CIVIC IMPROVEMENT 249 



state what agencies now exist to correct these deficiencies, and to 

 indicate what further activity is necessary to create a broad, 

 satisfying, permanent rural life. 



The Commission began its work by sending out inquiries to 

 the county superintendents, city superintendents, state superin- 

 tendents, teachers, and prominent citizens, in reference to condi- 

 tions of country social life. The more than 100,000 replies received 

 were encouraging, and valuable suggestions were gathered. 



President Roosevelt then requested the Commission on Country 

 Life to ask the farmers and other country people to meet in their 

 schoolhouses, on Saturday, December 5, 1908, to discuss the 

 questions on which the Commission desired information. This 

 met with such a generous response that a second meeting was 

 set in all the States, for March 4, 1909, to be known as Farmers' 

 Day throughout the Union. The meetings were held in nearly 

 all of the States designated, except in Oklahoma, where the date 

 was set first for March 11, and finally for May 5 and 6. At the 

 suggestion of the national commission the Oklahoma meeting 

 as set for May was made a general meeting for all the States of 

 the Southwest. Following up the suggestion, State Superintend- 

 ent E. D. Cameron and Governor C. N. Haskell, of Oklahoma, 

 issued a call for the meeting and organization of the Southwest 

 Interstate Commission on Country Life, and invited Louisiana, 

 Arkansas, Missouri, Texas, Arizona, New Mexico, California, 

 Nevada, Utah, Colorado, and Kansas to send delegates and take 

 part in the work. The call met with a generous response, and an 

 enthusiastic meeting was held. Preceding the convention, meet- 

 ings were held in all of the States, at the schoolhouses, on April 30 ; 

 and in Oklahoma, especially, strong resolutions were passed, 

 looking to the improvement of country life. The Southwest 

 Interstate Commission on Country Life, as organized at Guthrie, 

 accomplished much good and awakened much enthusiasm, which 

 is crystallizing in the National Association on Country Life now 

 forming. Both organizations will prove powerful factors in the 

 future for the upbuilding and strengthening of our nation. Su- 

 perintendent Cameron is to be strongly commended for taking 

 the lead in organizing the Southwest Interstate Commission on 

 Country Life. 



