WANTED: A RURAL POLICY 97 



of operations, of goals to be sought. This program 

 should be based upon: 



1. Adequate Knowledge. We need to know the 

 facts. We must have command of resources, under- 

 stand needs and realize advantages, disadvantages, op- 

 portunities, possibilities. This knowledge by no means 

 includes solely physical facts regarding soil, climate and 

 the like, but must embrace all economic and social con- 

 siderations that bear upon the success or failure of 

 agriculture and country life. 



2. Definite Purposes. The real aims that are 

 sought in an improved agriculture should be fairly 

 clear. What is the problem we are set to solve? 

 Where do we hope to arrive as a result of our efforts? 



3. Effective Methods. A policy must be reason- 

 ably clear as to what are believed, by those most com- 

 petent to judge, to be the very best methods of pro- 

 cedure by which the desired ends may be gained or at 

 least approximated. 



III. Machinery. There must be appropriate agen- 

 cies to carry out the program. 



1. Institutions. We assume the fundamental need 

 of group effort. We must rely upon the individual 

 farmer to do his part of the work that needs doing, 

 but we are sure that the great mass of the seven mil- 

 lions of farmers in America can be brought into a com- 

 mon purpose only through adequate institutions or 

 agencies of cooperative effort. 



2. Division of Labor. These agencies must divide 

 the field of labor. Each must find its particular task, 

 seek its function. There should be neither overlapping 

 of effort nor overlooking of tasks to be performed. 

 The government should not try to do what the Grange 

 can better do, nor the Grange to do what the church 



