50 COMMISSION ON COUNTRY LIFE 



in the interest of country life, and in many of the 

 hearings they have asked that the Commission 

 be continued in order that it may make thorough 

 investigations of the subjects that it has con- 

 sidered. The press has taken great interest in the 

 work, and in many cases has been of special 

 service to the Commission in securing direct in- 

 formation from country people. 



The activities of the Commission have been 

 directed mainly along four lines: the issuing of 

 questions designed to bring out a statement of 

 conditions in all parts of the United States; cor- 

 respondence and inquiries by different members 

 of the Commission, so far as time would permit, 

 each in a particular field; the holding of hear- 

 ings in many widely separated places; discus- 

 sions in local meetings, held in response to a 

 special suggestion by the President. 1 



1 The President's suggestion for meetings in school houses 

 and other local places is as follows (this letter was not included 

 in the Report of the Commission.): 



THE WHITE HOUSE, WASHINGTON, 



November 9, 1908. 

 My dear Professor Bailey: 



I wish at the outset cordially to thank you for the way in 

 which you have taken hold of the work you are doing. No 

 more valuable work for the people of this country can be done, 



