RURAL UPLIFT ELSEWHERE 243 



bj popular subscription for a model schoolbouse, 

 adapted to community use. One county in Texas bas 

 issued bonds lor balf a million dollars to build live 

 schools equipped as social centres. The United States 

 Bureau of Education becomes a clearing-bouse of in- 

 formation on the movement, issuing bulletins on social 

 and recreation work. It is proposed to add to the Fed- 

 eral Department of Education an expert on the activi- 

 ties in school buildings after school hours. The slogan 

 of the movement is : " We are going to have a new rural 

 life. The farm is not to have the life of a race of her- 

 mits." 



And even Congress is found investigating the prob- 

 lem, proposing remedies, and making the same demand 

 for leadership upon the church. In 1908 President 

 Roosevelt appointed a Country Life Commission to re- 

 port upon the condition of country life, the means avail- 

 able for supplying the deficiencies which exist, and the 

 best methods of organized permanent effort along the 

 lines of betterment of rural conditions. The Commis- 

 sion points out the need of four great forces : " Know- 

 ledge — the underlying facts must be understood " ; 

 " Education — there must be a new kind of education 

 adapted to the real needs of the farming people " ; " Or- 

 ganization — there must be a vast enlargement of volun- 

 tary organized effort among farmers"; and "Spiritual 

 Forces — the forces and institutions that make for mor- 

 ality and spiritual ideals among rural people must be 

 energized. We miss the heart of the problem if wo 

 neglect to foster personal cliaracter and neighborhood 

 righteousness. The best way to preserve ideals for 

 private conduct and public life i.s to build up 

 the institutions of religion. The church has great 



