100 RURAL RECONSTRUCTION 



and blossoms richly in such products as education — upon which 

 large sums are actually spent — halls, libraries, social gatherings and 

 the like. All these things, which we are now labouring to provide 

 through patronising philanthropic help, under co-operation spring 

 up of themselves, with no one to have to say " thank you " to. 



" Where the community at large is not financially prosperous," 

 once more to quote President Roosevelt, "it is impossible to 

 develop a high average personal and community ideal." " All the 

 laws and activities which I have indicated," so declared the late 

 "Secretary" (that is, in our nomenclature, "President") of the 

 United States Department of Agriculture, Mr. D. F. Houston, on 

 a recent public occasion, " have as their object, to improve farming, 

 to make farming profitable, to make rural life attractive, and to 

 make rural life healthful ; and if we can attain these objects,, we 

 need not fear a decline of agriculture. We shall not want ' back to 

 the land ' agitation. It will then be difficult to keep people from 

 going to the land." Does not such prospect make one's mouth 

 water 1 



If our agriculture is to respond to all the calls that are now made 

 upon it, there certainly will have to be " Better Living" in country 

 districts. Towards the achievement of such end co-operation can 

 do a very great deal. At this point the " Agricultural Section " 

 of the " Co-operative Union," being composed of the very class 

 that is to produce our " Better Farming " by small men, and that 

 requires " Better Living," promises above all things to prove 

 successful. For it knows what is wanted to attract people of their 

 own class to the soil. Well-wishers to rural well-being — of whom 

 there are plenty — if they only would organise themselves so as to 

 acquire the requisite power for action and unity of plan, to proceed, 

 in the main on identical lines, and support one another — could 

 undoubtedly render most valuable help ; and they may be expected 

 to lend their aid — not condescendingly and patronisingly, which 

 would spoil the whole thing, but in a spirit of brotherhood. Autho- 

 rities can help not a little, especially the highest representative 

 administrative authority, if it can only rise to the height of the 

 occasion, as its sister establishments beyond the Atlantic have done. 

 And Parliament will have to help, not only by improving previously 

 adopted schemes and past legislation. For the creation of new 

 communities, such as we have in our mind's eye, requires money, 

 in amounts and for periods such as co-operative action cannot 

 accommodate itself to — especially if, as is to be wished, ownership 

 (individual or by societies sub-leasing to their members, as in co- 



