296 THE FARMER AND THE NEW DAY 



rural church problem is apparently as far from solution as 

 ever. 



8. A definition of the relation of the government to various 

 agricultural agencies, institutions, practices and conditions. It 

 was strongly emphasized that any agricultural policy should de- 

 fine in no uncertain terms the part which the government 

 should play, not only in the formulation but in the execution of 

 an agricultural policy and the attitude which the federal gov- 

 ernment as well as state governments should take on various 

 matters. Some of these are : 



(a) Land sale, settlement, colonization and tenure. In this 

 connection few men failed to point out the necessity of dealing 

 immediately with the problem of the distribution of land to 

 returning soldiers, first as to the advisability of such distribution, 

 second as to the methods, third as to the conditions, fourth as to 

 financing settlement and settlers. 



(b) With regard to political representation in state and na- 

 tion. 



(c) With the organization of farmers, especially for eco- 

 nomic purposes but also for social and political objects. 



(d) With regard to prices, trade and commercial practices in 

 the distribution of farm products. 



(e) With regard to taxation of land and farm equipment. 



(f) With regard to material agricultural encouragement, 

 tariffs, bounties, subsidies, loans, and the like. 



(g) With regard to the development, utilization and con- 

 servation of natural resources. 



(h) With regard to rural education, rural life and means of 

 communication. 



9. Agricultural commerce and trade, including both domestic 

 and international trade. 



10. Consumption and the relation of consumers to the food 

 supply. In other words, it is advanced that an agricultural 

 policy should have as a chief consideration the consumers' de- 

 mand for agricultural foodstuffs and the raw materials of cloth- 

 ing and that a policy should be developed on the basis of a 

 study of the food requirements of different sections of the coun- 



