320 RURAL SOCIOLOGY 



as women trying to make a home in a promising but undeveloped 

 farming community are the same. 



What does every home-maker want primarily? Health, and a 

 chance at the higher life for her family an education for her 

 children. 



The farmer's wife should find these things possible to attain. 

 As a matter of fact, they are out of reach of most of the women 

 of this neighborhood. The reason for this, I believe and here is 

 a conclusion which surprised me is that the Government does 

 not give the country woman the protection which the city woman 

 receives and which she should have if she is to be the economic 

 factor in the National life which she will become if she intelli- 

 gently follows the path marked out for her by your Department. 



Of late, when I have been reading your bulletins on sanitation, 

 Mr. Secretary, I have been reminded of Moses. He had probably 

 given the Children of Israel such instruction with regard to 

 matters pertaining to health before he realized the necessity of 

 putting his farm bulletins into law. It is to remind you of this 

 that I am writing you now. 



On a neighboring farm, where the barns are not far from the 

 house, there is a large pile of stable manure. It has been stand- 

 ing there for weeks. My neighbor's wife knows why she has so 

 many flies; she also knows the menace to health. Her husband 

 knows too. Your information has reached them. But it seems 

 that at the present time there is no available field for this fertil- 

 izer ; no man and team to haul it ; sometime it will be attended to; 

 just now "he" is busy with other work. The city man would be 

 prevented by law from thus jeopardizing the health of those 

 around him. The farmer is permitted to dally with the situation. 



Why could there not be rural health departments to insure 

 sanitary conditions! The farmer and his family are said to be 

 National assets. Why not protect them? The forest has its 

 rangers; conservation of forces would suggest a like protection 

 for farm folk. 



Another neighbor is permitted to let the drainage from his 

 farm buildings pollute his water supply. Why not have build- 

 ing restrictions for the farm? 



At our annual "graveyard cleaning," when the valley people 

 meet at the burying-ground next the school-house, every family 



