our school population of six thousand we examined five thousand children1 and found four thousand and ninety-five defective1 testifying that #ha percent of the children were defective4 ,this seems almost unbelievable1 and yet it does not tell the whole story1 for ,i could take you to school after school where there was #ajj percent defectiveness1 where we sent a notice to every parent in that school4 ,yet1 as ,i said before1 ,renville ,county is a prosperous county1 and we have every reason to believe that conditions in ,renville ,county to-day are the same as in other counties where a health survey has been taken4 ,the percentages of the defectiveness found were3 teeth1 #ee percent2 nose1 #dj percent2 throat1 #ff percent2 eyes1 #bb percent2 ears1 #ag percent2 malnutrition1 #af percent2 nervous disorder1 #af percent2 neck glands1 #ad percent2 skin1 #ac percent2 and general appearance1 #ab per cent4#eg ,in reply to the question1 ,what of it8 ,what good came of the health survey8 ,miss ,bengtson says3 ,our records show that about one thousand of the children examined were taken to see either a doctor or a dentist1 or both1 the first year4 ,parents who at first opposed the work are fully convinced that a county nurse should be a permanent worker among us when they see how much their children have been benefited by a little medical help4 ,besides examining the children1 the nurse has been a great factor in bringing about a general education for better health4 ,in our county to-day you are behind the times if you do not know what adenoids are and the havoc bad tonsils can bring2 why eye strain is so prevalent and how to prevent it2 why teeth should be taken care of2 why we should drink plenty of water and eat the proper kind of food2 what kind of clothing is best to wear1 and why we should not wear too heavy and too much clothing while indoors 7we have induced some little boys to remove one coat and three sweaters while in school72 why we need to be clean1 etc4 ,another great service the nurse rendered us was to bring about a veritable epidemic of school-house improvement4 ,she proved that the physical condition of the school-house was reflected in the physical condition of the children4 ,for example1 a poorly lighted and badly ventilated school-house always housed children with eye strain and nervous disorder1 and in a school-house having ill-fitting desks were children of poor posture4 ,during the summer of that first year the nurse was with us1 we conducted so-called 'baby clinics' in the county1 one in every township and one in each village4 ,we urged the mothers to bring their children below school age to the clinics1 and much the same kind of examination was given them as was given the children of school age4 ,we found that #fj percent of the children of pre-school age were defective4 ,this is but a sample of the work and experience of hundreds of rural nurses and shows how the nurse is a health teacher in the most effective manner1 for she gets into the homes and gives personal help in bringing about better health4 ,she uses the demonstration method in health work just as the home demonstration agent does with food1 clothing1 and home management4 ,furthermore1 when the nurse is devoted to her work--and most nurses are or they would not stick to so hard a job--she becomes endeared to the people just as does the family doctor1 for the help she gives in cases of sickness1 accident1 and childbirth1 when she is of invaluable service to isolated homes who can secure no other help4 ,a slip of a girl--though a well-trained nurse--who commenced work in a nearby community was introduced to her new work with two confinement cases and an accident case the first day1 for none of which was a physician obtainable4 ,the ,red ,cross ,nurse in my own county has spent many a night in a farm home in order to get sufficiently acquainted with parents to induce them to allow her to have needed treatment given to their children1 and when the parents come to realize the benefit which their children have received from operations on tonsils or adenoids1 the fitting of glasses1 and similar services1 and appreciate the handicap which such defects would have been to them through life1 the nurse has a warm place in their hearts and they eagerly support her work4 ,one of the difficulties of the average country doctor is his lack of facilities for the expert diagnosis of disease and for the care of patients who need to be kept under observation and given supervised care4 ,medical science has become highly specialized4 ,the human body is so complicated and wonderful a mechanism that we no longer can expect any one man to be expert on all its ailments4 ,if one desires to secure the best medical service1 he goes to a large city hospital or a sanitarium1 where various specialists can be consulted and where laboratory facilities are available for their aid4 ,in the average village or country town both specialists and laboratories are lacking and the physician is dependent on his own knowledge and resources4 ,the well-trained physician who appreciates his own limitations and that he cannot give many of his more difficult cases the care they ought to have1 sends those who can afford it to the nearest hospital1 and does the best he can for the others1 but he is keenly aware that he cannot always give them the treatment they should have and he envies his city colleague who can take his patients to specialists for examination4 ,it is a fear of this professional isolation which causes the average young doctor to start his practice in the city where he has better facilities1 and which is largely responsible for the small number of young doctors in rural counties4 ,it is1 of course1 impossible to have a hospital in every hamlet1 but it is possible to have a good hospital and laboratories at every county seat or small city center1 so that there will be at least one such medical center in a county4 ,legislation has now been enacted in several states making it possible for counties to support a public hospital just as the larger cities have done for many years4 ,here clinics may be held from time to time1 to which eminent specialists may be brought for the diagnosis of different cases1 to the advantage of both patient and physician4 ,it is quite impossible for a busy country doctor to maintain a private laboratory and to provide himself with all the expensive equipment for making examination and tests of blood1 sputum1 urine1 for ,x-ray examinations1 etc41 but the hospital may have all this equipment at his service4 ,one of the most important features of the domestic program of the ,american ,red ,cross is the promotion of so-called ,health ,centers1 a movement which is also sponsored by the ,american ,medical ,association and other national health organizations4 ,such a health center may include a hospital with well equipped laboratories and clinical facilities1 or it may be nothing more than a room in a small village1 equipped with scales for weighing children1 with first aid kits for accident cases1 and used for occasional clinics for the examination of babies and children of pre-school age and for classes in home nursing or first aid2 but every community of any size should have some place which will be a headquarters for its local health ,service1 equipped as may be most practicable to meet its needs1 according to the size of the community4 ,curiously enough the local physicians1 who would be most helped by such improved health facilities and whose practice would be benefited by them1 are often their chief opponents4 ,the leaders in the medical world1 who are keen for all practicable means of improving the public health1 heartily support the health center movement4 ,we are coming to the time when the maintenance of health will be regarded as a public function just as education is now provided for all the people and supported by them4 ,that country people are alive to the need of better health facilities is shown by a resolution of the recent 7,february1 #aibb7 ,agricultural ,conference called by ,president ,harding at ,washington4 ,its committee on farm population reported3 ,the safeguarding of the health of the people in the open country is a first consideration4 ,any program that looks toward the proper safeguarding of health must include adequate available facilities for the people in the open country in the way of hospitals1 clinics1 laboratories1 dispensaries1 nurses1 physicians1 and health officers4 ,this committee endorses the growing tendency through public agencies to maintain the health of the people by means of these facilities and agencies4 ,the life of rural people in ,america is no longer threatened by the invasion of human foes1 but it is constantly threatened by disease4 ,it would seem that the first public concern would be for the maintenance of the health--the very life--of its people1 but as yet we have given much less thought to health than to education4 ,the ,new ,york ,state ,department of ,health has as its slogan3 ,public health is purchasable4 ,within natural limitations any community can determine its own death rate4 ,this is no longer theory1 but can be demonstrated by official mortality statistics4 ,the death rate has declined more rapidly in cities than in rural communities because the cities have given more adequate support to public health organization4 ,the rural community has all the natural advantages in its favor and will ever have the most healthful environment1 but it must recognize that if preventable disease--with all its attendant evils to the family and to the individual--is to be reduced1 this can be accomplished only through education and public health agencies4 ,better health is a matter of the hygiene of the home and the individual1 but it has also become a concern of the common life--a community problem4 ,,footnotes3 #ed ,a ,study of ,sickness in ,dutchess ,county1 ,new ,york4 ,state ,charities ,aid ,association1 ,new ,york ,city4 #ee ,l4 ,l4 ,lumsden1 ,rural ,sanitation1 ,u4 ,s4 ,public ,health ,service4 ,public ,health ,bulletin ,no4 #id1 ,oct41 #aiah4 #ef ,see ,dr4 ,w4 ,s4 ,rankin1 ,report of ,committee on ,rural ,health1 ,proceedings ,second ,national ,country ,life ,conference1 p4 #ic4 #eg ,an ,adventure in ,rural ,health ,service4 ,proceedings ,second ,national ,country ,life ,conference1 p4 #dg4 ,,chapter ,,xiii ,,the ,,community',s ,,play ,,and ,,recreation ,the people of most rural communities have an unsatisfied desire for more play1 recreation1 and sociable life4 ,opportunities for enjoyment seem more available in the towns and cities and are therefore a leading cause of the great exodus4 ,economic prosperity and good wages are not alone sufficient to keep people on farms and in villages if their income will not purchase the satisfactions they desire4 ,to a certain extent many of these advantages of the town and city can be brought to the rural community1 but only when country people come to appreciate and develop those forms of play and recreation which are possible and adapted to their conditions1 and when they are willing to afford ample facilities and opportunity for the play of their children1 will the lure of the city be checked4 ,with such a changed attitude the rural community need have no fear of the competition of the city4 ,it may not be able to have as fine commercial amusements1 but it can have the best sort of play and recreation at small cost1 for which the cities incur large expense4 ,there is a peculiar need for a better understanding of the place of play and recreation in the open country at the present time4 ,formerly large families gave better opportunity for the children of one family to play together1 and there were more children of similar ages at the district school of the neighborhood4 ,to-day with farms farther apart and fewer children1 farm children do not have sufficient opportunity to play together in groups4 ,the better opportunity for group play and team games is one of the advantages of the consolidated school which has been too little appreciated4 ,we have seen that one of the obvious necessities for the economic progress of agriculture is that its business be conducted on a coperative basis4 ,the chief obstacle to coperation is the individualism of the farmer4 ,the training of boys and girls in team games1 in which they learn loyalty to the group and to subordinate themselves to the winning of the team1 will do much to change this attitude4 ,boys who play baseball and basketball together1 who are associated in boy scouts and agricultural clubs1 will be much quicker to coperate1 for they grow up with an attitude of loyalty to the team group as well as to their own family4 ,again1 the awkwardness and self-consciousness of the country youth in comparison with his city cousin is due to no inherent inferiority1 for in a few years he often out-strips him1 but it is the direct result of his lack of social contacts4 ,personality develops through social life1 through the give and take of one personality with another1 through imitation1 and the acquirement of a natural ease of association with others4 ,the country boy and girl who has had the advantage of association with larger groups in the consolidated school or high school tends to become quite the social equal of the city child4 ,heretofore many people1 and particularly farm people1 have regarded play and recreation for adults as more or less frivolous or unnecessary1 while for children play has been used as an award for good conduct or hard work1 but it has by no means been deemed a necessary phase of the child's life4 ,if ,johnnie does all his chores or if ,mary washes the dishes and dusts the furniture faithfully1 the opportunity for play is held up as a reward for services rendered2 but that time for play and proper kinds of play are essential for a child's education has only recently been established by the students of child psychology and is not1 as yet1 generally appreciated either by parents or teachers4 ,it is often said that this is the age of the child1 in that our civilization is more largely shaped by a desire to give our children the best possible advantages4 ,we have come to appreciate1 thanks to the insight of such philosophers as ,john ,fiske1#eh that the advancement of the human race has been very largely due to the prolongation of the period of infancy4 ,ordinarily we think of play as an attribute of childhood1 but as an incident rather than as a fundamental reason for the prolongation of childhood4 ,most modern students of child psychology1 however1 will take the view of ,karl ,gross1#ei an authority on the play of man and animals1 who says3 ,children do not play because they are young2 they are young in order that they may play4 ,play is a normal process of the child's growth through spontaneous activity4 ,joseph ,lee1 the president of the ,playground and ,recreation ,association of ,america1 goes so far as to say3 ,play is thus the essential part of education4 ,it is nature's prescribed course4 ,school is invaluable in forming the child to meet actual social opportunities and conditions4 ,without the school1 he will not grow up to fit our institutions4 ,without play he will not grow up at all4#fj ,i do not mean that a child should have no responsibilities1 for that is the misfortune of the city child1 but it is important to recognize the truth of old adage that all work and no play makes ,jack a dull boy1 which modern psychology has given a scientific basis4 ,one of the most fundamental needs for the promotion of play in rural communities is to secure a new attitude toward it on the part of many parents4 ,too frequently--and alas1 often from necessity--children are compelled to do too much farm labor4 ,agriculture is still a family industry1 and very often on the poorer farms the older children seem to be considered chiefly as an economic asset4 ,overwork and little or no time to satisfy the innate tendency of children to play1 inevitably produces a dislike of farm life and is one of the most obvious reasons why many of them leave the farm as soon as possible4 ,many parents have forgotten how to play and have lost the feel of it4 ,it is important for them to play themselves in order to appreciate the needs of their children1 and to have a real sympathy with them4 ,picnics1 play festivals1 and sociables1 at which every one is compelled to get into the game1 are valuable for this purpose4 ,many a man recovers his youth in a picnic baseball game4 ,others have never had much play in their own lives and do not appreciate its value for the best development of their children4 ,play festivals or demonstrations and local athletic meets in which their children participate may appeal to their parental pride4 ,furthermore1 when such play days are community affairs1 they give the sanction of public opinion to the games played and to those participating in them4 ,the play idea is popularized4 ,play in the ,home4--,although the small family does not furnish opportunity for group games1 which are necessary for the satisfaction both of children and adults1 yet the movement for better play facilities for the community should not overlook the fact that the home is the fundamental social institution of rural life and that play and recreation in the home are essential to its success and happiness4 ,home games bind the family together1 and parents who play with their children find it much easier to secure and maintain their confidence4 ,the community may well give attention to the encouragement of games and play in the homes as well as in the community gatherings4 ,we need a definite movement on the part of pastors1 teachers1 and especially by such organizations as granges and farm and home bureaus for the promotion of play by young and old in the farm home4 ,influence of the ,automobile4--,one of the values of the automobile is that by its use many a farmer has been given a new realization of the value of recreation4 ,the new desire for recreation thus created is a great gain for farm life4 ,there is no reason why the farmer and his family should not have as much enjoyment of life as town and city people1 and if they cannot1 then only the poorer class of people will remain on the farms4 ,occasionally one hears a commercial salesman or some city business man decrying the effect of automobiles on farmers1 claiming that they are neglecting their work while chasing around the country having a good time4 ,doubtless in occasional instances this is as true of the farmer as it is of the townsman1 but such farmers will soon come to their senses or get off the farm1 and even were there a general tendency of this sort in some communities it must be regarded as the temporary excitement of a new experience4 ,on the other hand1 the breaking down of the old stolidity which dominated many a farmer who had become so accustomed to work day in and day out that he was hardly happy when he had a chance for recreation1 and the creation of a wholesome desire for a larger experience and more association with others1 is one of the largest gains in country life and will not only raise the standards of living1 but will be a potent incentive for better agricultural methods4 ,there can be no progress without a certain amount of dissatisfaction4 ,contentedness has its virtues1 but it may degenerate into inertia and the death of all desire for better life4 ,on the other hand1 the automobile and trolley have made it possible for farm people to easily reach the towns and there attend movies and other commercial amusements and to take part in the social life of the town and city4 ,this may weaken the social life of the rural community1 and it also tends to make rural people imitate the forms of play1 recreation1 and social life of the city1 which are not necessarily best suited to rural life4 ,when rural people come to appreciate that those forms of play and recreation which are native or are adapted to the country have many advantages over those of their city cousins1 and in many ways may have higher values and satisfactions1 they will give more heed to developing those which are most suitable for their enjoyment4 ,because various kinds of expensive play apparatus are desirable for the small playground of the city1 which is crowded with hundreds of children1 is no reason why similar apparatus should be thought necessary for the school-yard of the rural school4 ,many of the present tendencies of recreation in cities are but revivals of rural customs which are receiving new recognition because they appeal to that which is innate in human nature4 ,what is community singing but a variation of the old-fashioned singing school8 ,folk-dancing originated in the country as an expression of the activities of every-day life1 and should be encouraged everywhere4 ,dramatics and pageantry are native to the countryside4 ,the fair and festival are rural institutions4 ,commercial ,amusements2 ,moving ,pictures4--,a certain form of recreation may be secured through amusements which involve mere passive participation upon the part of the spectators1 as in various entertainments1 dramatics1 etc4 ,as long as those giving the entertainment are local people1 friends or relatives1 the audience takes a more or less sympathetic part in the performance and is not actuated solely by the desire to purchase pleasurable sensations as is the case with commercial amusements4 ,i mean by commercial amusements those which are operated solely for profit1 whose advantages the individual purchases for his own pleasure rather than with any idea of participating in a group activity4 ,commercial amusements have their place and may be of great benefit1 but they are largely an individualistic form of enjoyment and tend to make the spectator increasingly dependent upon passive pleasurable sensations1 and do not have the social value of those forms of play in which one actively participates as a member of a group4 ,although commercial amusements have these limitations1 yet they have very real values which might be secured for many rural communities if they were operated on a coperative basis by the people themselves rather than merely for profit by an individual4 ,motion pictures are now the most popular form of commercial amusement and have unlimited possibilities when operated for the good of the community rather than for profit alone4 ,it is now possible to secure relatively cheap projection outfits and electric plants1 so that many small communities are now operating their own motion picture shows4 ,in many places this is one of the leading attractions at the community building and is a source of revenue for its maintenance4 ,in such places the motion picture entertainment is becoming a sort of family affair1 and when it can be so operated as to secure the attendance of the family as a group the objectionable features will soon disappear4 ,indeed1 there is a well-organized effort on the part of certain motion picture firms to supply films for just this type of entertainments4 ,moreover1 the picture show may possibly be supplemented with other features which will make a more attractive evening's entertainment1 especially in small places where it is practicable to operate but one show during an evening4 ,during the war community singing was tried at the opening and between reels in many movie houses with conspicuous success1 and should be encouraged wherever suitable leadership can be secured4 ,the speeches of the four-minute men were also an innovation which might well be tried further in a modified form4 ,would not a four-minute speech on some current topic by a live speaker1 given in an uncontroversial manner1 be a welcome feature of the movie show between reels1 and an effective means of educating public opinion8 ,the community orchestra or community band might well receive encouragement and financial aid by occasional programs at the community movies4 ,dramatics and ,pageantry4--,in the last few years amateur dramatics have become increasingly popular in rural communities4 ,the little country theater idea has caught the attention of rural people1 and seems destined in one form or another to become a rural institution4 ,amateur dramatics are one of the most enjoyable and wholesome forms of recreation4 ,the actors not only have a deal of fun as well as hard work1 but real acting involves putting one's self into the part and gaining an understanding of various types of people and social situations which is a most liberal education4 ,the audience1 on the other hand1 takes a particular interest in the acting of its children1 friends1 and relatives1 and it enters into the spirit of the play much more fully than when seeing professional actors4 ,the amateur dramatic club tends to become a community organization in which the people have a real pride and for which they develop a loyalty which affords it a peculiar opportunity and responsibility for portraying various problems and phases of life1 giving not only enjoyment but a finer and deeper appreciation of human relationships4 ,for special occasions the historical pageant is not only a most delightful entertainment but is one of the best means of arousing community pride and spirit4 ,the pageant grips both actors and audience with a common loyalty to their forefathers4 ,such an historical picture of the development of a community brings to its people an appreciation of their common heritage and they come to a new realization of their present comforts and their responsibility for the community's future4 ,all sorts and conditions of people will work together in a pageant and enjoy the association4 ,any rural community which really makes up its mind to do so can produce an historical pageant of its own1 which will give new meaning and inspiration to the common life4#fa ,play in the ,school4--,the school is commencing to realize the importance of play as a phase of education1 but in many cases the one-room country school has too few children of the same age to make it possible for them to play together with much satisfaction4 ,school consolidation is essential for better play4 ,the grounds of most one-room schools are ill-adapted to play and it is not always practicable to have sufficient land attached to them for a suitable playground4 ,it has been assumed that children know how to play1 but such is by no means always the case4 ,they have the desire to play1 but if they have not had opportunity to play with others1 the forms of their play may be very limited4 ,herein is the opportunity for supervision by the teacher1 who may teach them new plays and games1 may uphold the code of play1 and may see that all have opportunity to participate4 ,obviously the teachers themselves need training for this which they have not had in the past4 ,new ,york ,state has provided that any school district or combination of several school districts may employ a supervisor of physical training1 towards whose salary the state will contribute half up to #fjj per annum1 who will assist the teachers in developing physical training and play in their schools4 ,similar plans are being adopted in other states4 ,maryland has a state-wide athletic league organized by counties4 ,the children of each school are given physical tests1 and recognition by buttons and medals is given for the attainment of definite standards of physical development and prowess1 graduated according to age and sex4 ,athletic meets are held by the schools of each county1 and the winners then compete in a state-wide meet4#fb ,in many parts of the country the schools of a community1 township1 or county are now holding play days or play festivals1 with which is usually a picnic1 at which children and parents from the whole countryside get together for a day of real recreation1 and which have a large influence in winning the support of their patrons for the play activities fostered by the schools4#fc ,boys' and ,girls' ,organizations4--,probably a larger impetus to the best types of play for country boys and girls has been given by such organizations as the ,young ,men's ,christian ,association1 the ,young ,women's ,christian ,association1 the ,boy ,scouts1 the ,girl ,scouts1 the ,camp ,fire ,girls1 and the ,boys' and ,girls' ,clubs fostered by the extension departments of the state agricultural colleges and the ,u4 ,s4 ,department of ,agriculture1 than by any other agencies4 ,each of these organizations has a program of children's activities involving both recreation and education1 as well as a definite effort for character building4 ,they are invaluable allies of the home1 the school1 and the church1 for they are the boys' and girls' own organizations and meet their desire for group activities4 ,just which one or how many of them are needed in any one community is a local problem1 and it is impracticable to here attempt any evaluation of their particular advantages4 ,suffice it to say that every rural community which can find suitable leadership should have such an organization of boys or girls1 and will find the assistance of the state and national headquarters of these movements of the greatest help in the development of a local program of play and recreation4#fd ,the ,church and ,play4--,we have already noted 7page #acc7 a changing attitude on the part of the rural church toward play and recreation4#fe ,in the past it has too often been simply a negative condemnation of the so-called worldly amusements1 with no effort to understand the normal cravings of human nature which they satisfy or to furnish any satisfactory substitute for them4 ,it is true that socials of the older classes in the ,sunday school and of the young people's societies have done much for the sociable life of the country1 but very often they have failed to interest those who would be most benefited by them4 ,recently1 however1 church leaders are actively encouraging rural churches to develop such programs of play and recreation as may be necessary to meet the needs of their communities4 ,the ,sunday schools are organizing baseball teams and baseball leagues1 and are promoting through-the-week activities of organized classes4 ,a majority of the troops of ,boy ,scouts are affiliated with churches1 and scouting is becoming a recognized means for the direction of the church's recreational work for boys4 ,just how far the rural church should go in affording facilities for play and recreation1 is a local problem and it is difficult to generalize as to the duty of the church in this field4 ,if there is but one church in the community1 or there is a community church1 and other agencies are lacking1 it may be highly desirable for the church which has suitable rooms to equip one as a play room1 or to establish a play ground for the children1 or to organize a dramatic club4 ,but where there is more than one church in a community1 it is obviously difficult to organize recreational work on sectarian lines4 ,in some instances the churches are pooling their interests in the support of a common recreational program4 ,some of those who most keenly feel the responsibility for the leadership of the church in this field1 even go so far as to claim that on account of the moral values involved in the play of its people1 play and recreation should be chiefly directed by and centered in the church4 ,there is no question but that the church which does not give attention to this aspect of life and does not have some recreational and social features among its activities will fail to meet the needs of its people1 but whether the church can compete with the school1 the community building1 and independent social organizations1 or whether it should seek to do so1 is hardly a debatable question4 ,the play and recreational life of most rural communities inevitably crosses church lines1 and it is well for the community that it does4 ,people may differ on religion and yet enjoy playing together4 ,so the church may lead and promote better means for play and recreation1 but whenever it attempts domination or control it will prejudice its position and will be unable to accomplish its objective4 ,community ,buildings4--,the larger appreciation of the importance of play and recreation in rural life has brought attention to the lack of physical equipment4 ,every rural community needs a playground large enough to include a good baseball diamond and a basketball court1 and a building where indoor sports1 gymnasium work and basketball games can be held4 ,on account of the lack of such facilities many cities have bought playgrounds upon which have been erected special buildings containing gymnasiums1 game and club rooms1 and often a branch library1 which have become known as social centers4 ,the social center idea has spread to the country1 for which various forms of social centers have been advocated4 ,any building which is available for such purposes to the whole community--the school1 church1 or grange hall--may become a social center if suitable arrangements are made for its operation as such4 ,the ,u4 ,s4 ,bureau of ,education has urged that every school shall be made a social center1 and as far as this is possible1 it is most desirable4 ,what can be accomplished through the country school is well shown in the work of ,mrs4 ,marie ,turner ,harvey in the ,porter ,school at ,kirksville1 ,missouri4#ff ,but the district school will1 at best1 be only the social center of a neighborhood1 and in many cases its district is too small for successful play or social life4 ,furthermore1 the average one-room school is ill-adapted in architecture or equipment for social purposes4 ,the consolidated school or village high school may well be made a social center as far as it is possible for it to so function and new schools should be1 and are being1 constructed with this in view4 ,the school building and the school playground are naturally the best places for centering the play activities of the children1 especially where physical training or play supervisors are employed by the schools4 ,it is a question1 however1 whether those over school age will use the school for social purposes as freely as some other building1 unless the general policy and management of the use of the building for community purposes is in the hands of a community organization formed for that purpose4 ,where there is but one church in a community1 which is practically a community church1 the church building or church house may be utilized as a social center1 and the erection of community buildings by such churches is now being advocated4 ,in some cases such a community building attached to a church may be a means of meeting the need2 but in other communities affiliation with the church may not be advantageous4 ,where there is more than one church1 the churches may join in the operation of a community building1 but in that case all of the churches must be included or it will not have the support of the whole community--it will not be a real community building4 ,many grange buildings are now used but once in a fortnight or so for grange meetings1 and remain idle the rest of the time4 ,may it not be possible to devise some equitable and satisfactory arrangement whereby they may be made available for the constant use of all the people as community buildings and still reserve them to the grange for its use at such times as it desires8 ,the average rural community cannot afford to tie up so much capital in buildings which are so infrequently used4 ,in any event1 the auspices under which a community building is to be operated and the possibility of securing the united support of the whole community for it are essential if it is to be permanently successful as a community home4 ,because of the limitations of school1 church1 and grange hall1 many communities are now planning to erect community buildings#fg in which all the leisure-time activities of the whole community may be centered4 ,the community building will usually include an auditorium with stage for entertainments and dramatics1 which is often used for a gymnasium or basketball1 a kitchen and dining room1 a game room1 possibly a library room1 and such other features as may be practicable4 ,in older communities there are often more buildings than are being used4 ,unused churches may well be converted to community buildings with relatively small expense4 ,the advent of prohibition and good roads has driven many village hotels out of business and their buildings are in some cases suitable for conversion into community buildings and may be purchased at much below cost4 ,some sort of organization must be the owner of a community building and assure its support1 and it would seem that if the building is to be truly a community affair it should be operated by the community as such4 ,in some states legislation has been passed permitting the township1 or any voluntary tax district1 to erect and operate a community building1 and many such buildings are in successful operation4 ,in other cases1 it will be desirable to form some sort of community organization1 which is open to all members of the community and which represents all of the organizations and interests which may use the building1 for its erection and control4 ,thus rural play and recreation which formerly centered in the neighborhood1 is now being organized on a community basis1 and the increased interest in adequate facilities for play and recreation is1 in last analysis1 an effort of the rural community to defend its integrity against the lure of its people by the city4 ,just as in their economic life and in their educational system rural people are compelled to act together as a community if they are to compete with the advancing standards of the city1 so play and recreation is also becoming a concern of the whole community4 ,,footnotes3 #eh ,see his ,the ,meaning of ,infancy4 #ei ,the ,play of ,man4 ,translated by ,elizabeth ,l4 ,baldwin4 ,new ,york1 #aija4 #fj ,play in ,education4 #fa ,see ,abigail ,f4 ,halsey1 ,the ,historical ,pageant in the ,rural ,community4 ,n4 ,y4 ,state ,college of ,agriculture1 ,cornell ,extension ,bulletin1 #ed4 ,june1 #aibb4 #fb ,see ,official ,handbook of the ,public ,athletic ,league1 ,baltimore1 ,md4 ,edited by ,william ,burdick1 ,m4,d4 ,spalding ,athletic ,library1 ,new ,york1 ,american ,sports ,publishing ,co4 #fc ,see ,galpin and ,weisman1 ,play ,days in ,rural ,schools1 ,circular #aah1 ,exten4 ,div4 of the ,college of ,agr41 ,univ4 of ,wisconsin1 ,madison4 #fd ,national headquarters are as follows3 ,y4 ,m4 ,c4 ,a41 ,county ,work1 #cdg ,madison ,ave41 ,new ,york2 ,y4 ,w4 ,c4 ,a41 ,country ,dept41 #fjj ,lexington ,ave41 ,new ,york2 ,boy ,scouts of ,america1 ,fifth ,ave4 ,bldg41 ,new ,york2 ,girl ,scouts1 ,inc41 #ahi ,lexington ,ave41 ,new ,york2 ,the ,camp ,fire ,girls of ,america1 #abh ,e4 #bhth ,st41 ,new ,york2 ,boys' and ,girls' ,club ,work 7in agriculture and home economics71 ,states ,relations ,service1 ,u4 ,s4 ,dept4 of ,agriculture1 ,washington1 ,d4 ,c41 or the extension department of any state agricultural college4 #fe ,the best discussion of this topic is ,henry ,a4 ,atkinson's ,the ,church and the ,peoples ,play4 ,boston1 ,pilgrim ,press1 #aiae4 #ff ,see ,evelyn ,dewey1 ,new ,schools for ,old4 ,new ,york4 #fg ,see ,farmers' ,bulletins #hbe1 #aagc and #aaib1 ,u4 ,s4 ,department of ,agriculture1 by ,w4 ,c4 ,nason1 on ,rural ,community ,buildings4 ,,chapter ,,xiv ,,organizations ,,of ,,the ,,rural ,,community ,throughout most of the ,united ,states the farmer's sense of belonging to a community is rather vague4 ,the villager has a definite idea of the village because it has a boundary1 he can see it1 and in many cases it is incorporated2 but in most cases1 outside of ,new ,england at least1 the villager and the farmer have not thought of themselves as belonging to the same community4 ,farmers do1 however1 belong to many organizations which meet in the village and more and more farmer and villager mingle in the associations devoted to various special interests4 ,the farmer's loyalty has1 therefore1 been primarily to organizations rather than to the community as such1 but as these different organizations have multiplied he has become increasingly aware that most of them1 each in its own field1 are devoted to the interests of the common good4 ,through the common interests of organizations in the life of all the people is arising a new conception of the community4 ,as ,professor ,e4 ,c4 ,lindeman has well pointed out1#fh at the present time the community is more an association of groups than of individuals1 and it is these groups and organizations which largely control community action4 ,if we are to understand the relation of the farmer to his community1 we can do so only by knowing the organizations and groups to which he belongs1 for it is in them and through them that his loyalty to the community arises4 ,the ,grange4--,by all odds the strongest local organization of farmers throughout the northern and western states is the ,grange1 which is the local unit of the ,order of ,patrons of ,husbandry4 ,for half a century1 from the time of its organization in #ahfh until #aibj1 it had a larger influence upon national legislation than any other organization of farmers1 and it was largely through its efforts that many of the more important acts for the benefit of agriculture were passed by ,congress4#fi ,the growth in membership and number of local granges in recent years testifies that the grange meets a real need in farm life4 ,its maximum membership was in #ahge when #heh1jej members were paying dues to the ,national ,grange4 ,from then it declined to #ajf1ghb members in #ahhi1 but in the next thirty years it grew to approximately #gjj1jjj members in #aiai4 ,state ,granges are now organized in thirty-three states and there are approximately #h1jjj local or subordinate granges4 ,in the earlier years of its history there were many granges in the ,south1 but since the decline in the '#hj's there have been practically no granges south of ,virginia and ,missouri4 ,although the ,grange is a secret order or fraternity1 with a ritual similar to other fraternal orders1 its membership is open to any one of good character1 and the local granges frequently hold open meetings to which all the people of the community are invited4 ,the strength of the ,grange as a community organization is largely due to two factors3 first1 its broad program1 and second1 that it is a family organization4 ,both men and women are admitted to membership and in several states junior granges for the older children are numerous4 ,although the grange actively supports state and national legislation for the benefit of agriculture1 it is strictly non-partisan in politics and is non-sectarian with regard to religion4 ,in the earlier years it undertook to operate numerous coperative enterprises1 including many coperative stores1 and it was the failure of many of these which caused its sudden decline of membership in the late '#gj's4 ,in recent years1 although it has vigorously sponsored coperation1 it has favored independent coperative organizations1 having no organic connection with the grange1 with the exception of grange insurance companies whose advantages are usually limited to grange members4 ,possibly the greatest service of the ,grange is its educational and social work4 ,the lecturer's hour is a feature of every meeting1 and in this hour a program planned by the lecturer is given by members of the grange1 or outside speakers are invited to address it on topics of interest4 ,these programs include both discussion of educational topics having to do with all phases of agriculture1 home life1 and civic affairs1 but also music1 recitations and other entertaining features4 ,special social evenings and suppers are held at frequent intervals and the young people often enjoy an informal dance after the regular grange meeting4 ,the local grange1 more than any other organization1 provides a forum for the discussion of the problems of agriculture and country life1 and is thus a powerful agency for the creation of public opinion on any matters of community concern4 ,the management of its business and the participation in the lecturer's programs furnish the best opportunity for the development of leadership and for training in public speaking1 so that the local ,grange has been the means of discovering and training much of our best rural leadership4 ,for many years the attention of the ,grange seemed to be directed chiefly toward the support of needed national legislation1 but recently grange leaders have perceived that1 like all such organizations1 its permanent strength and influence depend more largely on the degree to which the local grange is a vital force in the life of its members and of its community4 ,in a recent article on ,the ,future of the ,grange1 ,s4 ,j4 ,lowell1 ,master of the ,national ,grange1 ably voices this point of view3 ,the farm people of ,america are better informed on all the great questions of the day2 are pursuing better agricultural methods2 are demanding better roads1 better schools1 better churches2 are doing more effective teamwork for forward-looking projects2 and in consequence are more valuable men and women and citizens because of the ,grange influence of the past and its presence in their life to-day4 ,remove the ,grange from ,america and there would be taken out of our progress of a half century one of the largest contributing factors4 ,it will be setting up a declaration contrary to the belief of some that exerting legislative influence1 important as it is1 is not the most valuable function of the ,grange2 that its coperative activities1 however they may have flourished1 will not loom largest in the grange program of the future2 that not even its efforts for state and national reform will be recorded as its greatest service to its day and generation4 ,rather we must estimate the ,grange value of the future by its quiet1 steady1 unfaltering efforts1 continued year after year1 in thousands of local communities--many of them far removed from the busy activities of men--to bring the rural people together1 to teach them the fundamentals of coperation1 of efficiency1 of teamwork1 of practical educational progress1 and of the value of a forward-looking rural program1 into whose accomplishments all the people of a locality may conscientiously enter4444 ,this view of ,grange service to rural ,america is apparent in the extent to which the community-betterment program has been taken up by subordinate granges in nearly every state4 ,though a secret organization--a fraternity in fact as well as in name--the ,grange is more and more making of itself an overflowing institution1 seeking to render actual benefits to its immediate home locality4 ,hundreds of live ,granges this year are carrying out some form of community improvement along a great variety of directions4#gj ,he then goes on to give a brief glimpse of the variety of these community enterprises4 ,in ,massachusetts the ,state ,grange has for several years had a committee which awards annual prizes for the best community improvement work done by the local granges1 and this has stimulated a lively interest in community activities4 ,although the ,grange is primarily a farmers' organization1 yet where the local grange meets in the village1 and particularly in the older states1 a considerable number of the members are village people1 so that the ,grange represents the life of the whole community4 ,on the other hand1 in many neighborhoods which are at some distance from a village center1 the ,grange hall may be located in the open country1 its membership is composed wholly of farmers1 and it is solely a class organization4 ,no studies are available to show the proportion of ,granges which meet in villages or in the open country and the effect which this has upon the relation of the ,grange to the community1 but it may be safely asserted that1 as is the case with the church and the school1 the ,grange tends to meet in village centers as a matter of convenience to the largest number of its members1 and that1 as indicated by ,mr4 ,lowell1 it is coming to recognize its responsibility for the general improvement of the community as a whole4 ,other ,farmers' ,organizations4--,throughout the ,south and in ,kansas and ,nebraska the ,farmers' ,educational and ,coperative ,union is the leading farmers' organization1 but it is chiefly devoted to coperative business enterprises and does but little for the education or social life of its members1 who are usually all men4 ,the same may be said of the ,society of ,equity1 which is strongest in ,wisconsin1 ,kentucky1 and ,south ,dakota4 ,in ,michigan1 although the ,grange is strong1 the ,gleaners have a considerable membership4 ,in many states1 particularly where the grange is not well established1 farmers' clubs have been organized4 ,in some cases local conditions make clubs feasible where it would be difficult to enlist a large enough part of the community to make a grange equally successful4 ,in some cases such clubs are open to farmers only2 in others they include the whole family2 while in recent years many farm women's clubs have been organized4 ,whether such clubs should be for the whole family1 or for men or women only1 is largely a local question depending upon the social usages and homogeneity of the population4 ,in ,wisconsin and ,minnesota family clubs have been most successful4 ,it is doubtful whether this would be equally true in the ,south4 ,in the ,south such local clubs have been the local units of the extension work in agriculture and home economics4 ,where for any reason it is not possible to include the whole community in a club1 several clubs may be organized1 each including a congenial membership1 as is now the case with women's clubs in cities1 and these may then be federated for community purposes4 ,lodges4--,in most rural villages will be found one or more lodges of fraternal orders1 such as the ,masons1 ,odd ,fellows1 ,knights of ,pythias1 ,maccabees1 etc41 with the corresponding orders of women's auxiliaries4 ,the place and influence of lodges in the life of the rural community have been strangely neglected by students of country life1 and we have no means of evaluating their place in the rural community4 ,not infrequently the regular meetings and special parties and banquets held by these orders form a large part of the social life of the village4 ,in other cases the meetings are but poorly attended and the lodge is maintained chiefly for its insurance benefits4 ,in some of the larger villages and towns the larger and more prosperous lodges have game rooms and reading rooms attached to their halls1 so that they serve as club rooms for their membership4 ,usually the membership is more largely composed of village people1 but a considerable number of farmers maintain their membership1 even though they do not attend regularly1 and in exceptional cases the membership is largely composed of farm people4 ,it is obvious that the lodge as a secret order is devoted to the interests of its own membership and usually it has no definite program of work for the benefit of the whole community4 ,yet it must be recognized that the assistance rendered by the lodge to its members in sickness and to their families when in distress of any kind1 is a considerable asset to the welfare of the community and is a powerful influence in promoting that spirit of brotherhood upon which all community life depends4 ,usually the lodges actively support and participate in any community activities in which they may appropriately take part1 such as ,memorial ,day or ,fourth of ,july celebrations1 community ,christmas trees and other festival occasions4 ,the churches1 or at least the ministers1 sometimes feel that the social life of the lodges absorbs so much of the time and interest of their members as to prevent their activity in church work1 which attitude has often obtained between the church and ,grange1 but it is a question whether this is not often due to the failure of the church to provide such activities as will command the loyalty of the people1 and1 on the other hand1 not infrequently the leaders in lodge work are also most active in the churches4 ,to the extent that the lodges seem self-centered and make no direct contribution to community improvement1 this is doubtless due to the lack of any means whereby their support may be enlisted in a program of community betterment4 ,the place of the lodge in the community is much like that of a fraternity in a college or university2 its primary obligation is to its own membership1 but when enlisted in any activity for the common welfare it furnishes one of the best means for developing the community spirit of its members1 and its participation is a means of strengthening its own organization4 ,the ,village ,band4--,a good village band is one of the most effective agencies for promoting community spirit and sociability4 ,the village merchants have also found that it is an economic asset1 and in many country towns they contribute liberally for its support4 ,a band concert every ,saturday night1 or twice a week1 never fails to bring a crowd of people to town and it is a common sight to see the streets lined with automobiles of farm people who have come in to enjoy the concert and incidentally to do a little shopping and chat with each other and their village friends4 ,although it may be called by the name of the village1 it is usually a community band1 for farm boys who can play an instrument are always welcome and frequently form a considerable part of the membership4 ,the community comes to have a real pride in even a moderately good band1 and on holiday celebrations and other festival occasions it is an invaluable asset to community spirit4 ,a crowd will always follow a band1 for it exercises a sort of group leadership for which there seems to be no substitute4 ,in one small town in central ,new ,york the high school operates a moving picture show every ,saturday evening1 which is preceded by a band concert and part of the profits of the show goes to the support of the band4 ,thus the community finances and controls its own entertainment4 ,another small village in western ,new ,york had a fairly good band which had been playing in neighboring villages as the only means of securing an income1 and was thus drawing trade of farmers from its own village to those where it played4 ,the first enterprise of the community council which was formed there was to build a band stand and to see that the band was financed so that it played every ,saturday night in the home town4 ,in another case a community council was formed for the primary purpose of bringing the support of the whole community to a fine band which had struggled along for several years with little local appreciation4 ,community orchestras are of equal value for indoor entertainments and give opportunity for the talent of the young women as well as the men4 ,the community chorus or choral club has often taken the place of the old-fashioned singing school4 ,if a good director can be secured he will always discover more vocal ability than has been suspected1 and the people of many a rural community have been surprised at the musical works they have been able to produce under competent leadership4 ,the amount of music in a community and the public interest in its musical entertainments are among the most significant indices of its general culture and progressiveness4 ,where there is music there is life4 ,the ,fire ,company4--,one of the most ancient and honorable of the organizations of the village is the volunteer fire company4 ,the fire company makes an appeal to the spirit of adventure and heroism common to all red-blooded young men and furnishes something of ,professor ,william ,james' moral equivalent of war4 ,its drills1 exhibits and competitions develop the finest type of team work among its members1 while its parties1 festivals and entertainments for raising money are always occasions of note in the social calendar of the community4 ,in the older parts of the country the firemen very frequently have a building with clubrooms on the second floor1 which form a rendezvous for its members4 ,not infrequently many of the nearby farm boys belong to the fire company and pay their dues for its support so that they may enjoy its social advantages1 although they may rarely have opportunity to do much actual fire-fighting4 ,in several cases community houses have been built with one corner of the first floor constructed to house the fire equipment4 ,in one village ,i found that the fire company had taken over an old hall1 where it had clubrooms and was holding moving picture entertainments every ,saturday evening to finance the building4 ,the ,women's ,christian ,temperance ,union is by all odds the strongest non-sectarian organization of women in the rural communities of the ,united ,states4 ,in the past it has been chiefly a reform organization and its persistent agitation was a large factor in the enactment of the ,eighteenth ,amendment to the federal constitution making prohibition national4 ,although prohibition is1 as yet1 by no means achieved1 and there is still need of upholding and encouraging those charged with its enforcement1 yet the primary purpose of the organization seems to be largely realized4 ,in the past it has been chiefly a militant organization1 although it has taken an active interest in problems of child welfare1 education1 recreation1 social hygiene1 and similar topics affecting home life4 ,its public speaking contests1 picnics1 suppers1 and sociables have done much for the social life of many a rural community4 ,if the fighting spirit of the past can be enlisted in a well-rounded program for social welfare in every community where there is a ,union1 this organization will continue to be a powerful factor in uniting the women in many a rural community4 ,the ,cemetery ,association4--,finally1 the influence of the ,cemetery ,association as a community organization1 should not be overlooked4 ,the ,friendship ,village ,married ,ladies' ,cemetery ,improvement ,sodality1 which ,miss ,gale has made famous in her delightful stories of village life1#ga well illustrates the influences which have been started by many a cemetery association4 ,not infrequently the one thing which evinces some civic pride in an otherwise stagnant community is its well-kept cemetery4 ,the condition of the cemetery is a good index of community spirit4 ,when people neglect the resting place of their dead they are not apt to do much for the living4 ,but once arouse a feeling of shame for such neglect and the effort to clean up and beautify the cemetery has often brought all elements of the community into a common loyalty as nothing else could do1 and the satisfaction from such an achievement may sufficiently stir community pride as to encourage other enterprises4 ,the cemetery itself has a not inconsiderable influence in bringing about the integration of the rural community4 ,in early days every farm had its own burying lot4 ,nothing is more pathetic than the abandoned burying lots--often two or three of them--on many a ,new ,england farm4 ,in many cases rural neighborhoods have had a local cemetery by the country church or district school4 ,these1 too1 are increasingly neglected4 ,on the other hand the village cemetery is more largely used merely because more assurance is felt in its permanent maintenance4 ,it needs no argument from history or from the customs of other lands1 to show that the people who bury their dead in the same place are bound together by the most sacred ties1 and that the cemetery which serves the whole community is one of its primary bonds4 ,,footnotes3 #fh ,the ,community1 p4 #aai4 ,new ,york1 ,association ,press4 #aiba4 #fi ,see ,t4 ,c4 ,atkeson1 ,semi-centennial ,history of the ,grange4 ,new ,york4 ,orange ,judd ,co4 #gj ,in ,the ,country ,gentleman4 ,oct4 #h1 #aiba1 p4 #ag4 #ga ,zona ,gale1 ,friendship ,village2 ,friendship ,village ,love ,stories2 ,peace in ,friendship ,village4 ,new ,york4 ,macmillan ,co4 ,,chapter ,,xv ,,the ,,community',s ,,dependent ,the neighborliness and hospitality of farmers is proverbial in every land and clime4 ,throughout much of the old world where farmers still live in village communities the poverty or distress of any family is at once apparent and the more fortunate members of the village in one way or another give such assistance as is possible4 ,the more primitive the people the more binding is this obligation for mutual aid1 and one cannot but feel that our so-called advanced civilization has failed to develop as keen a sense of responsibility for the unfortunate4 ,in rural ,america this is possibly due to the fact that our farms are scattered and the condition of needy families may not be noticed4 ,the average rural community will usually inform an inquirer that it has practically no poverty and no need of a social worker4 ,yet investigation will almost always show that tucked away in some hollow1 back on some hill1 or even huddled near the outskirts of the village are a few unfortunate families1 of whose needs the community is unaware4 ,these families1 for one reason or another are disadvantaged1 they do not commonly associate with others1 they may be foreigners1 or in some way they are queer and are more or less avoided1 or possibly they are merely isolated and so are unknown4 ,from the standpoint of the social welfare of the community such families1 or individuals1 have been called the unadjusted2 they do not mix freely and are not up to the local standards of life4 ,in short1 such families or individuals are abnormal1 and are a social liability of the community4 ,these disadvantaged or unadjusted people may be roughly grouped into four classes3 the dependent1 the defective1 the delinquent1 and the neglected4 ,in one sense they may all be called the community's dependent1 for they all require some sort of assistance from the community if their relationship to it is to be satisfactorily adjusted4 ,poverty4--,in a narrower sense the dependent are the poor2 those who are unable to support themselves and who must be aided by the community if they are to exist4 ,if this condition becomes chronic they are paupers2 but in most cases their dependency is temporary and has been due to some unusual drain on the family's resources1 such as1 sickness1 fire1 crop failure1 or inability to secure employment4 ,there is a very natural aversion on the part of the latter class against becoming stigmatized as paupers and of having to secure public relief1 of being on the town2 whereas the habitual dependents have frequently lost all pride in their social status and are quite willing to continue to receive all the help they can secure4 ,in both cases1 if assistance is to be of permanent value1 the problem is not only that of furnishing immediate relief in the form of food1 clothing1 or shelter1 but of ascertaining the causes of the dependency and giving such assistance and sympathetic encouragement as will enable the family or individual to again become self-supporting and regain a normal status in the community4 ,obviously this is a delicate task which requires the best knowledge of human nature as well as genuine sympathy which will inspire confidence and faith1 and in so far as possible is likely to be more effective if it can be done privately4 ,on the other hand1 a large proportion of the chronic dependency also involves mental or physical defectiveness or moral delinquency which cannot be remedied by the mere giving of alms4 ,much of the poor relief given by rural communities is practically wasted because of a failure to ascertain the real cause of poverty or by lack of knowledge or means for its treatment4 ,defectives4--,in most cases the care of defectives cannot be undertaken by the rural community itself1 because they usually require the care of institutions which can only be supported by the county or state4 ,furthermore1 a family is usually able to take care of one of its members who is so afflicted or will assume the burden of sending him to an institution1 so that only in the case of dependent families does the responsibility rest on the community4 ,there is1 however1 a duty on the part of the community to see that the afflicted are given necessary care1 so that they may not have to go through life so handicapped that they are unable to be self-supporting and thus may become wholly dependent4 ,the physically defective are largely cared for by state and county institutions4 ,we have learned that the deaf and blind may become largely self-supporting if given the advantages of a specific type of education1 for which the state maintains special schools4 ,county and state hospitals provide for the care of those afflicted with tuberculosis and a beginning is being made in the provision of state hospitals for crippled children where they may receive necessary surgical and orthopedic treatment4 ,likewise the more helpless mental defectives1 the insane1 the imbeciles and idiots1 are cared for in state institutions4 ,one of the most serious menaces to the social health of the rural community is from those mental defectives who are able to care for themselves but who are mentally incapable of rearing a normal family and of conforming to the customary standards of morality4 ,these feeble-minded1 are far too numerous in rural communities and their proper care and education has been neglected because they have been commonly regarded as merely simple minded or foolish2 to be pitied1 and the subject of many a jest1 but entirely harmless4 ,a large number of the feeble-minded are so nearly normal that they are considered merely shiftless or stupid4 ,nearly every rural community has one or more families1 and not infrequently a small slum neighborhood1 who are ne'er-do-wells1 more or less delinquent and frequently requiring aid from the town4 ,thanks to modern psychology1 we now know that many of these adults have the intelligence of only a seven or nine-year-old child and that they are incapable of further mental development4 ,furthermore1 carefully conducted studies in the heredity of these families show that feeble-mindedness is congenital2 that where both parents are feeble-minded all the offspring will be so afflicted2 and that when one of the parents is sub-normal that some of the children will be feeble-minded and that those who appear normal may transmit the defect to their children4 ,psychological tests have now been developed so that adults with a mentality of nine or ten years or less may be definitely diagnosed as mentally deficient4 ,it must be obvious that an adult with fully developed sexual desires but with the mind of a child is incapable of conforming his or her behavior to the standards of society and will be incapable of giving proper parental care to children4 ,so a considerable percentage of our petty criminals1 vagrants1 prostitutes1 and dependent are found to be feeble-minded4 ,they are unstable1 suggestible1 easily victimized4 ,the farm and the village have a considerable amount of routine work which can be done by these sub-normal people and they therefore have opportunity to maintain themselves and to multiply to better advantage than in the city where the competition of life is keener4 ,although they are best off in a rural environment1 when unrestricted and unsegregated they are a constant menace to the community and often involve it in considerable expense4 ,as soon as farmers become aware of what the feeble-minded are costing the community1 how they endanger its moral and physical health1 and that when unrestricted they continue to reproduce incapables and thus perpetuate the burden1 they will demand that some practicable and reasonable measures be taken for their control4 ,the difficulty is that at present in most states there is no method whereby the feeble-minded can be committed to state institutions or be otherwise segregated unless they are paupers or unless they go voluntarily1 nor is there any means of preventing their marriage and reproduction4 ,dairy farmers have learned that it pays to weed out the boarder cows from their herds and that if they breed from a scrub sire they will have scrub stock2 but if the boarder cow was also inclined to become vicious and to corrupt the habits of the rest of the herd and the farmer knew this trait to be hereditary1 he would invariably send such a cow to the butcher4 ,i believe that as soon as farmers appreciate the biological significance of feeble-mindedness they will insist upon reasonable legislation for its control4 ,delinquency4--,the third class of abnormal citizens are the delinquents1 both adult and juvenile4 ,almost every rural community has a certain number of adults and children who1 although not definitely criminal1 are constantly committing various misdemeanors1 are vicious1 or incorrigible1 and there are occasional rural communities and neighborhoods which are as true slums as are found in the cities4#gb ,drunkenness was formerly the greatest cause of delinquency1 and the tavern and saloon were responsible for the prohibition movement whose staunchest supporters were rural people4 ,the bootlegger and the illicit still continue the illegal traffic in liquor1 but where prohibition has been in force for some time liquor has ceased to be an important factor in delinquency4 ,we have but few definite studies of delinquency in rural communities upon which to base any generalizations4 ,one of the best of these is a study of the juvenile delinquents in #ba average rural communities in ,new ,york state1 made under the auspices of the ,u4 ,s4 ,children's ,bureau in #aiag4gc ,in these #ba communities #ahe delinquent children were found1 #da of whom were classed as incorrigible1 #fh were involved in sex offenses1 and #ge had stolen1 or were guilty of fraud4 ,the number of boys guilty of incorrigibility and theft exceeded that of the girls by six to one1 but among the older sex offenders #da were girls and but #i were boys4 ,this study is of particular value in showing that almost every rural community1 however prosperous and progressive it may be1 has its problem of delinquency1 and in its analysis of the responsibility of the home1 the school1 and the church1 for wayward children4 ,the ,neglected4--,the fourth class which require the care of the community are the neglected4 ,although the aged occasionally require neighborly assistance1 even though they have means for their necessities1 most of the neglected are infants and children4 ,orphans and foundlings for whom homes must be found1 children who are over-worked or abused1 or who are living with dissolute parents1 all of these must be given proper guardianship and a chance for healthful growth and education1 or they are likely to become delinquent and thus become a permanent liability to society4 ,it is true that in the country the home is at its best 7see chapter ,,ii71 but it is also unfortunately true that some of the most shameful and almost unbelievable cases of neglect and abuse of children are frequently found in out-of-the-way places in rural communities4 ,where compulsory school attendance laws are strictly enforced such cases may come to the attention of school officials1 but in many instances no one seems responsible for discovering neglected children and ensuring their proper care4 ,most of the cities and larger towns have ,societies for the ,prevention of ,cruelty to ,children whose agents investigate rural cases reported to them and bring them to the attention of the courts when necessary1 but there is a need for some local agency in every rural community which will see that neglect is prevented or stopped4 ,agencies for ,rural ,social ,work4--,when we examine the means for dealing with these misfit members of the rural community1 we find that in most of our states there are few agencies either public or private1 and that as a rule they are poorly adapted to render the service needed4 ,for the care of the poor there is the township or county poor officer1 and the county poor farm as a last resort4 ,but the poor officer1 however upright and well-intentioned he may be1 usually conceives his job as one for doling out sufficient groceries1 clothing1 and fuel to keep a family alive1 and of keeping the cost to the taxpayer as low as possible4 ,he feels little responsibility for furnishing sufficient aid to give the family a fair chance to get on its feet or for advising them or bringing such influences into their lives as will ensure their rehabilitation4 ,he is charged with a most difficult task for which he has had no experience or training1 which he must handle with the greatest economy and for which he receives little compensation either in salary or public esteem4 ,very commonly his election is due to political strength rather than special personal fitness4 ,the case of the poor is commonly regarded as a necessary evil to be handled with as little trouble as possible1 rather than as an opportunity to give such help to the unfortunate that further assistance may be unnecessary and that they may become an asset to the community4 ,cases of delinquency involving only misdemeanors or minor offenses are tried before a justice of the peace or local magistrate4 ,usually these officials are men with no legal training and with little understanding of the causes of delinquency or of how delinquents should be treated in order to give them a fair chance to become normal citizens4 ,the usual attitude is one of determining the offense and meting out just punishment for it4 ,furthermore1 the local justice frequently avoids handling a case which may involve him in difficulties with his neighbors1 unless he is forced to do so4 ,not infrequently juvenile offenders are sent to reformatories where they come into contact with worse characters and are hardened rather than reformed1 whereas if they had been placed on probation under proper supervision and under satisfactory home conditions they might have lived decent lives4 ,in most of our cities juvenile cases are now handled in special juvenile courts1 which have shown the futility of the old methods of legal procedure in the treatment of juvenile offenders4 ,in this court the judge is assisted by probation officers who are trained as social workers and who investigate the home conditions and other influences surrounding the child for the information of the judge1 who then handles the case in whatever manner seems best in order to get at the facts and to bring the child to a real desire to make good4 ,the case is heard privately1 without the ordinary rules of legal procedure1 and the whole attitude of the court is more like that of a father than of the ordinary judge who inflicts punishment according to the gravity of the offense4 ,it must be evident that one person handling numerous cases of this kind will soon gain an experience with them which will enable him to act more intelligently and with greater justice both to the offender and to the interests of society than can be done by a local official who may have but one or two such cases to handle during his whole term of office4 ,in several states legislation has been passed creating juvenile courts in each county1 which have jurisdiction over all juvenile cases and which can deal not only with the children but also with their parents or guardians4 ,the general adoption of such a system seems to be the most important step in the intelligent treatment of juvenile delinquents in rural districts4 ,very often the first waywardness of a child is in truancy from school1 which1 if it cannot be handled by the teacher1 is turned over to the local truant officer4 ,in many cases the truant officer is appointed because of his availability for such work rather than his special competency1 and the enforcement of the truancy law is handled in a most perfunctory manner1 whereas an intelligent investigation of home conditions and an effort to gain the coperation of the parents and the confidence and interest of the child are the only means of securing any real reform4 ,in several cities truancy is in charge of what are known as visiting teachers1 who not only look after truants but visit the homes of those children who are not doing well in their school work1 in order to determine whether home conditions are responsible and how they may be improved4 ,usually the country school teacher is more in touch with the homes of her pupils1 but some of the more progressive rural counties are providing an assistant to the county superintendent of schools1 who acts both in the capacity of truant officer and visiting teacher1 assisting the local teacher in the more difficult cases which require a considerable amount of time to develop proper relations in the home4 ,to be of most service such a person should not only have experience in school work but should have had the training of a social worker1 so that she may understand the best means of dealing with the wayward child and with unfavorable home conditions4 ,it seems probable that more may be done toward the prevention of delinquency through such social workers connected with the school system than by any other means4 ,in many states there seems to be no definite system for the supervision of children for whom the state is responsible4 ,they may be boarded or adopted by families or placed in institutions by any one of several local officials having jurisdiction1 but none of them have the means of determining whether the children are being properly cared for1 nor does the county or state provide any agency for this purpose4 ,in several states the registration and supervision of such wards of the state is placed in the hands of a state child welfare board or a state department of charities or public welfare1 but in other states the supervision of their welfare is wholly dependent upon private philanthropy4 ,experience has shown that where a trained social worker is employed to look up the relatives of such children and to assist in finding homes for them and in visiting the homes and institutions to which they are committed1 a considerable saving in the cost of their maintenance to the county is frequently effected4 ,in order that all of the care of children may be centralized under one county office which can employ competent persons for its work1 several states have created county boards of child welfare which are charged with the whole responsibility for the care of dependent and neglected children1 which is then taken entirely out of the hands of local officials4 ,in a few states1 county boards of public welfare have been created which have supervision not only of children but of all dependents1 defectives1 and neglected1 and in some cases also have charge of the public health administration4 ,the centralization of such authority in a county board which can employ executives who have had special training and experience for such work is not only good business1 but it is the only method by which the state can satisfactorily fulfil its obligation to those who are dependent upon it4 ,usually the rural community has few if any private agencies or associations devoted to the assistance of its dependent4 ,the churches and the lodges assist some of their own members4 ,here and there are isolated groups of ,king's ,daughters or similar societies which devote themselves to the care of the poor and the sick1 but they are comparatively rare in the country4 ,the ,society for the ,prevention of ,cruelty to ,children often prosecutes rural cases1 but it is usually a town or city organization and has practically no rural membership4 ,over the ,united ,states as a whole1 the ,american ,red ,cross has probably done more to introduce the idea of social work into rural communities than any one agency4 ,during the war the local chapters of the ,red ,cross were authorized to give assistance to soldiers' families in any way possible4 ,this involved rural as well as town families1 and the need of organized social work became apparent in thousands of rural communities4 ,when peace was declared1 the local chapters were authorized to extend the ,civilian ,relief work to civilian families in territory where there was no other organization doing welfare work1 which meant practically all of the rural ,united ,states1 providing the work was carried on by trained workers on a basis approved by the division headquarters4 ,the family welfare work of the ,red ,cross was happily named ,home ,service and has been organized in many rural counties where its value has been repeatedly demonstrated4 ,the work is directly in charge of a social worker employed by the county chapter but the local branch in each community is encouraged to form a ,home ,service ,committee which looks after the local work as far as it is able1 calls in the county worker when needed1 and gives her all the assistance possible4 ,thus the work is localized and each community has a definite group of workers who feel responsible for looking after those needing the community's assistance and who are learning how to do this in an intelligent manner4 ,no other agency organized on a national basis has attempted any systematic organization of social welfare work in local rural communities4 ,social ,education of ,rural ,opinion4--,the primary need for the care of the dependent of the rural community is for a better understanding of their needs by its more intelligent and public-spirited people4 ,it is a matter of social education4 ,social work so-called has had a rapid development in our cities to meet the situation caused by their sudden growth with large numbers of foreigners having different standards of living and unable to adjust themselves to strange conditions with congested districts where housing and sanitation is poor and with poverty due to unemployment1 sickness1 and with the many factors which result from the complexities of city life4 ,the city slum first challenged the humanity of the better people and numerous philanthropic organizations grew up in an effort to give assistance to needy families and children4 ,for the most part this work has been financed by the wealthy1 has been carried on by social workers who have had special training for such service1 and is commonly known as charity4 ,what social work has been done in rural communities has been introduced by city organizations and has usually been fostered by organizations of as few of the more progressive people at the county seats and the larger towns or small cities which have worked out into the rural communities from these centers4 ,though the purposes and work of these organizations are excellent1 they will never be able to effectively meet the needs of rural communities until their people appreciate the need for such work and actively support it4 ,much of this sort of work is regarded by rural people as uplift and without local interest and support has little permanent value4 ,the average rural community has little use for charity in the ordinary sense of the word4 ,if relief is needed within its borders1 it will provide1 but it fails to appreciate that more than relief is needed to prevent the recurrence of dependency1 and that punishment will not correct or prevent delinquency4 ,the fact is that at present country people have not seen the social situation in their own communities and so are not concerned with it4 ,most of them are of the opinion that the less government the better1 and have not come to realize that an increasingly complex society--even in the rural community--makes it no longer possible for the farm family to live to itself1 but that for self-preservation it must look to the social welfare of the whole community with which its life is bound up4 ,the need1 therefore1 is for the education of rural people with regard to their social responsibilities1 which must be largely accomplished through existing local rural organizations and local leadership4 ,any system of rural social work which is to be permanently successful must be one which is established by the people themselves from a realization of their needs1 and progressively developed as they appreciate its worth4 ,as ,dean ,a4 ,r4 ,mann recently said1 ,in dealing with rural affairs it has long been a common mistake to underrate the validity of the farmer's own judgment as to what is good for him4 ,superimposed organizations are usually doomed to failure because they express the judgments of those without the community rather than those within whom they are intended to serve4 ,ordinarily the most serviceable rural organizations will be built out of the materials of the community4#gd ,it is for this reason that the advance of rural social work will depend upon arousing an active interest in the welfare of the community's disadvantaged through discussion by such organizations as the church1 the grange1 the farm and home bureau1 lodges1 women's clubs1 instruction in high schools1 etc4 ,the work of the public health nurse will reveal many family problems with which she is unable to deal and which demand the help of one experienced in social work1 and the nurse will be of service in educating the community to the need of such work4 ,it seems obvious that by itself the rural community is too small a unit to employ a social worker who is professionally trained for dealing with the more difficult social mal-adjustments1 and that it must coperate with other communities for the organization of such work on a county basis4 ,experience has shown that trained social workers actually save the county the cost of their salaries and expenses1 without considering the greater efficiency and permanent value of the work done4 ,the social worker has been well termed a doctor of domestic difficulties4 ,every county and community needs such a doctor who is skilled in treating social disease1 but one of her chief functions will be to act as an educational director in promoting the study of local social conditions by the existing organizations in every community and in discovering and training leadership for carrying out a constructive program as it is evolved4 ,in some way there should be a volunteer committee or worker in each community associated with the county social worker to advise concerning policies and to carry on much of the local work under her supervision and training4 ,for it must be recognized that the economic resources of rural communities are limited and that they cannot afford several social workers for different lines of effort1 as is common in cities4 ,but more important is the fact that social welfare depends more largely upon a proper understanding of its problems by the local community and a willingness to grapple with them intelligently and sympathetically1 than upon the remedial treatment afforded through professional workers1 courts1 institutions and other public agencies4 ,social welfare is like health1 for which sanitation and hygiene are more important than doctors and medicines4 ,what is needed in the rural community is a transformation of the old-time family hospitality and neighborliness into a feeling of responsibility for the unfortunate within the community with whom there may not be immediate contact1 but who nevertheless affect the moral and social life of all its people4 ,it needs the spirit and devotion of the ,good ,samaritan on the part of the people1 but it also needs the public health nurse and the social worker who1 like the inn-keeper of the parable1 can give adequate care to the unfortunate4 ,,footnotes3 #gb ,see ,charles ,e4 ,gibbons1 ,a ,rural ,slum ,community4 ,the ,american ,child4 ,february1 #aibb4 pg4 #cdc4 #gc ,juvenile ,delinquency in ,rural ,new ,york4 ,kate ,holladay ,claghorn4 ,u4 ,s4 ,dept4 of ,labor1 ,children's ,bureau4 ,publication ,no4 #cb4 ,washington4 #aiah4 #gd ,social ,responsibilities of the ,rural ,community1 p4 #abi4 ,cornell ,extension ,bulletin #ci4 ,rural ,community ,conference ,cornell ,farmers' ,week4 #aiai4 ,,chapter ,,xvi ,,the ,,community',s ,,government ,local self-government is a well-established tradition in the ,united ,states1 but as far as the rural community is concerned it is more tradition than fact1 for outside of ,new ,england the rural community has no legal or political status4 ,in ,new ,england the townships were originally created as community units1 for they were modelled after the ,european village community4 ,the meeting house determined the site of the village where the farmers and craftsmen resided1 and the boundaries of the township were coincident with the limits of their lands4 ,the origin of the ,new ,england township has been well described by ,john ,fiske in a famous chapter on this subject3#ge ,when people from ,england first came to dwell in the ,wilderness of ,massachusetts ,bay1 they settled in groups upon small irregular-shaped patches of land1 which soon came to be known as townships4 ,there were several reasons why they settled thus in small groups1 instead of scattering about over the country and carving out broad estates for themselves4 ,in the first place1 their principal reason for coming to ,new ,england was their dissatisfaction with the way in which church affairs were managed in the old country4 ,they wished to bring about a reform in the church1 in such wise that members of a congregation should have more voice than formerly in the church-government1 and that the minister of each congregation should be more independent than formerly of the bishop and of the civil government4444 ,such a group of people1 arriving on the coast of ,massachusetts1 would naturally select some convenient locality1 where they might build their houses near together and all go to the same church4 ,this migration1 therefore1 was a movement1 not of individuals or of separate families1 but of church congregations1 and it continued to be so as the settlers made their way inland and westward4444 ,in the second place1 the soil of ,new ,england was not favorable to the cultivation of great quantities of staple articles1 such as rice or tobacco1 so that there was nothing to tempt people to undertake extensive plantations4 ,most of the people lived on small farms1 each family raising but little more than enough food for its own support2 and the small size of the farms made it possible to have a good many in a compact neighborhood4 ,it appeared also that towns could be more easily defended against the ,indians than scattered plantations2444 ,thus the early settlers of ,new ,england came to live in townships4 ,a township would consist of about as many farms as could be disposed within convenient distance from the meeting-house1 where all the inhabitants1 young and old1 gathered every ,sunday1 coming on horseback or afoot4444 ,around the meeting-house and common the dwellings gradually clustered into a village1 and after a while the tavern1 store and town-house made their appearance4 ,when the ,mormons settled ,utah they established a very similar form of community government centering around the church4 ,elsewhere1 with rare exceptions1 throughout the ,north and ,west the township is the primary unit of local government1 save for school administration1 but it is by no means identical with a community4 ,when the lands west of the ,alleghanies were surveyed for settlement they were laid off in blocks six miles square1 which were known as congressional townships1 for ,congress gave each township a square mile of land the proceeds of which should form a permanent school fund4 ,in discussing the development of the township in ,illinois1 ,dr4 ,albert ,shaw writes3 ,to give effect to this liberal provision1 the state enacted a law making the township a body corporate and politic for school purposes and authorizing the inhabitants to elect school officers and maintain free schools4 ,here1 then1 was a rudiment of local government4 ,as ,new ,england township life grew up around the church1 so western localism finds its nucleus in the school system4 ,what more natural than that the county election district should be made to coincide with the school township1 with a school-house for the voting place8 or that justices of the peace1 constables and road supervisors and overseers of the poor1 should have their jurisdiction determined by the same township lines8#gf ,thus in many of the ,north-central ,states the township came to be the local unit of government for certain minor purposes1 though in other states it is little more than an election district1 and in none of them is there preserved the old town meeting which gave the ,new ,england township its fundamental democracy4 ,owing to the large plantations and the economic and social conditions prevailing throughout the ,south1 it has had practically no units of government smaller than the county1 other than incorporated villages4 ,until very recently our conception of society has been mostly in terms of political units1 largely on account of the lack of any local unit which had social significance to rural people4 ,in recent years1 however1 students of rural government have become aware of the artificiality and the anti-social character of the township unit4 ,there may be two rival villages within a township1 each competing for trade and the support of its associations1 and striving for the political domination of the township1 while some of the farmers in a far corner of the township may trade in a village in the next township4 ,or a village may be on a township line1 which must be observed in all matters of government although there is no real division of interests between its people4 ,outside of ,new ,england villages were located at points of geographical advantage1 or along through roads or railroads1 primarily as business centers4 ,there was no particular relation between the village and the farming area surrounding it4 ,but as the village grew it often desired modern improvements such as water systems1 pavements1 street lights1 etc41 for which the farmers were unwilling to be taxed and which were thus prevented as long as the village was controlled by the township4 ,this has led to most of the larger villages becoming incorporated1 so that they may administer their own local government and tax themselves for such improvements as they desire4 ,this separation of the village from the township has been inevitable where the farmers take no pride or interest in it1 and has often been necessitated by their parsimony or conservatism4 ,this is well illustrated by an incident related by ,professor ,herbert ,b4 ,adams3 ,in my native town1 ,amherst1 ,mass41 the villagers struggled for years in town-meeting to secure some system of sewerage for 'the center1' but the 'ends of the town' always voted 'no'4 ,on one occasion1 in order to allay suspicion of extravagance1 a leading villager moved that1 whatever system of sewerage be adopted1 the surface water and rainfall be allowed to take their natural course down-hill in the ordinary gutters4 ,the farmers sniffed danger in this wily proposition and voted an overwhelming ',no4' ,accordingly by the local law of ,amherst1 water had to run uphill until the next town-meeting6 ,such is the power of ,democracy4#gg ,this separate incorporation of the village has been a large factor in making a distinction between villagers and farmers and preventing their recognition of their community interests4 ,not infrequently1 however1 it will be found that some of the more progressive villages are not incorporated and that they have the loyalty of the farmers4 ,numerous examples of unincorporated villages might be cited to show that where a spirit of pride in local village institutions has been developed among the farmers of the territory tributary to it1 that village improvements not only are not impeded1 but the community is much strengthened4 ,this is more likely to be true1 however1 where the township boundary and the natural community area are practically the same4 ,on the other hand1 the progress of a rural community1 i4e41 a village and the territory tributary to it1 often is prevented if it cannot command a majority of the votes in a township4 ,in a nearby village is a town hall which might be used as a community house and be a social center for the whole community4 ,but the borders of the township belong to other communities and do not come to the township center1 and these people on the edge of the township very naturally take the position that if the village and neighboring people wish to use the town hall1 let them rent it of the town1 but why should the whole township be taxed for advantages which only half of it can enjoy4 ,the same line of argument arises with regard to the location of schools1 roads1 libraries1 and the districts for public health nurses4 ,unless the whole township can be equally well served1 a community which forms but part of the township is unable to secure these advantages unless it can command a majority of the votes1 or except as the village incorporates1 and then it loses the support of the taxes from the farms of the community which share the benefits4 ,as long as farm life was on the neighborhood basis1 its interests largely centering in the district school and the country church1 its roads maintained by the labor of its citizens under a local road supervisor1 and trips to the village were made only once or twice a week for mail and supplies1 farmers did not feel the need for a unit of local government other than the township4 ,but when the church1 the grange and the lodge are in the village1 when they desire consolidated schools1 libraries1 and community houses1 which are most convenient to all at the village center1 and when they desire the improvement of local roads so that they will best connect with state and county roads1 then the interests of the farmers and the villagers unite them in these common enterprises1 and the community comes into conflict with the rest of the township if the township is composed of more than one community4 ,on the other hand1 it must be recognized that for many purposes the community1 or even the township1 is too small a unit to secure the greatest efficiency in administration of public agencies1 and so there has been a distinct tendency toward the centralization of many functions of local government in county officials4 ,thus the county superintendent of schools is assuming more and more control over the local school system1 the county supervision of roads is increasing1 and we have shown 7p4 #ade7 the desirability of a county health administration1 the need for county juvenile courts 7p4 #ahh71 county boards for the administration of welfare work 7p4 #aia71 and a county library system4 ,the county tends to become a rural municipality very similar in function and organization to the city1 and the logical outcome seems to be the employment of a county manager under a commission or county council1 which has already become possible in ,maryland and ,california4#gh ,that this centralization makes possible a greater efficiency in administration can hardly be doubted1 but that it tends to destroy the initiative and responsibility of the local community is equally apparent4 ,with an over-centralization of administration1 whether in the county or the state1 the local community loses the very ties which have bound it together4 ,the adjustment of the desires for efficiency and for local democracy is one of the unsolved problems of government4 ,experience shows clearly that the local community or township is too small a unit to secure efficient administration2 but it is also evident that without some degree of local responsibility and control1 centralized administration tends to become bureaucratic and the people are deprived of that participation in government which is essential for the life of a democracy4 ,thus the need for the local self-government of rural communities has become apparent to rural leaders4 ,it is interesting to note that this is becoming appreciated in the ,south1 where on account of social and economic conditions local government has been almost entirely lacking in the past1 but where new conditions give rise to new desires which cannot be realized except through some means whereby a locality can be free to work out its own salvation4 ,this point of view has been vigorously expressed by ,dr4 ,clarence ,poe1 editor of the ,progressive ,farmer and a recognized leader of rural life in the ,south3 ,the chief task of the man who would help develop a rich and puissant rural civilization here in the ,south--the chief task perhaps of the man who would make an agricultural ,state like ,north ,carolina the great commonwealth it ought to be--is to develop the rural community4444 ,consider the fact that the country community is the only social unit known to our civilization that is without definite boundaries and without machinery for self-expression and development--without form1 and void1 as was chaos before creation4444 ,but for the country community there is no organic means of expression whatever4 ,there is1 of course1 that shadowy and futile geographical division known as the ,township--but it is laid off utterly without regard to human consideration1 and serves no purpose save as a means of defining voting boundaries and limiting the spheres of constables and sheriff's deputies--a mere ghostly phantom of a social entity that we need not consider at all4#gi ,and he then goes on to show the advantages of the ,new ,england township4 ,community ,school ,districts4--,the most significant beginning toward the creation of self-government for the rural community is in the laws which have been passed by several states permitting redistricting for the establishment of community high schools or consolidated schools1 irrespective of township or county boundaries and according to the desire of the prospective patrons of the schools4 ,thus in #aiai ,nebraska passed a state rural school redistricting law under which every county has a redistricting committee which determines what seem to be the natural boundaries of the district1 which are then subject to petitions from the people for their alteration1 and the whole plan is then submitted to a vote of the county4 ,the law does not explicitly state that the proposed districts must correspond to a natural community in the social sense2 it only says that they must be very much larger than the old ones1 approximately twenty-five square miles4 ,the inevitable result1 however1 of opening the question and of freeing community choice from old political boundaries is to settle on new areas approaching social units with self-conscious community ties4#hj ,kansas and ,illinois have somewhat similar legislation and a community unit is proposed by the ,committee of #ba which has recently conducted a survey of the rural school situation in the ,state of ,new ,york4 ,community ,house ,districts4--,wisconsin has passed an act whereby the people of any local area may vote to erect and maintain a community house and may establish the boundaries of the area in which the citizens shall have the right to tax themselves for this purpose1 and to elect trustees of the house1 in much the same manner as community school districts are established4 ,it seems probable that when a natural social area has thus been determined it will probably be the same for both school and community house1 and that it might be the best unit for the support of such community agencies as a public library1 or a public-health nurse1 and thus a real community government might gradually arise and might ultimately displace the arbitrary township government1 although the township might be retained for its original purpose of land registration4 ,rural ,community ,incorporation4--,the most advanced step in giving the rural community self-government is ,an ,act to ,provide for the ,incorporation of ,rural ,communities1 passed by the legislature of ,north ,carolina in #aiai4ha ,this act gives authority for the incorporation of rural communities including definite school districts1 which may or may not include hamlets or village centers1 but which must be at least two miles from any town or city of five thousand or more inhabitants4 ,it gives such incorporated rural communities the general powers and privileges of an incorporated village1 except that they cannot lose their identity as a part of the school and road systems of the county4 ,taxes may be levied for various public purposes1 but they must be voted at an annual meeting at which a majority of the registered voters must be present1 or be submitted to an election1 and the amount of taxes and bonds are limited4 ,although about a dozen communities have incorporated under this act1 but few of them seem to be actively functioning1 due to various local causes4 ,the act itself1 however1 is well conceived and is worthy of study by those interested in better rural government4 ,another method of accomplishing the same end is by a special act of incorporation for a particular community1 as was passed by the ,legislature of ,new ,jersey for ,plainsboro ,township in #aiai4 ,concerning the organization of this community1 ,hon4 ,alva ,agee1 ,state ,secretary of ,agriculture1 writes3 ,every voter within its boundaries signed a petition to the legislature for the creation of a new township embracing the territory belonging to the community1 and this was granted4 ,the community then met1 made a declaration of its purposes and adopted a constitution providing for control of all township and community affairs4 ,it is a return to direct government by the people1 and places responsibility upon every individual4 ,it is the old ,new ,england town-meeting made effective4 ,patient study of every detail was given by members of the community4#hb ,the declaration of purposes and constitution#hc are so unique that they should be studied by all interested in community government4 ,a ,,declaration ,,of ,,purposes ,we1 the residents of ,plainsboro ,township1 ,new ,jersey1 declare our purpose to accept all the duties of ,american citizenship4 ,we are forming an association to secure all the benefits of community life1 and affirm the right of our community to each one's best effort4 ,we support all individual rights just as far as their use does not harm our fellows4 ,we agree that the public good is superior to any private gain obtained at the expense of community welfare4 ,we recognize and acknowledge the gracious influences of practical ,christianity in community life4 ,we ask that our homes be guarded by right social conditions throughout our community4 ,we declare the duty of the community to provide good schools1 means for community recreation1 safe sanitary conditions1 improved highways1 and encouragement to thrift and home-ownership4 ,we purpose to make the neatness and attractiveness of our homes and farms assets of distinct value to the township4 ,we agree to do our share in the creation of public sentiment in support of all measures in the public interest4 ,we agree to put aside all partisan and sectarian relations when dealing with community matters4 ,we state our conviction that the best rewards from this organized effort lie before each one in a deepened interest in others and in an increased ability to coperate the one with the other for the good of all4 ,we1 the citizens of ,plainsboro ,township1 incorporated by act of the ,legislature of the ,state of ,new ,jersey1 approved ,april #a1 #aiai1 and accepted by us on ,may #f1 #aiai1 subscribe to this declaration4 ,if such a ,declaration of ,purposes were adopted by every rural community1 and were taught the children as a civic oath of allegiance1 would it not have more immediate effect on practical patriotism than even the ,declaration of ,independence1 and what new meaning would be given to local government8 ,here is an example of rural civic spirit which1 if it could become general throughout the rural communities of the ,united ,states1 would remold the political and social organization of the whole country2 for it provides both the mechanism and the spirit which are essential for making democracy a reality rather than an ideal4 ,community ,government and ,democracy4--,the local community is indispensable as the primary political unit for the maintenance of true democracy1 both because it is small enough that there can be personal relations between its members1 in which a real consensus of opinion can be formed1 and also because only in it can the masses of mankind have any personal experience or participation in government4 ,unless the individual has a social consciousness of the community in which he lives1 he can have but a feeble and hazy realization of larger social groups4 ,unless the community through its individuals is self-conscious1 it cannot take its rightful place in the larger community of which it forms a part4 ,if democracy does not obtain in the local community1 the voice of such a community in the affairs of the county or state will be that of its self-chosen leaders4 ,it is difficult to conceive how any real democracy can be secured in ,state or ,nation where it does not obtain in their constituent communities4 ,it is entirely possible to have a government democratic in form and theory1 but actually a political or economic feudalism1 supported by local chieftains who represent not the people1 but themselves or some business or other special interests4 ,the very life of true democracy is in the participation of individuals in the government of the local group and in the organization of the locality groups1 so that there may be a fair discussion and expression by those who are bound together by common interests through some form of self-government for the rural community4 ,,footnotes3 #ge ,civil ,government in the ,united ,states1 pp4 #ag1 #ah4 ,boston1 #ahij4 #gf ,local ,government in ,illinois1 p4 #aj4 ,johns ,hopkins ,univ4 ,studies in ,history and ,political ,science4 ,vol4 ,i1 ,no4 #c1 #ahhc4 #gg ,editor's note1 p4 #ea4 ,penn4 ,boroughs1 by ,wm4 ,f4 ,holcomb4 ,johns ,hopkins ,univ4 ,stud4 in ,history and ,pol4 ,sc4 ,vol4 ,,iv1 ,no4 #d1 #ahhf4 #gh ,see ,e4 ,h4 ,ryder1 ,proposed ,modifications and ,recent ,tendencies in ,rural ,government and ,legislation1 p4 #aab1 ,proc4 #c;d ,natl4 ,country ,life ,conference4 #gi ,why ,not ,local ,self-,government for ,rural ,communities1 pp4 #d-dh4 ,north ,carolina ,club ,year ,book1 #aiag-aiah4 ,county ,government and ,county ,affairs in ,north ,carolina4 ,the ,university of ,north ,carolina ,record4 ,no4 #aei4 ,oct41 #aiah4 ,chapel ,hill1 ,n4 ,c4 #hj ,h4 ,paul ,douglas4 ,recent ,legislation ,facilitating ,rural ,community ,organization1 p4 #abd1 ,proc4 #c;d ,natl4 ,country ,life ,conference4 #ha ,public ,laws of #aiai1 ,reprinted as ,appendix ,a1 p4 #aaf1 of ,a4 ,w4 ,hayes1 ,rural ,community ,organization4 ,chicago1 #aiba4 #hb ,a ,community ,organization4 ,national ,stockman and ,farmer4 ,july #bf1 #aiai4 #hc ,for the constitution see ,appendix ,a1 page #bdg4 ,,chapter ,,xvii ,,community ,,organization#hd ,from one standpoint the whole progress of civilization is but a process of social organization1 the establishment of those relationships which best promote the largest measure of human welfare4 ,in the previous chapters we have noted the various aspects and problems of rural life which have necessitated the community as a unit for social organization4 ,as a result of the growing conviction that the conditions of rural life can be made satisfying only through the collective efforts of definite communities1 there has arisen a widespread movement for the better organization of community interests and activities1 which has come to be known as community organization4 ,although this movement is being encouraged by many agencies1 its greatest significance and importance arises from the fact that1 for the most part1 community organization of many diverse types is springing up in rural communities throughout the country as a means of meeting their local needs4 ,this spontaneity of the movement is the best evidence that changing conditions have brought about a real need for some better machinery for community development4 ,in order to understand community organization so that we may intelligently encourage its development1 it will be well to consider 7#a7 the underlying causes1 7#b7 the process of organization1 and 7#c7 the forms of organization4 #a4 ,causes4--,usually the immediate cause of attempting community organization is the common desire to meet a need which cannot well be realized except through the united effort of the whole community4 ,improved roads are needed1 a library or playground is desired1 a ,liberty ,loan must be raised1 a ,fourth of ,july celebration or a pageant is to be undertaken1 a band or baseball team needs financial support and patronage to prevent its disbanding1 hard times or a fire make unusual aid necessary to certain families1 an influenza epidemic compels a united effort for the care of the sick4 ,in all such cases a citizens' committee is usually organized which represents various organizations and interests so that the support of all the elements in the community may be enlisted4 ,when any common need is of such a magnitude or of such a nature that it is not within the field of any one organization or agency1 then some form of at least temporary community organization is necessary4 ,when some of these needs1 such as a community house or a public health nurse1 require permanent maintenance1 and the coperation of various organizations is essential for the success of the enterprise1 then some permanent form of community organization becomes desirable4 ,if a community organization is to be permanent and is to really function1 there must be work for it to do which cannot or will not be done by existing agencies4 ,a second cause for community organization arises from the increasing complexity of human relationships1 even in a rural community4 ,we have observed that in recent years there has been a rapid increase in the number of associations each of which is devoted to some one special interest4 ,the life of simpler or more primitive communities is a unit with regard to all phases of their life1 religion1 government1 and social affairs4 ,such was the township of colonial ,new ,england and many a community in the pioneer stage4 ,but in modern times a multiplicity of voluntary associations have sprung up and have spread from one community to another4 ,in many cases the members of such organizations become more loyal to them than to the community2 organizations become self-centered and divisive rather than being devoted to the community good4 ,religion1 government1 economic life1 and education have become more or less separate spheres of life1 each having a code of its own1 whereas human problems involve all of these aspects of life and cannot be successfully solved while there is conflict of standards between religion1 business1 government1 and social life4 ,not infrequently more than one organization undertakes the same or similar work1 or the demands of one clash with those of another1 and social confusion arises4 ,when this occurs in a large city between organizations which are supported by the wealthy or by different groups1 each may go as far as its resources will permit2 but in the rural community where organizations must be of the people and supported by all of them1 such a situation cannot be tolerated for both funds and leadership are limited4 ,organizations arise to meet recognized human needs1 but no one organization can meet all the needs of the whole community4 ,nor do all organizations appeal to all people4 ,men associate according to their special individual interests1 some are more interested in religion and business1 others in social life or athletics1 or what not4 ,as the organizations representing these interests become more and more specialized1 each individual belongs to several organizations1 whose interests sometimes conflict and members of a community are arrayed against each other4 ,thus an individual is sometimes involved in a divided loyalty between two groups1 and finds himself with a conflict of purposes which lessens that personal unity which is essential for character and personal peace4 ,the character of the individual is developed to the extent that he is able to resolve this conflict of his interests in one dominant purpose4 ,so the welfare of the community can be secured only by a unity of purpose among its organizations in their loyalty to the common good4 ,this tendency to form associations for special interests is shown in the following diagram3 ,,for ,a ,,satisfying ,,associations ,,and ,,life ,,every ,,man ,these needs ,,organizations ,,representing ,,needs3 are met by ,,special ,,interests ,,of ,,the ,,community1 such as #a4 ,,economic ,,prosperity ,coperative ,marketing ,assns4 --,an ,adequate ,income ,coperative ,buying ,assns4 ,commercial ,clubs ,farm ,loan ,assns4 #b4 ,,health ,public health nurses --,physical ,fitness ,local health officer ,local hospitals #c4 ,,education ,schools --,the ,ability to ,learn ,parent-,teacher's ,assns4 ,farm and ,home ,bureau ,boys' and ,girls' ,clubs ,public ,library and ,museum ,community ,fairs #d4 ,,sociability ,,and ,,recreation ,lodges --,the ,joy of ,playing ,together ,women's clubs2 men's clubs ,scouts2 ,camp ,fire ,girls ,athletic ,clubs and ,assns4 ,moving pictures and theatres ,public playground gymnasium #e4 ,,artistic ,,enjoyment ,village ,improvement ,societies --,appreciation of ,beauty in ,community ,choruses ,nature1 ,music1 ,art and ,literature ,bands and ,orchestras #f4 ,,religious ,,life ,churches and church federations --,the ,common ,quest of the ,y4 ,m4 ,c4 ,a4 and ,y4 ,w4 ,c4 ,a4 ,highest ,ideals ,young ,people's ,societies #g4 ,,family ,,welfare ,red ,cross--,home ,service --,love of ,family ,child ,welfare ,bureaus and ,child ,study ,clubs #h4 ,a ,,progressive ,,community ,some form of a ,community --,a ,desire for ,opportunity organization1 bringing together for ,all--i4e41 ,democracy all the above4 ,on the other hand we must recognize man's gregarious tendency1 his desire for the support of public opinion1 his craving of a feeling of togetherness4 ,the elation which comes to a people engaged in war or in meeting any common disaster comes chiefly from the satisfaction they experience in being united in a common cause and enjoying the sanction of their fellows without division among them4 ,the individualistic philosophy of the more sophisticated may enable them to find satisfaction in more or less socially segregated groups under ordinary conditions1 but when they face calamity1 when the most fundamental and deepest issues of life are involved1 then they enjoy association with those who surround them--they become neighbors4 ,this desire of men to associate in groups which represent their special interests1 and their equal desire to be en rapport with all their fellows with whom their life is associated in community life1 is one of the paradoxes into which many of our basic human problems resolve1 and furnishes one of the primary reasons for some form of community organization which will unify the increasing complexity of associations4 ,a third underlying motive for community organization1 which is just coming to receive recognition1 is the need of defending the interests of the local community against the domination of national or state organizations1 of maintaining a necessary degree of local autonomy4 ,all organizations which become associated in state or national federations inevitably develop a central administration which tends to become more or less of a hierarchy or bureaucracy4 ,the national organization seeks to achieve its special objects and to emphasize their supreme importance4 ,it tries to secure efficiency of the local groups through standardization1 and very naturally encourages their loyalty to the state or national aims and purposes4 ,this tendency is more or less inevitable and is an inherent weakness of all large organizations which do not constantly place their emphasis on strengthening their local units and encouraging devotion to community service4 ,but in many cases the larger organization has lost a true perspective of its relationship to its local units and of their primary duty to their local communities4 ,the most flagrant instance of this principle is in the domination of local government by national political parties1 whose policies have nothing whatever to do with local administration1 but who maintain their machines so that an efficient organization is available for mobilizing the vote in state and national elections4 ,the resulting reaction has given rise to citizen's tickets1 commission government and city managers1 and in the more progressive smaller communities a growing tendency to vote for the best man irrespective of party4 ,wherever a community votes independently of national party lines on local affairs1 there will be found healthy local government4 ,for the same general reasons we have observed the growth of the community church movement 7p4 #abg7 as a protest against sectarian rivalries1 the new emphasis of the master of the national grange 7p4 #agb7 on the community responsibilities of the grange as more important than its legislative activities1 and the effort to prevent an over-centralization of school administration through the creation of community school districts under local control4 ,a striking example of the reaction of local communities in self-defense against the demands for support from many organizations was the rapid spread of the ,war ,chest movement among our cities during the war as a means of raising funds for various national organizations carrying on war work4 ,subsequently the same idea has given rise to the organization of ,community ,chests or ,community ,funds for financing various community and national welfare agencies1 so as to ensure adequate support for those which are necessary1 but to discourage a multiplicity of competing organizations1 and to furnish a mechanism whereby the community may exercise some definite policy with regard to its social work4 ,such are some of the fundamental causes which have given rise to various experiments in community organization4 ,they commenced about a decade ago1 but increased slowly prior to the war4 ,the war brought about a new realization of the community1 as it was necessary to organize war activities1 war drives1 etc41 on a community basis4 ,under the ,national ,council of ,defense were organized ,state and ,county ,councils of ,defense and finally ,president ,wilson issued a letter encouraging the organization of local ,community ,councils1#he to bring together all organizations and interests of the community not only for war purposes but with a view to their future usefulness in times of peace4 ,in this letter1 ,president ,wilson said3 ,your ,state1 in extending the national defense organization by the creation of community councils1 is in my opinion making an advance of vital significance4 ,it will1 ,i believe1 result when thoroughly carried out in welding the ,nation together as no nation of great size has been welded before4 ,it will build up from the bottom an understanding and sympathy and unity of purpose and effort which will no doubt have an immediate and decisive effect upon our great undertaking4 ,you will find it1 ,i think1 not so much a new task as a unification of existing efforts1 a fusion of energies now too much scattered and at times somewhat confused into one harmonious and effective power4 ,it is only by extending your organization to small communities that every citizen of the ,state can be reached and touched with the inspiration of the common cause4 ,the organization of community councils was actively pushed by the ,national and ,state ,councils of ,defense1 and thousands of them were organized4 ,this was in the summer of #aiah1 but owing to the early declaration of the ,armistice they had but little opportunity to become thoroughly established4 ,as they had been created primarily for war purposes1 most of them ceased to function with the cessation of hostilities1 but the idea had taken root and the experience of common effort in war activities had brought about a new sense of the value of some sort of community organization4 #b4 ,the ,process of ,community ,organization4--,as corollaries of the motives for community organization which we have just discussed1 there are certain fairly obvious principles concerning the process of organization which deserve emphasis4 ,the first essential is to determine whether there are unsatisfied desires which cannot be met except by community action and whether they are sufficiently desired to command the united support of the community4 ,only as individuals and associations have common desires which cannot be satisfied without their united activity can community organization be effected4 ,the mere logical desirability of cordination of effort1 however rational it may appear1 is too abstract an objective to inspire enduring devotion4 ,the allaying of antagonisms between special interests makes no appeal to any of them until they are unable to achieve their ends without joint action4 ,therefore1 the primary consideration in community organization is to determine what is the most important unmet need of the community which requires united action for its satisfaction1 and to enlist all possible elements in the common enterprise4 ,a community must be thoroughly convinced of the need of some definite form of community organization before it can succeed4 ,sudden enthusiasm due to the power of a persuasive speaker or a community meeting may result in the formation of a community organization1 but unless a considerable proportion of the people representing various interests are firmly convinced of the need and are willing to pool their interests in community activities1 such an organization will be like many a convert of a revival meeting1 it will soon backslide4 ,to secure the recognition of the need for concerted action by all elements of the community will usually require time and education1 and is a process which cannot be forced too rapidly--all education or learning involves time4 ,even when an outstanding need is apparent it may not always be possible to gain the support of a sufficient portion of the community to justify an immediate effort for its achievement4 ,it may be necessary to first arouse good feeling and community spirit by some activity which1 though relatively less important1 will command more general interest and participation1 and may pave the way for other enterprises4 ,the first and essential step in community organization is to get the community to act together1 for only through collective activity is community spirit and loyalty developed4 ,it is for this reason that ,old ,home ,weeks1 family reunions1 athletic or play festivals1 baseball teams1 picnics1 pageants1 dramatics1 community fairs1 community ,chautauquas1 holiday celebrations1 and kindred events are often the best means for creating better community spirit4#hf ,it should be remembered that the objective of community organization is not an organization1 but the active coperation of all the people and organizations of the community for the common welfare4 ,the essential is common ideals and loyalties2 the mechanism whereby these may be achieved is incidental4 ,until genuine local leadership is available1 community organization will be impossible4 ,it is true that often where the need for community activity is sufficiently great that the very necessity develops new leadership4 ,herein lies the value of beginning the process of community organization by some enterprise which enlists the enthusiastic support of the whole community1 for in such activities new leadership is often developed4 ,any form of community organization which is to be permanent and effective must represent the actual life of the community1 which is largely dominated by existing organizations4 ,most individuals are loyal to certain of these organizations and these loyalties are the social realities which must be recognized in any attempt to unite them in larger aims4 ,unless most of the leading organizations of a community can be affiliated for community progress1 any so-called community organization will be but another organization4 ,the ,league of ,nations hardly represents the world community as long as the ,united ,states1 ,germany and ,russia are not affiliated with it1 nor would our federal government be representative of our national life if it were responsible only to the direct vote of the people and did not give recognition to the states as states4 ,it is for this reason that community organization will proceed most efficiently where it is initiated by the joint effort of several of its leading associations1 the churches1 the grange1 the farm and home bureau1 the ,red ,cross1 the business men's association1 etc41 for without their support a divided loyalty will persist4 ,for the same reason1 a community organization cannot be under the auspices of any one existing organization as a chamber of commerce or farm bureau4 ,both of these and others are community organizations1 but they are for specific purposes4 ,proponents of both of these have advocated making them community-wide and all-embracing in their functions1 but it needs but little reflection to show the impossibility of such a plan4 ,to cite but one objection4 ,the rural church is the most deeply-rooted and in many ways the most powerful of rural institutions4 ,it can coperate with these other organizations for community purposes1 but neither of them can enter into the religious field4 ,the same is true of lodges1 schools1 health organizations1 government1 etc4 ,community organizations1 such as the ,chamber of ,commerce or ,commercial ,club1 the ,grange and the ,farm ,bureau for agriculture and homemaking1 the ,red ,cross for its activities1 ,church ,federations1 and others should all be encouraged where needed1 but although each of these has certain community functions1 no one of them can do or can direct the work of another4 ,the community organization must bring them together so as to best cordinate their work for the good of the community1 not through the power of an organic federation1 but through the influence of conference1 good will and devotion to the common weal4 #c4 ,the ,community ,council4--,community organizations are1 as yet1 in an experimental stage and their formal constitutions or by-laws are of many different types4#hg ,the ,community ,council1 as suggested by the ,national ,council of ,defense1 has been adopted in many communities with various modifications to meet local conditions4 ,a community council consists of one representative from each general organization which affiliates with it and of a variable number of members-at-large elected by the annual community meeting4 ,all citizens are entitled to vote for the members-at-large4 ,the usual officers may be elected by the community meeting1 or1 preferably1 be chosen by the council itself4 ,thus the council represents both the existing organizations and the community as a whole4 ,the council does not attempt any control over existing organizations1 but merely provides a means for their voluntary coperation and is an agency for promoting community activities4 ,in many cases where there are a large number of organizations1 and it is surprising how many are found in many average-sized rural communities1 the council will be too large to be an effective working body4 ,furthermore1 the members who represent various organizations may not always be the best persons to carry on the particular enterprises which the council desires to promote4 ,the council may1 under such circumstances1 devote itself to the consideration of policies and enterprises1 and may create committees of citizens who are best qualified and most interested in particular projects to have charge of their execution4 ,thus if the council decides to get back of a movement for a playground1 a public health nurse1 and a band1 committees would be appointed to take charge of organizing each one of these enterprises4 ,these committees should be selected so as to represent the various organizations most directly concerned with or interested in the particular project as far as possible1 but they should be chosen primarily for their ability to produce results4 ,committees should be appointed only for those projects which the council decides to undertake1 although one or two committees may be appointed merely to investigate suggested projects and to report their findings for further consideration4 ,where the council is large1 and it is not practicable to have it meet more than once a quarter1 it may be well to have its work carried on in the interims by an executive committee consisting of the officers and the chairmen of the committees4 ,there can be no one best type of community organization adapted to the widely varying conditions of all sorts and sizes of rural communities2 each community must have a form of organization adapted to its needs4 ,the important thing is not the creation of another new organization in the community1 but to afford the means for the better team play of those which already exist4 ,the mechanism must therefore depend upon the character and stage of development of the community and will be modified from time to time as its experience1 or that of similar community organizations1 warrants4 ,finally let us remember that community organization is not an end in itself1 but that it is merely a means whereby conditions in the community may be made such that every individual in it may have the best possible chance to develop his personality and to enjoy the fellowship of service in the common good4 ,the aim of all social organization is personality1 but personality is achieved and can find its own satisfaction only through fellowship4 ,the ideal community but furnishes the social environment in which the human spirit realizes its highest values4 ,,footnotes3 #hd ,much of this chapter is a revision of parts of an article by the author entitled ,some ,fundamentals of ,rural ,community ,organization4 ,proceedings ,third ,natl4 ,country ,life ,conference1 pp4 #ff-gg4 #he ,see ,elliott ,dunlap ,smith1 ,proceedings first ,national ,country ,life ,conference1 pp4 #cf-df and ,appendix ,c4 #hf ,in this connection1 ,dr4 ,n4 ,l4 ,sims in his ,the ,rural ,community 7p4 #fdj4 ,new ,york4 ,scribners1 #aibj71 has propounded a most interesting ,law of ,rural ,socialization3--,coperation in rural neighborhoods has its genesis in and development through those forms of association which1 beginning on the basis of least cost1 gradually rise through planes of increasing cost to the stage of greatest cost in effort demanded1 and which give at the same time ever increasing and more enduring benefits and satisfactions to the group4 #hg ,see pp4 #gd-e1 ,some ,fundamentals of ,rural ,community ,organization4 ,proc4 #c;d ,national ,country ,life ,conference2 and1 ,e4 ,c4 ,lindeman1 ,the ,community1 ,chap4 ,x4 ,new ,york1 ,association ,press1 #aiba4 ,,chapter ,,xviii ,,community ,,planning ,so far we have been considering the community with regard to how its people associate1 with community psychology and behavior4 ,but we must not forget that the community has a physical basis4 ,the buildings which house these associations at the community center1 the church1 the school1 the grange hall1 the stores1 with the roads which radiate from it and the farmsteads which they serve1 these are the structures which1 with the natural topography of stream and hill1 give material form to the community and condition its life4 ,one of the chief difficulties in the development of rural communities in the ,united ,states is that1 like ,topsy1 they have just growed4 ,village centers have sprung up here and there and gradually the surrounding countryside becomes associated with them4 ,as a result little consideration has been given to planning the community either for efficiency or attractiveness4 ,sinclair ,lewis' description of ,gopher ,prairie in ,main ,street may be overdrawn and unjust to many a rural community1 but it describes conditions which are so common that it has aroused the public conscience concerning the lack of civic spirit in rural communities4 ,a community is much like an individual4 ,the man who is slouchy and careless of his personal appearance is rarely a strong character4 ,the community whose cemetery is neglected1 whose school grounds are a mass of mud and the outhouses a disgrace1 whose lawns are unkept1 where ash-piles and neglected puddles fill the vacant lots1 whose roads are tortuous and unimproved1 whose farm houses are unpainted and whose barnyards are more prominent than the door-yards--such a community is usually weak4 ,it has little pride in itself or desire for improvement4 ,in the case of the man who is down and out1 if we wish to give him a new start1 we encourage him to take a bath and a shave and we then furnish him clean clothes1 so that looking more respectable he may act the part4 ,likewise in community improvement a clean up day is often one of the best means of starting a new pride among its people4 ,but improving its looks will not remedy the more fundamental structural defects which frequently handicap the rural community4 ,utility as well as beauty is essential in community arrangement4 ,if the community is to escape ugliness and inconvenience1 it will sooner or later come to the time when it must definitely plan the arrangement of its streets and roads1 its public buildings and its open spaces1 so as to best serve all parts of the community4 ,community planning is as essential to satisfactory community housekeeping as the plan of a house is for the convenience of the home4 ,an architect is needed to plan a home for the community1 a community structure which is mechanically sound and efficient and withal both beautiful and comfortable1 just as much as for designing a house4 ,so the art of town planning is extending from the cities to the country and some of our landscape architects who love the countryside and appreciate its life and problems are giving their attention to rural community planning4#hh ,this is not the place to enter into any extended discussion of the art of community planning1 but we may well consider a few principles which are essential for realizing the ideals of community development4 ,as the community center is the nucleus of the community life1 let us first consider the village plan4 ,one enters the community at the railroad station or by a main road4 ,it is1 of course1 impossible to prevent the property adjoining a railroad from being the least attractive1 because it is the most undesirable for residence purposes2 but it is entirely practicable to have a neat railroad station with well-kept surroundings4 ,some of our more progressive railroad companies have perceived that it is good business to make their stations and grounds attractive and most of them will be willing to meet the local people halfway in an effort to improve their appearance4 ,in far too many cases the grounds of the railroad station and the adjoining properties are the most neglected spot in the village and give an unfavorable impression of the community4 ,certainly we would think a man queer who placed the back-door of his house to the street1 but the railroad station is usually the back-door of the community instead of the main entrance as it should be4 ,on the other hand1 on alighting at a well-kept station1 with a neat lawn1 good walks and roads1 which is not surrounded by the village rubbish heaps and dilapidated buildings1 the newcomer feels that here is a place which invites further acquaintance1 while the native has a sense of satisfaction rather than of apology4 ,the same principles apply to main road entrances to the village4 ,the automobile has greatly increased highway travel4 ,where a village places a sign at its entrance ,welcome to ,smithville1 and at its exit ,come ,again1 as is now frequently done1 it not only makes a favorable impression on the tourist1 but it gives the community a sense of identity4 ,in ,new ,england these signs are frequently placed1 at the township line rather than at the village boundary4 ,in a few cases villages have erected dignified stone pillars or arches at the entrance points4 ,the building of state roads between village centers has almost necessitated paving or hard roads in the village1 for people resent traveling over a good road in the open country and then plowing through mud holes in a village4 ,not infrequently the streets of the incorporated village are much poorer than the state roads outside the village and although incorporation formerly enabled the village to do its own paving and make other public improvements1 the unincorporated village now has the advantage of having its main roadways constructed as a part of state or county road systems at less expense to the villagers4 ,in any event the paving of the principal streets of the village should be considered an obligation of the whole community1 not only of the village but of the farm area surrounding it--i4e41 the township1 for on them the traffic of the whole community centers and in many cases the farmers of the community do more actual hauling over the village streets than do the people of the village4 ,it is1 of course1 entirely proper1 where state laws permit1 to assess part of the cost of village pavements on the abutting property1 but it is short-sighted economy for farmers to object to sharing in the cost of such improvements in their community centers4 ,when we come to a consideration of the general plan or layout of the village1 it is obvious that in older communities it is hardly practicable to make material changes4 ,in the old ,new ,england villages a part of the original town common has often been preserved as a common or park in the center of the village with a broad expanse of lawn and stately shade trees1 while newer communities have frequently been laid out around a central open square4 ,here is the flagpole and the ,soldiers' ,monument or other historic memorials1 and possibly a fountain or watering trough1 and sometimes a band stand4 ,it is a place where open-air meetings of all sorts1 band concerts and community singing1 may be held4 ,it is the modern substitute for the forum of the old ,roman town4 ,when one compares a village which is merely strung along a main roadway1 or two crossroads1 with one which has such a civic center1 he cannot but feel that the latter has a physical structure which gives it an identity and a common interest which is lacking in the former and which must mean much in the maintenance of community pride and which must give much better opportunity for outdoor gatherings of all sorts4 ,in planning a new community such a public square should be a central feature4 ,around it may be built the school1 the town hall or community house1 the churches1 the library and other public buildings4 ,if large enough it should include tennis courts and a playground4 ,where the main streets are already occupied with business blocks and residences1 it may be possible to secure a square not far from the village center where a new school building or community house may be erected and which may include a playground1 bandstand1 and whatever features are desired1 even if it is necessary to place it at the edge of the village4 ,wherever possible the playground should adjoin the school building or community house1 or both4 ,either as a feature of the playground or adjoining it1 there should be a baseball diamond and bleachers or grandstand4 ,such a civic center will be found to be a powerful factor in the maintenance of community pride and loyalty4#hi ,the growth of automobile touring has encouraged the provision of camping sites for tourists on the edge of the village4 ,wherever a suitable grove or other natural setting can be found nearby a village it should be reserved as a public picnic ground or park4 ,a part of this might also be made available for a tourists' camp1 and often it will be a good location for a ball diamond4 ,there has recently been a steady growth of interest in community fairs and such a picnic ground or park might well be arranged with an open space adjoining it for fair and festival purposes4 ,these general features and facilities of the village plan are not simply for the advantage or beautification of the village1 but they benefit the life of the whole community and should be considered as features of the community's plant4 ,when we leave the village center and survey the farming area of the community1 the most fundamental feature of its structure is the road plan4 ,in hilly regions the location of roads is necessarily largely determined by topography1 but over most of the ,middle ,west the roads were laid out on section lines at the time of the original surveys and their location has never been changed4 ,one who has grown up in that section feels a sort of pride in the straight roads and looks askance at the crooked roads of the ,east1 but as a matter of fact the latter are in many cases much better located as regards their utility1 for they were laid out to reach certain centers by the most direct route4 ,on the other hand1 the location of the village centers of the ,middle ,west was largely determined by the railroad stations1 and the roads were located without regard to them4 ,as a result it is almost always necessary to traverse two sides of a square in order to reach the community center4 ,this means that such a route is forty percent longer from the corners of the community than it would be by a straight line4 ,this was bad enough with dirt roads1 and if all the roads could be hard-surfaced1 the automobile would1 of course1 lessen the time required for travel4 ,it is1 however1 economically impossible to improve all minor roads and with the high cost of macadam1 concrete1 brick1 or other hard-surface1 not only for original cost but for upkeep1 it seems absurd to continue to build the main roads on rectangular lines rather than by the shortest route between the most-traveled points4 ,the saving in cost of construction and maintenance would much more than pay for the cost of all land which it would be necessary to condemn for their right-of-way1 and the saving in time and cost of transportation for the whole community would amount to a large sum every year4 ,far too little attention has been given by road engineers to community planning1 and with the vast sums which are now being expended by the federal1 state and county governments on permanent roads1 it is of the utmost importance that this matter of road location with regard to directness of access to the community centers should receive much more careful study and better supervision by all the authorities concerned1 not only with regard to topography1 but with regard to the social and economic welfare of the areas concerned4 ,the newer sections of the country1 and particularly western ,canada1 have become aware of this lack of economy in road location and are giving it consideration4 ,in a report on ,rural ,planning and ,development prepared for the ,canadian ,commission on ,conservation1 ,mr4 ,thomas ,adams1 the town planning adviser of the commission1 has outlined several plans for the better location of roads so that they will radiate from the community center and has shown that it is entirely possible to retain rectangular farm plans with radial roads4#ij ,he summarizes his discussion of this matter as follows3 ,the main points of contention in this chapter are3--,that the present system of surveying land for the purpose of securing accurate boundaries to arbitrary divisions and sub-divisions of land1 while satisfactory for that purpose1 is not a method of planning land1 but only a basis on which to prepare planning and development schemes2 that no definite or stereotyped system of planning can be satisfactory for general application2 that all plans should have regard to the physical and economic conditions of the territory to which they apply and should be made for the general purpose of securing healthy conditions1 amenity1 convenience and economic use of the land2 and that more complete and adequate surveys and a comprehensive classification of land is essential to secure successful and permanent land settlement4 7p4 #ga7 ,another feature of community planning which is coming to receive larger attention is the preservation of unusual geological and scenic features for the use of public4 ,one of the scenic attractions most commonly neglected is the land along waterways4 ,sometimes the land on one side of a stream is occupied by a road1 but in many cases it is private property4 ,if reserved to the public many of these watercourses might be most attractive parkways4 ,in many cases the control of waterways has been necessitated for the maintenance of the purity of the water supply and the advantage of having the adjoining land--usually more or less wooded--available for picnic parties has encouraged the extension of public control of waterways4 ,several states now have legislation permitting counties or towns to acquire such areas for park purposes1 and the ,province of ,ontario and some other ,canadian provinces require that a width of #ff feet be reserved around all lakes and rivers4 ,in order to utilize the waste land of the watersheds and to protect the shores of reservoirs and streams which furnish public water supplies1 many cities have reforested considerable areas1 which will be maintained as public forests and will be cut as the timber becomes merchantable4 ,this movement has called attention to the practicability of establishing town or community forests on cheap land unsuitable for tillage1 as a source of income to the community4 ,communal forests have existed in ,europe for many centuries1 and at the present time form #bb percent of the forests in ,france4 ,a movement has now commenced for the planting of town forests in this country1#ia and the better utilization of the community's waste land by planting it in timber should be considered a feature of community planning4 ,the improvements effected in cities through city planning commissions1 both with regard to street location for the better routing of traffic1 and the laying out of parks and the location of public buildings1 have been so apparent1 that the idea has been taken up by rural communities and a few states have passed legislation for the creation of special agencies for rural community planning4 ,thus ,massachusetts has for several years had a ,town ,planning ,commission and in #aiai ,wisconsin passed an act#ib creating a division on rural planning of the ,state ,department of ,agriculture1 and creating rural planning committees in each county4 ,in #aibj thirty-six counties had organized such committees under this law and had already accomplished much under its authority4#ic ,some of the more progressive land companies which are colonizing new lands in northern ,wisconsin are making definite community plans to encourage settlement1#id and in ,california the ,state ,land ,settlement ,board has done much to encourage better rural planning by the demonstrations which it has made in its farm colonies at ,durham and ,delhi4#ie ,the ,extension ,services of several of the ,state agricultural colleges have experts on landscape art who give assistance in the improvement of public grounds and in community planning4 ,a system of numbering farms has recently been invented which is based upon the relations of farms to their community centers and which therefore makes necessary the definite location of rural community areas and their boundaries4 ,this is known as the ,clock ,system rural index and is now in use in four counties in ,new ,york ,state4 ,the county map published in the directory shows the different communities outlined by heavily shaded lines and the farm numbers radiate from the community centers4 ,on the map each community is divided as a spider's web into a number of small spaces by twelve dotted lines that extend from each village on the same radii as the hour-marks on the dial of a clock1 and by concentric circles which are a mile apart from each community center4 ,each set of lines and circles extends to the community boundary1 and the farm is given a number which shows the sector in which it is located with reference to the distance from the community center4 ,in front of a farm will be found a number1 usually just below the mail box1 such as ,alton #c-b-,k4 ,this indicates that the farm is in the direction of the #c o'clock mark on a clock1 or east1 of ,alton2 the second term1 #b1 shows that it is between two and three miles from ,alton and the letter ,k enables one to locate the individual farm on the small area between the #c o'clock and #d o'clock radial lines and the two and three mile circles4 ,in the directory accompanying the map the names of all householders are arranged alphabetically and also serially by their numbers1 so that the name of the householder at a certain number of his location on the map may be readily ascertained4 ,this system not only makes necessary a definite determination of the center and boundary of every community1 but the number itself relates the farm to its community4 ,this is a matter of considerable importance1 for since the abolishment of many rural postoffices the farmer's mail address may be on a rural route starting from some railroad station or larger town which he visits only occasionally1 and has no reference to the community in which he lives4 ,the system was invented by a ,colorado farmer1 ,mr4 ,j4 ,b4 ,plato1 who devised it so that it might be possible for buyers to find his farm4 ,as he claims1 such a number puts the farmer on the map and gives his home a definite location just as does the street number of the city house4#if ,finally1 in any effort toward community planning it must be remembered that most rural communities are1 in a way1 but parts of what1 for want of a better term1 we may term larger communities4 ,not every small rural community can support a library building1 a hospital1 a high school1 a moving picture theater1 or a public health nurse4 ,as has been pointed out in the previous chapters1 these agencies can be maintained only at such centers as can command the support of several smaller communities4 ,obviously they will tend to be located at the larger towns1 such as the county seats4 ,roads should be planned with regard to making these larger centers most readily available to their tributary territory4 ,it would seem to be advantageous to the smaller communities to definitely relate themselves to one of these larger centers in the support of some of the more costly community services which they are unable to maintain1 and an understanding should be developed between the smaller and larger centers1 whereby the latter will not attempt to displace the former4 ,the larger villages and towns must recognize that the smaller nearby communities are an economic and social asset and that the maintenance of their village centers is essential to successful community life4 ,on the other hand1 the smaller communities should recognize their own limitations and should utilize the advantages of the larger centers without jealousy of them4 ,the county library system and the county hospital illustrate the advantages to be obtained through the larger community1 but which are impossible without the support of the voters of the smaller subsidiary communities4 ,with the growth of the community idea1 and as communities become so organized that they have some mechanism for self-examination and self-expression1 more study will be given to the physical structure of the community as essential for economy and utility1 and more pride will be taken in making it beautiful and satisfying4 ,community planning is essential for the highest type of community development4 ,,footnotes3 #hh ,for a most suggestive introduction to this whole field see ,prof4 ,frank ,a4 ,waughs ,rural ,improvement4 ,new ,york1 ,orange ,judd ,co41 #aiad4 #hi ,many plans for ideal rural community centers have been published4 ,among them see ,n4 ,y4 ,state ,college of ,agriculture1 ,extension ,circular ,no4 #a1 ,a ,plan for a ,rural ,community ,center2 ,peter ,a4 ,speek1 ,a ,stake in the ,land1 ,plate facing page #beb2 plans of ,durham and ,delhi1 ,california1 in reports of ,calif4 ,land ,settlement ,board4 ,one of the most comprehensive studies in rural community planning is ,town ,planning for ,small ,communities1 by ,walpole 7,mass47 ,town ,planning ,committee4 ,edited by ,c4 ,s4 ,bird4 #ij ,thomas ,adams1 ,rural ,planning and ,development4 ,canada ,commission of ,conservation1 ,ottawa1 #aiag1 pp4 #ec-fd1 with illustrations4 #ia ,samuel ,t4 ,dana1 ,forestry and ,community ,development4 ,bulletin #fch1 ,u4 ,s4 ,dept4 of ,agriculture1 ,washington1 ,d4 ,c4 ,a4 ,b4 ,recknagel1 ,county1 ,town1 and ,village ,forests4 ,n4 ,y4 ,state ,college of ,agriculture1 ,cornell ,reading ,course for the ,farm1 ,lesson #dj1 #aiac4 ,john ,s4 ,everitt1 ,working ,plan for a ,communal ,forest for the ,town of ,ithaca1 ,n4 ,y41 ,cornell ,univ4 ,agr4 ,exp4 ,station1 ,bulletin #djd4 #ib ,chapter #fic1 ,wis4 ,laws of #aiai1 ,creating section #adeh-aa of the ,statutes4 #ic ,see ,the ,survey1 ,dec4 #be1 #aibj1 p4 #dei4 #id ,see ,peter ,a4 ,speek1 ,a ,stake in the ,land1 p4 #ec4 ,new ,york1 ,harpers1 #aiba4 #ie ,see ,elwood ,mead1 ,helping ,men ,own ,farms4 ,new ,york1 ,macmillan1 #aiba4 #if ,the clock system is described in detail in the writer's bulletin1 ,locating the ,rural ,community4 ,cornell ,reading ,course for the ,farm1 ,lesson #aeh4 ,information concerning it may be secured from the ,american ,rural ,index ,corporation1 ,ithaca1 ,n4 ,y4 ,,chapter ,,xix ,,community ,,loyalty ,just as we know a man by his bodily presence1 so we recognize a community by its location and its physical structure4 ,yet the man is more than a body and the community is more than its material basis2 the real community consists of the men1 women1 and children living together in a restricted environment4 ,dr4 ,r4 ,e4 ,hieronymous has well expressed the most fundamental aspect of the community when he says that its people are coming to act together in the chief concerns of life4#ig ,the life of the community consists of the common activities of its people4 ,there can be no community where there is no devotion to a common cause4 ,the cause may be now one thing1 now another1 it may be worthy or debasing1 but in so far as the people of a locality are acting together in the support of various common causes they are living as a community4 ,just as the character of an individual is determined by his life purposes and the degree to which he conforms his behavior to them1 so the highest type of community is that in which its people are consciously loyal to the common welfare and are coming to act together for the common good4 ,like the character of an individual1 the community is in process of becoming2 it necessarily exists on an unconscious basis1 due to locality and heredity1 but the strength of the community is measured by the degree to which its members become voluntarily loyal to common purposes4 ,outside of early ,new ,england the circumstances of settlement of the ,united ,states were not conducive to community development4 ,most of the country west of the ,alleghanies was settled by individuals who secured their land from the federal government and whose prime allegiance was to the nation4 ,the federal government was the outgrowth of a revolution for the right of self-government4 ,liberty and ,freedom were its watchwords and the conditions of life of the pioneer settlers and their rapid spread over one of the richest natural areas in the world favored individual independence4 ,it was the natural reaction from the previous domination of a feudal aristocracy4 ,for over a century our national philosophy has been dominated by a doctrine of rights1 and only recently have we come to perceive that if democracy is to function in a complex modern civilization1 there must be an equal emphasis on duties4 ,this is the significance of the present interest in instruction in citizenship in our schools4 ,most of us hardly appreciate how complete a reversal of the organization of rural life was involved in this sudden domination of individualism4 ,primitive agriculture was made possible by men associating in small village communities for defense and mutual aid4 ,their whole system of agriculture1 until very modern times1 was controlled and directed1 not by the individual or family1 but by the community4 ,the typical peasant community of ,russia or ,india was in many respects but an enlarged family and its economy and social control were based upon the customs of the family4 ,indeed1 historically the community was the outgrowth of the enlarged family or clan4 ,it is not surprising1 therefore1 that the peasant's first loyalty is to his community4 ,the nation or state is far away and beyond his ken2 his patriotism is for his home village4 ,so ,park and ,miller in their discussion of immigrants' attitudes say3 ,the peasant did not know that he was a ,pole2 he even denied it4 ,the lord was a ,pole2 he was a peasant4 ,we have records showing that members of other immigrant groups realize first in ,america that they are members of a nationality3 ,i had never realized ,i was an ,albanian until my brother came from ,america in #aiji4 ,he belonged to an ,albanian society over here4#ih ,prior to the last century the whole social organization of rural life in the ,old ,world was built up around the community4 ,the family1 the community1 and the state were the primary forms of human association4 ,obviously1 therefore1 when families dispersed over the new territory of the ,united ,states with no community ties and with but few contacts with the national government1 there was a lack of that social organization to which the people had been accustomed and through which their whole mode of life1 their customs and moral code had been built up4 ,these forms of human association1 the family1 the community1 the state1 have been built up very slowly through centuries of human strife and suffering2 they represent the experience of the race as to the best means of adjusting human relationships4 ,break down an essential feature of the structure of human society1 as was done when ,american settlers abandoned community life1 and men are compelled to find new methods of meeting their common needs and of maintaining standards of conduct essential for their common welfare4 ,had it not been for the influence of the school and the church1 rural life over most of the ,united ,states would have inevitably degenerated1 for wherever there is no form of associated control there humanity reverts to the level of the brute4 ,human life is what it is because for countless generations mankind has been learning how to adjust itself through association so that larger opportunity for the individual is secured through a larger measure of well being for all4 ,the devotion of the ,american settler to his family eventually necessitated his association for advantages which could be secured only through collective action4 ,when he had subdued the land and established his home1 when he commenced to raise farm products for market rather than primarily for support of the family1 when better communication gave more contacts with the town and city1 the farm family developed new wants and interests which could only be satisfied through association with others4 ,we have already indicated the processes whereby the economic situation1 religious life1 public education1 the need of local government1 and the desire for recreational facilities1 are inevitably drawing the people of the countryside together at the natural centers into communities4 ,the locality group is again recognized as essential for the best organization of rural life4 ,but the new rural community is a voluntary group1 it is not determined by common control of the land or by common subjection to a feudal lord as was the village community of the old world2 its people are free to come and go where and when they will4 ,the community can compel only through the power of public opinion and its success must depend upon the voluntary loyalty of its people4 ,thus the strength and the weakness of the community lies in the loyalty of its people4 ,no community can permanently succeed whose people associate in it merely for the advantages which they may gain4 ,there must be a genuine willingness to give as well as to receive1 a real desire to do one's share for the common life4 ,human association cannot succeed on a basis of organized selfishness4 ,the joy of family life arises from the fact that each member is devoted to all and is willing to sacrifice personal interests for the family2 without such devotion and sacrifice the true home is impossible4 ,just because human nature has arisen through long ages of association1 man finds no permanent satisfaction in pursuing his own selfish interest2 his greatest joy is found in his devotion to others4 ,all human association therefore depends upon loyalty and the higher and more complex the association1 the more essential is the loyalty of its members4 ,as ,miss ,follett has well said1 ,loyalty means the consciousness of oneness1 the full realization that we succeed or fail1 live or die1 are saved or damned1 together4 ,the only unity or community is one we have made of ourselves1 by ourselves1 for ourselves4#ii ,here social science and religion agree upon the ultimate objectives of life4 ,professor ,josiah ,royce has shown#ajj that the ideal of ,christianity1 the ,kingdom of ,god1 is but a universal community1 what he calls the beloved community1 which is made possible through the loyalty of all to love and service4 ,there is a fundamentally religious sanction to community loyalty and only an essentially religious motive will inspire men to sublimate personal interests in devotion to the community4 ,only through loyalty to the highest ideals of community life can the ,kingdom of ,god be realized on earth4 ,no conceivable cataclysm could make its existence possible without the voluntary allegiance of mankind1 for the ,kingdom of ,god is the kingdom of love2 it can exist only as the minds and hearts of men are devoted to it4 ,nor can the community universal1 the beloved community1 be achieved except each local community adjusts its own life to the highest social values4 ,the community movement is but a means whereby the ideals of democracy and religion may be given concrete expression in a definite locality4 ,unless these ideals can be applied to local areas where it is possible to achieve some measure of common life1 of community1 there is little probability of their realization in the world at large4 ,but these higher values of human life cannot be brought about by a mere process of organization4 ,they require the dynamic of a religious conviction in the hearts of men4 ,the ,gospel and life of ,jesus of ,nazareth furnish the essential inspiration for that spirit of loyalty without which all organization is in vain4 ,professor ,e4 ,c4 ,lindeman has ably expressed this in his discussion of the relation of the ,community and ,democracy3 ,the most formidable foe of ,democracy1 however1 is the confidence which people place in schemes and plans and forms of organization4 ,what the social machinery of our day needs is spiritual force to provide motive power4 ,the modern ,community ,movement will fail to give ,democracy its practical expression if it is not motivated by a spiritual dynamic4 ,such a dynamic force was unloosed with the message and life of ,jesus of ,nazareth4 ,he lived his life on the basis of certain basic democratic assumptions1 and ,he scientifically demonstrated those assumptions4 ,in ,his eyes all individuals were of value2 through the social implications of ,his message sin became democratic and the burden of all2 in ,his aspirations all humankind were included4 ,he assumed that ,love would solve more problems than ,hatred4 ,he even assumed that to have a human enemy was a social anomaly4 ,and ,he believed that religion was essentially a system of behavior by which the individual need not be swallowed up in the group1 but by which the individual must find ultimate satisfactions in spiritualizing the group4#aja ,community loyalty will give rise to a true provincialism which will do much to give smaller communities a satisfactory status and to make them more independent in their standards and purposes4 ,it is common to deride provincialism1 but what we deprecate is the inability of the provincial to associate with the outside world1 and the city man may be as provincial as the farmer from the back hills4 ,true provincialism1 on the other hand1 is essential to the progress of civilization4 ,the tendency of city life is toward imitation and reducing life to a dead level4 ,eccentricity may be objectionable1 but without individuality of persons and communities life would be stupid and monotonous4 ,there is probably no greater need for strengthening rural life than a community loyalty which will prevent the unthinking imitation of urban life and will take justifiable pride in local ideals and achievements4 ,the need of a larger appreciation of the value of a true provincialism has been well described by ,professor ,royce in his essay on ,provincialism3 ,local spirit1 local pride1 provincial independence1 influence the individual man precisely because they appeal to his imitative tendencies4 ,but thereby they act so as to render him more or less immune in presence of the more trivial of the influences that1 coming from without his community1 would otherwise be likely to reduce him to the dead level of the customs of the whole nation4 ,a country district may seem to a stranger unduly crude in its ways2 but it does not become wiser in case1 under the influence of city newspapers and summer boarders1 it begins to follow city fashions merely for the sake of imitating4 ,other things being equal1 it is better in proportion as it remains self-possessed1--proud of its own traditions1 not unwilling indeed to learn1 but also quite ready to teach the stranger its own wisdom4 ,and in similar fashion provincial pride helps the individual man to keep his self-respect even when the vast forces that work toward industrial consolidation1 and toward the effacement of individual initiative1 are besetting the life at every turn4 ,for a man is in large measure what his social consciousness makes him4 ,give him the local community that he loves and cherishes1 that he is proud to honor and to serve1 make his ideal of that community lofty1--give him faith in the dignity of his province1--and you have given him a power to counteract the levelling tendencies of modern civilization4#ajb ,community loyalty is largely dependent upon leadership4 ,there is a reciprocal relation between loyalty and leadership2 leaders inspire loyalty and loyalty incites leadership4 ,thus the amount of leadership in a community and the willingness of its people to assume leadership are good indices of community loyalty1 and the willingness to work under leaders is its crucial test4 ,the leader is essential to group activity4 ,without a leader group activity is difficult or impossible4 ,if men are to act together effectively some one must be spokesman and director4 ,lack of leadership has ever been one of the chief handicaps of rural life as compared with that of the town and city1 and with the growth of organization the need of rural leadership is increasingly apparent4 ,until very recently the vocation of agriculture has had but little call for leadership4 ,successful farming required strict attention to the work of the farm and leadership brought no pecuniary advantage to the farmer as it did to the business or professional man4 ,furthermore there seems to be an innate desire for equality among farmers and a disinclination to recognize one of their number as in any degree superior1 which discourages the development of leadership among them4 ,the town and city place a premium on leadership and a position of leadership gives a status which is coveted2 but for the farmer any position of leadership is a burden or a public duty rather than an opportunity4 ,for this reason the control of government1 education1 religion1 and all the larger associations of life has been largely in the hands of urban leaders4 ,this has been inevitable and the lack of representation of the farmers' interests has been incidental to the nature of his vocation4 ,whenever the need of adjustment to new conditions becomes sufficiently acute as to demand action for the preservation of interests of any group of men1 the cause creates leadership2 leaders either come forward or are drafted and the successful leaders survive through a process of natural selection and receive recognition and support4 ,this is what is now occurring in ,american agriculture4 ,new conditions have forced farmers to organize for coperative marketing and are necessitating the better organization of the whole social life of rural communities for reasons which have been previously indicated4 ,with better education and with more contacts with city life1 farmers have come to appreciate that if they are to compete with other industries and if the rural community is to have a satisfactory standard of living1 they must develop their own leadership and that those who are qualified for leadership cannot be expected to devote their time to the business interests of their fellows unless they are adequately compensated4 ,on the other hand1 there is gradually developing a new sense of responsibility for assuming voluntary leadership in community activities1 and a larger appreciation of the need of leadership and the duty of supporting it4 ,one of the greatest benefits of the ,extension ,service and the ,farm ,bureau ,movement is the definite effort to develop local leadership and the large measure in which this has been successful4 ,the demonstration work and coperative organizations produce a new type of leader1 for he must be one who is successful in his own farm business and who understands the better methods of agricultural production and marketing if he is to be able to interest others in them and to wisely guide the policies of his group4 ,the successful agricultural leader must first of all be a good farmer1 for the basic ideal of his group is the best agricultural production4 ,not infrequently an unsuccessful farmer who is a good talker comes into prominence because he is willing to devote more time to public affairs1 but he rarely attains a position of real leadership in his own community1 for being unable to manage his own business he is unable to wisely direct that of the community4 ,unselfish leadership is the highest form of community loyalty and is essential for permanent community progress4 ,there are obvious satisfactions in leadership1 but the true leader must have a clear vision1 a strong purpose1 and intense faith in his people1 if he is not to become discouraged by the lack of loyalty in others and their slow response to his ideals4 ,for the true leader must always be thinking in advance of his community4 ,it is his function to see what is needed for the common good and then to gradually convince the group1 and he must be willing to withstand the criticism and rebuffs of those who are as yet unwilling to sacrifice temporary personal advantage for the common good4 ,the real leader will not attempt to do everything himself but will constantly seek to discover leadership in others and to inspire them with his own enthusiasm and faith in their ability4 ,not infrequently this involves the supreme test of leadership1 for the leader must be responsible for the failure of his helpers1 and although he may feel that a given undertaking would be more certain of success were he to assume direct responsibility for it or place it in the hands of some one who has demonstrated his ability1 yet because of his belief in the distribution of responsibility as essential for a strong community and because of his faith in the individual and in the undertaking1 he takes the risk and lends his influence to the success of the other4 ,the discovery and training of leadership is one of the chief concerns of the true leader4 ,witness the devotion of the ,master to the chosen ,twelve and his willingness to leave his whole cause in their hands4 ,the willingness to assume leadership is the acid test of community loyalty1 for only through the development of a maximum of leadership can the best life of the community be achieved4 ,every citizen has some ability which qualifies him to lead some group1 however small it may be1 or however humble the cause4 ,indeed the highest type of community is one in which there is a conscious direction of community purposes through a body of leadership which is divided among all its members1 so that each feels responsible to the whole community for the success of his share of the common enterprise and has satisfaction in his contribution to the common achievement4 ,in last analysis the success of the community rests upon the loyalty of its people as measured by their willingness to assume leadership in whatsoever capacity may best serve its interests4 ,as the farm people of the ,united ,states have more contact with towns and cities and as through better education and means of communication they come into a larger participation in all the ranges of human culture1 they come to realize that only through collective effort can they secure many of their new desires4 ,although many associations for special interests attract their allegiance1 their attachment to a locality and their common relation to the existing center of social activities1 give rise to a devotion to the community1 for only through the united effort of all interests can they realize their highest desires4 ,loyalty to the family is broadened into loyalty to the community1 which finds its incentive and dynamic in devotion to the family4 ,the family becomes less self-sufficient1 but through its wider associations in the community1 the relations of the members of the family to each other assume new and--because they are more largely voluntary--higher values1 and the family attains its highest development through the larger fulfilment of its members4#ajc ,the farmer no longer glories in his isolation1 or magnifies the virtues of independence1 for new conditions require the coperation of the whole community if farm life is to be made satisfying4 ,willingness and ability to work with others for the common good win social approval4 ,next to devotion to the family1 loyalty to the community is essential for the realization of the best possibilities of rural life4 ,,community ,,service#ajd ,strong1 that no human soul may pass ,its warm1 encircling unity1 ,wide1 to enclose all creed1 all class1 ,this shall we name1 ,community2 ,service shall be that all and each1 ,aroused to know the common good1 ,shall strive1 and in the striving reach ,a broader human brotherhood4 ,,footnotes3 #ig ,balancing ,country ,life1 p4 #fj4 ,new ,york1 ,association ,press1 #aiag4 #ih ,old ,world ,traits ,transplanted1 p4 #ade4 ,new ,york1 ,harpers1 #aiba4 #ii ,mary ,p4 ,follett1 ,the ,new ,state1 p4 #ei4 #ajj ,the ,problem of ,christianity4 #aja ,the ,community1 p4 #gd4 ,new ,york1 ,association ,press1 #aiba4 #ajb ,josiah ,royce1 ,race ,questions and ,other ,american ,problems1 p4 #fe4 #ajc ,for through the process of limitation the family attains a completeness impossible before4 ,its members may not realize within it what is in truth the life of the family1 for it now retains alone within its limits that principle of mutual affection of husband1 wife1 and children which alone is its exclusive possession4--,r4 ,m4 ,maciver1 ,community1 #b ed4 p4 #bdb4 ,london1 ,macmillan ,co41 #aibj4 #ajd ,sarah ,collins ,fernandis1 ,survey4 ,february #h1 #aiai4 ,,appendix ,a ,constitution of ,plainsboro ,township1 ,new ,jersey4#aje ,,constitution ,,article #a4--,,name ,the name of the organization is the ,community ,association of ,plainsboro ,township4 ,,article #b4--,,object ,the object of this ,association is to carry out the ,declaration of ,purposes as subscribed to by the residents of ,plainsboro ,township1 ,new ,jersey4 ,,article #c4--,,membership ,every resident of ,plainsboro ,township has the right to membership in this association and to participation in discussion at its meetings1 and every citizen has a vote4 ,,article #d4--;,,community ,,council ,a council of seven members shall be elected to carry out the will of the community as expressed in open meetings and to act for the community in minor matters and all emergencies4 ,but all decisions affecting the material welfare should be made in open meetings of the community4 ,the council shall designate one of its members as president1 another as secretary1 and another as treasurer1 and these persons shall serve respectively as community president1 secretary and treasurer4 ,the members elected at the first community meeting shall serve until their successors are elected at the first meeting in the month of ,january1 and thereafter members shall be elected for one year and serve until their successors are elected4 ,,article #e4--,,meetings ,there shall be an annual meeting in the month of ,january1 ten days' notice of the date being given by the council4 ,at this meeting reports shall be made by all township officers of their respective duties4 ,at this annual meeting1 and at all other meetings when requested1 the council shall make report of its proceedings4 ,a regular community meeting shall be held at a date conforming to the law respecting the nomination of candidates for ,township offices4 ,other meetings shall be held upon call of the council1 or upon notice signed by ten citizens and posted at the usual place of meeting ten days prior to the date of meeting4 ,twenty voting members shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business4 ,,article #f4--;,,duties ,,of ,,the ,,council ,the council shall advise with all township officials in the performance of their duties4 ,it shall determine and initiate matters concerning health1 thrift1 home ownership1 community protection1 village improvement1 coperation with outside organizations1 and all other matters of community interest4 ,it shall prepare and propose township and community budgets from time to time for consideration4 ,it shall suggest a ticket for nominees for township offices1 posting the same ten days prior to meeting of community when nomination shall be made4 ,it shall also make provision for posting of nominations that may be made by groups of ten or more citizens4 ,the council shall faithfully carry out the will of the community as determined in public meeting4 ,,article #g4--;,,defining ,,citizens ,the word citizen and citizens as used in this constitution1 shall be interpreted as referring to any person and persons who would have the right of suffrage if equal suffrage prevailed4 ,,article #h4--;,,amendments ,this constitution may be amended at any community meeting by a three-fourths vote of the members present1 provided an exact copy of the proposed amendment has been properly posted at the usual place of meeting ten days prior to the date of meeting4 ,,footnote3 #aje ,as given by ,alva ,agee in the ,national ,stockman and ,farmer1 ,july #bf1 #aiai4 ,,index ,adams1 ,bristow1 #aje ,adams1 ,h4 ,b41 #aii ,adams1 ,thos41 #bbh ,advertising1 community1 #ff ,age of community's people1 #ca ,agricultural colleges1 #ajg2 extension1 #ajh ,agriculture1 goal of1 #fa2 in schools1 #ih-ii ,american ,farm ,bureau ,federation1 #aae ,americanization1 #cj ,amusements1 commercial1 #aeh ,angell1 ,norman1 #gj ,associations and organizations1 #bab ,athletic leagues1 #afb ,atkeson1 ,t4 ,c41 #agj ,atkinson1 ,h4 ,a41 #afc ,atwood1 ,m4 ,v41 #ajd ,automobile1 influence of1 #da1 #ej1 #aeg ,bands1 #agf ,banker-farmer1 #ej ,belleville1 ,n4 ,y41 #cd ,beloved community1 #acf ,bengtson1 ,amalia ,m41 #adg ,bidwell1 ,p4 ,w41 #fh ,boardman1 ,john ,r41 #ag ,boys' and girls' clubs1 #aai1 #afc2 organizations1 #afb ,boy ,scouts1 #afc ,brunner1 ,e4 ,de,s41 #acf ,burritt1 ,m4 ,c41 #aji ,butterfield1 ,k4 ,l41 #b ,business1 farm1 community aspects1 #eh-ff ,camp ,fire ,girls1 #afc ,capital1 local1 #ej ,cemetery association1 #agi ,centralization of buying power1 #gc ,chamber of commerce1 county1 #ef ,childhood1 play and1 #aee ,child placing1 #aij2 welfare boards1 #aia ,church and health1 #ach2 play1 #afc2 recreation1 #acc2 federation1 #abg2 rural1 #aba-acf2 social program of1 #acb ,cities1 #ed2 health1 #acg ,city1 effect of1 on farm1 #fh-gj2 vs4 country1 #gj ,claghorn1 ,kate ,holladay1 #ahf ,clock ,system ,rural ,index1 #bca ,communication1 #cg-de ,community activities1 #bag2 association1 ,plainsboro ,township1 ,n4 ,j41 constitution1 #bdg2 buildings1 #afe-afg2 legislation for1 #bjd2 center1 #g ,community chests1 #bae2 churches1 #abg-abi2 councils1 #f1 #bae1 #bbj2 defined1 #g1 #i1 #aj2 etymology1 #cg1 #gg2 experience1 #fe2 forests1 #bcj2 incorporation1 #bjd2 mapping1 #f2 organization1 #hi1 #bji-bba2 of extension service1 #aaf2 people1 #bi-cc2 planning1 #bbb-bcc2 pride1 #eg1 #bbc2 school districts1 #bjc2 score card1 #aaf2 service1 #bde2 vs4 home1 #bd-be ,competition1 dogma of1 #di ,conflict and progress1 #dh ,collective bargaining1 #gd ,coperation and community1 #gg-ij2 business democracy1 #hf2 ,danish1 #hg2 in farm operations1 #gg2 strengthens community1 #hg ,coperative buying1 #ea1 #gi-ha2 companies1 essentials of1 #gh2 credit1 #ha2 educational ,league1 #ih2 manufacture1 #fc2 marketing1 #gd2 selling associations1 #hc2 stores1 #ec1 #ed1 #hj ,county agent movement1 #aji2 boards of public welfare1 #aia2 health officer1 #adf2 library1 #ajb2 manager1 #bjb ,country church1 #abc2 life commission1 #aaj2 weekly1 #aje ,dadisman1 ,a4 ,j41 #cc ,dane ,co41 ,wisconsin1 #cj ,daniels1 ,john1 #cj ,darwin1 ,charles1 #di ,decentralization of industry1 #ed ,defectives1 #ahc ,delinquency1 #ahe-ahf ,democracy1 #bjg1 #bci ,demonstration agent1 #aji2 method1 #aaj ,denominational rivalry1 #abg ,dependent1 #aha-aie ,dewey1 ,evelyn1 #afe ,disadvantaged1 #aha ,doctors1 country1 #ada ,douglas1 ,h4 ,paul1 #bjd ,dramatics1 #bg1 #afj ,dutchess ,co41 ,n4 ,y41 health survey1 #adj ,education1 #ia-aje2 objectives of1 #ie2 religious1 #ii ,educational methods of extension work1 #aaf ,exchange of goods1 #fh ,exploiter1 #eh ,extension movement1 #ajg-abj2 service1 of schools1 #ie-if2 work1 methods1 #aaf ,family1 #ae2 life1 #bc ,farm bureau1 #aab-aae ,farmers clubs1 #agd2 coperative demonstration work1 #aaj2 institutes1 #ajg2 organizations1 #agj-agd2 union1 #agd ,farming types1 effect of1 #fa ,farm loan act1 #hb2 management1 #fe ,federated church1 #abi ,feeble-minded1 #ahd ,fire companies1 #agg ,fiske1 ,john1 #aee1 #aif ,fernandis1 ,sarah ,collins1 #bde ,follett1 ,m4 ,p41 #bch ,frame1 ,nat ,t41 #aaf ,french ,creek1 ,w4 ,va41 #cb ,gale1 ,zona1 #agi ,galpin1 ,c4 ,j41 #f1 #ace ,gibbons1 ,c4 ,e41 #ahf ,gillette1 ,j4 ,m41 #fb ,girl ,scouts1 #afc ,government1 rural1 #aif-bjh1 #bad ,grange1 #agj2 buildings1 #aff ,grading in marketing1 #ga-gb ,gross1 ,karl1 #aee ,halsey1 ,abigail ,f41 #afa ,harvey1 ,mrs4 ,m4 ,t41 #afe ,hatch ,act1 #ajg ,hayes1 ,a4 ,w41 #ic ,health centers1 #aea2 community1 #acg-aeb2 economics of1 #aci2 farmers attitude on1 #ach2 officials1 #ade2 surveys1 #adj1 #adc1 #adg ,hieronymous1 ,r4 ,e41 #bcd ,high schools1 #id2 ,danish1 #ajj ,history1 community1 #cc2 local1 #cd-ce ,hoag1 ,emily ,f41 #cd ,home bureau1 #aah ,home bureau creed1 #aai2 demonstration work1 #aah2 economics1 #bd2 farm1 #ad-bh2 play in the1 #aef2 project1 #be1 #ih-ii ,hospitals1 #adi-aej ,husbandman1 #ei ,industries in villages1 #ed ,insects1 a community problem1 #fd ,justice of peace1 #ahh ,juvenile courts1 #ahh ,kidd1 ,benj41 #bg ,kile1 ,o4 ,m41 #aae ,kingdom of ,god1 #ace1 #bch ,kirkwood1 ,w4 ,p41 #ajc ,knapp1 ,s4 ,a41 #aji ,kolb1 ,j4 ,h41 #cj1 #ia ,kropotkin1 ,p41 #di ,leadership1 #aag1 #bah1 #bda2 church1 #abf ,lee1 ,joseph1 #aee ,lewis1 ,sinclair1 #aja1 #bbb ,library1 #de2 public1 #ajj ,lindeman1 ,e4 ,c41 #afi1 #bbj1 #bci ,lodges1 #agd ,lowell1 ,g4 ,j41 #agb ,loyalty1 community1 #bcd-bde ,lumsden1 ,l4 ,l41 #add ,maciver1 ,r4 ,m41 #bde ,macklin1 ,th41 #fc1 #he ,mann1 ,a4 ,r41 #aid ,markets1 effect of1 #fg-gf ,martin1 ,o4 ,b41 #aji ,maternal mortality1 #adb ,mormons1 #aba1 #aig ,morrill ,act1 #ajg ,moving pictures1 #de1 #aeh ,nason1 ,w4 ,c41 #afg ,nasmyth1 ,george1 #di ,nationalities1 #bi ,neglected1 the1 #ahf ,neighborhood areas1 #ia2 defined1 #i2 social center1 #ib ,newspaper1 country1 #ajc-ajf ,nourse1 ,e4 ,g41 #fh ,numbering farms1 #bca ,nurses1 rural1 #adg-adi ,organization1 rural1 difficulty of1 #dd ,organizations of rural community1 #afi-ahj ,orchestras1 #agg ,overchurching1 #abe ,pageants1 #cf1 #afa ,parent-teachers associations1 #ig-ih ,parks1 #bcj ,park1 ,r4 ,e41 and ,miller1 #bcf ,patrons of ,husbandry1 #agj ,personality and play1 #aed ,physical education1 #afb ,plainsboro1 ,n4 ,j41 incorporation1 #bje1 #bdg ,play and recreation1 #aec-afh2 festivals1 #aef ,plunkett1 ,sir ,horace1 #ab1 #hg1 #hh ,poe1 ,clarence1 #ha1 #bjb ,poor officer1 #ahg ,population1 changes1 #cb2 density of1 #ca ,postal service1 #dc ,poverty1 #aha1 #ahb ,powell1 ,g4 ,harold1 #hd ,pratt1 ,edwin ,a41 #hj ,provincialism1 value of1 #bdj ,public speaking contest1 #if ,public welfare boards1 #aia ,race problems1 #bi1 #cj ,railroad1 effect of1 #ci2 stations1 #bbd ,rankin1 ,w4 ,s41 #ade ,recreation1 #aec-afh2 church and1 #acc ,red ,cross1 #aea2 home service1 #acd1 #aia-aib2 nurse1 #adi ,religious life of the community1 #aba-acf2 education1 #ii1 #acj ,renville ,co41 ,minn41 health survey1 #adg ,roads1 #dj1 #bbe1 #bbg ,rochdale system1 #gi ,rodent control by communities1 #fd ,royce1 ,josiah1 #bch1 #bdj ,rural organization1 #hi2 planning committees1 #bcj1 #bca ,russell1 ,geo4 ,wm4 7,a4,e471 #fc1 #ge1 #hi ,ryder1 ,e4 ,h41 #bjb ,sandy ,spring1 ,md41 #ce ,sanitation1 #adc-add ,school1 #ia-ajj2 consolidation1 #ic-ie2 nurses1 #adg2 play in the1 #afa2 social center1 #if1 #afe ,settlement of community1 #ch ,shaw1 ,albert1 #aig ,sims1 ,n4 ,l41 #bah ,smith-,gordon and ,staples1 #hh ,smith-,hughes ,act1 #id ,smith-,lever ,act1 #aaa ,smith1 ,ruby ,green1 #aai ,social center1 #h2 organization1 #bji2 work1 agencies for rural1 #ahg2 of minister1 #acd ,south1 community in the1 #d1 #aj ,specialization in agriculture1 #fa-fc ,standardization in marketing1 #ga ,stewart1 ,c4 ,l41 #fj ,stores1 country1 #ej-eb ,sunday school1 #abc-abd1 #acj-aca ,telephone1 #dc ,tenancy1 #ei ,tompkins ,co41 ,n4 ,y41 churches1 #abe ,town planning1 #bbc ,township1 #aif ,transportation1 effect of1 #ci1 #fg ,union church1 #abh ,values of rural life1 #af1 #ag1 #fa ,vienna1 #fi ,village communities1 #c1 #bce ,village and farm1 #df-eg ,village1 incorporated1 #aii2 plan1 #bbd2 square1 #bbe ,visiting teacher1 #ahi ,waugh1 ,frank ,a41 #bbc ,warren1 ,g4 ,f41 #fe ,wilson1 ,warren ,h41 #eh1 #aba ,woman1 farm1 position of1 #ai-bb ,woman's ,christian ,temperance ,union1 #agh ,young ,men's ,christian ,association1 #afb ,young ,woman's ,christian ,association1 #afb ,,the ,,farmer',s ,,bookshelf ,edited by ,,kenyon ,l4 ,,butterfield ,,the ,,farmer',s ,,bookshelf ,edited by ,,dr4 ,,kenyon ,l4 ,,butterfield1 ,president1 ,massachusetts ,college of ,agriculture4 ,each #a4be1 by mail1 #a4ce4 ,the changing conditions and new problems in rural life are known in a general way through newspaper and magazine articles1 but few books have appeared which show what a force the farmer is and will continue to be in national and international life4 ,this series is to contain books by men who know the farmer as well as the subject2 while written primarily for rural leaders and progressive farmers they are interesting also to anyone who wants to keep up with contemporary history4 ,,the ,,grange ,,master ,,and ,,the ,,grange ,,lecturer ,by ,,jennie ,,buell ,an account of the origin and ideals of the ,grange and of what this organization has done and is doing4 ,it also gives practical suggestions for future development4 ,miss ,buell had been active in the work of the ,grange for #cf years4 ,from #ahij to #aijh she was ,state ,secretary of the ,grange in ,michigan1 then lecturer until #aiae1 when she was again elected ,state ,secretary4 ,we have never read a book on ,the ,grange which contains more practical information4 ,every member should read this book1 and we should like to have it read by town and city people1 too4--,rural ,new ,yorker4 ,,the ,,labor ,,movement ,,and ,,the ,,farmer ,by ,,hayes ,,robbins ,the labor question of factory and town crowds in upon the farm on every side--in the price of almost everything the farmer buys1 in the freight he pays1 in the higher wages and shorter hours he must bid against for help4 ,this book gives us the labor movement as it actually is1 and what it proposes1 as it affects especially the farmer4 ,for twenty years ,mr4 ,robbins has been studying industrial problems4 ,at one time he was connected with the ,new ,york ,central ,railroad1 and in #aije he undertook organization of the ,civic ,federation of ,new ,england1 devoted to the betterment of relations between employers and employees4 ,during the war he assisted in the organization of the ,committee on ,labor ,advisory ,commission to the ,council of ,national ,defense4 ,,the ,,county ,,agent ,,and ,,the ,,farm ,,bureau ,by ,,maurice ,,chase ,,burritt1 ,vice-,director ,extension ,department1 ,new ,york ,state ,college of ,agriculture1 ,cornell ,university4 ,despite its prominence during the past few years1 the county agent farm bureau movement is not fully understood or appreciated either by the general public or by farmers themselves4 ,this book describes in detail the work of the county agent and farm bureau and gives an historical sketch of their development4 ,,the ,,farmer ,,and ,,his ,,community ,by ,,dwight ,,sanderson1 ,head of the ,department of ,rural ,social ,organization1 ,new ,york ,college of ,agriculture1 ,cornell ,university4 ,the rapid spread of the rural community idea1 due in part to the recent work of county agents and county farm bureaus1 calls for a book which describes in plain terms just what this idea means and just how important it is in rural progress4 ,this book does these two things in a way that promises to make it an important contribution to the farmers' thinking4 ,,the ,,agricultural ,,bloc ,by ,,honorable ,,arthur ,,capper ,an authoritative review of the difficulties and economic changes that led to the present situation in the ,united ,states ,senate and an account of the present program among agricultural leaders4 ,senator ,capper is the recognized leader and proper spokesman of this movement4 ,,in ,,press ,,country ,,planning ,by ,,frank ,a4 ,,waugh1 ,head of the ,division of ,horticulture and ,professor of ,landscape ,gardening1 ,massachusetts ,agricultural ,college4 ,country ,planning is not a fad involving the expenditure of sums of money for useless frills but is a practical means of getting better results with money that must be expended in such changes as disposition of lands1 the location of roads1 the furnishing of playgrounds1 forests1 and school grounds1 etc4 ,how these changes may be wisely directed is told in this book4 ,,in ,,preparation ,,our ,,soil ,,wealth ,by ,,dr4 ,j4 ,g4 ,,lipman1 ,director of the ,new ,jersey ,agricultural ,experiment ,station4 ,,the ,,farmer ,,and ,,the ,,world',s ,,food ,by ,a4 ,e4 ,,cance ,,the ,,farm ,,movement ,,in ,,canada ,by ,n4 ,p4 ,,lambert ---------------------------------------- -------- ,transcriber's ,note3 ,typographical errors corrected in the text3 ,page #h necessarly changed to necessarily ,page #dh parisitic changed to parasitic ,page #eb enterprisng changed to enterprising ,page #he considerbly changed to considerably ,page #ahc hispitals changed to hospitals ,page #bad dominaton changed to domination ,page #bea ,bengston changed to ,bengtson ---------------------------------------- --------