238 RURAL LIFE IN CANADA 



me a postcard stating that " The Department of Church 

 and Country Life advocates : 



The Church as a centre for the building of the community. 



The federation and co-operation of all the churches in the 

 community, in order to make the people one. 



The consolidation of the Rural Schools for the education of 

 young men and women for life in the country. 



The promotion of Scientific Agriculture, in order to con- 

 serve the soil for our children; to produce abundance for the 

 consumer; to keep the farmer's income abreast of rising 

 prices. 



The leadership in Social Recreation for the moral develop- 

 ment of the youth and the workingmen of the community. 



Better living conditions in the interests of the future; and the 

 cherishing of the history of the community in memory of past 

 days. 



Such ministry to the community that pauperism shall be 

 excluded and the burden of poverty lifted. 



The preaching of the Gospel of Jesus Christ all the time 

 and in every community. 



Now this postcard is itself a photograph of a poster 

 upon a hoarding. The moral effect of such a proclama- 

 tion, when lived up to, must be of the finest character. 

 The Federation for Social Service of the Methodist 

 Episcopal Church has a Commission on the Country 

 Church, with the Rev. G. Frederick Wells of New York 

 as chairman. The directness of method characteristic of 

 this strong denomination is shown in the action of the 

 General Conference in 1908 when the formation of the 

 Federation was approved. The Conference submitted 

 four questions to the Federation, asking that the find- 

 ings in reply be submitted to the next General Confer- 

 ence: (1) What principles and measures of Social Re- 

 form are so evidently righteous and Christian as to de- 



