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who stands directly on the land; and if it is necessary to stimulate 

 initiative, the effort should lie preferably with the institution or 

 agency that is nearest to the man and his problem." 



The same thought was evidently in the mind of President Roosevelt 

 when writing his letter to the Syracuse Convention. He says: 



"The chief instrumentalities in bringing this about must be the 

 farmers themselves, in whose hands the ultimate solution of the 

 problem lies, and whose agents and employees the various organiza- 

 tions. State and Federal, are. The grange, the farmers' club, the 

 horticultural and dairy associations can do much." 



"There must be help from without through the New York State 

 Agricultural Department, the State Agricultural Colleges, the Experi- 

 ment Stations, while the Chambers of Commerce and like organizations 

 in cities and towns should work to the same end." 



"Finally, the United States Department of Agriculture, in con- 

 junction, if necessary, with the Department of Commerce and Labor, 

 must do its full share . " 



We may lay down as fundamental principles, therefore, which 

 should guide in the consideration of the question before us. First, that 

 the responsibility for doing all that he can for himself should rest upon 

 the individual; and second, that when outside stimulus or assistance is 

 necessary, in matters not of national or interstate scope, the presump- 

 tion is always in favor of the nearer, local agency as compared with that 

 more remote. 



But while it is easy to say that the national government should 

 concern itself with problems that affect the general welfare in distinc- 

 tion from problems that are of local interest only, in practice many cases 

 arise in which both national and state agencies are vitally interested and 

 as regards which no strict classification is possible. Problems pri- 

 marily local may take on an interstate or national aspect. In propor- 

 tion as this is the case, they necessarily become national as well as 

 state problems, and require a national agency for their efficient and 

 proper handling. Thus, if some state by reckless waste of its forestry 

 resources is threatening the water supply of neighboring states or the 

 .navigation of great streams, only a national agency can deal with the 

 case. On the other hand, problems originally of national scope may 

 give rise to local problems. The introduction of a new crop may be a 

 piece of national work, but the development of this crop becomes of 

 local importance when once its fitness is shown. 



The inter-state or national character of a problem, however, in- 

 creases rather than diminishes its local importance, while the local 

 application may be after all the main end to be attained by the solution 

 of a national problem. It seems evident, then, that certain classes of 

 problems should be handled by national and state authorities acting 



