Farm Women need more Freedom 43 



spirit in the home, simplification of the diet in many 

 cases, the building of convenient and sanitary houses, 

 providing running water in the house and also more 

 mechanical help, good and convenient gardens, a less 

 exclusive ideal of money getting on the part of the 

 farmer, providing better means of communication, 

 as telephones, roads, and reading circles, and devel- 

 oping of women's organizations. These and other 

 agencies should relieve the woman of many of her 

 manual burdens on the one hand and interest her 

 in outside activities on the other. The farm woman 

 should have sufficient free time and strength so that 

 she may serve the community by participating in its 

 vital affairs." 



In discussing this same matter, Henry Wallace, 

 a member of the Commission, says in his paper, 

 Wallaces' Farmer : 



"They have been saying that the mother is the 

 hardest worked member of the family, which is often 

 and we believe generally true. They have been say- 

 ing that in the anxiety of the farmer to get more land, 

 he not only works himself too hard, but his wife too 

 hard, and the boys and girls so hard that the boys 

 get disgusted and leave ,the farm, and the girls marry 

 town fellows and go to town. 



"Now the farmer's wife is really the most impor- 

 tant and essential person on the farm. As such she 

 needs the most care and consideration. You are 

 careful, very careful, not to over-work your horses. 



