THE ORGANIZATION OF RURAL INTERESTS 517 



ing principles are set forth as suggestive of fundamental con- 

 ditions of Government service : 



1. The Government, as representing all the people, should do 

 all such a Government can do on behalf of better farm practice, 

 better farm business, and better farm life in so far as this 

 betterment is to the advantage of all the people. 



2. In general, however, Government should do nothing that 

 can effectively be done by individual farmers, or by the farmers 

 collectively through voluntary effort. It is highly important to 

 develop self-help. The "cooperative spirit" is vital to the suc- 

 cess of coooperative effort, and this spirit is best engendered by 

 the work of voluntary agencies of social service. 



3. The Government, however, may take the lead temporarily 

 in many movements, in order to stimulate interest and to show 

 how progress may best be secured. 



4. Where there is practically unanimous agreement on the 

 part of the people that a certain type of effort is essential for 

 the good of the whole people, it is highly proper that the Gov- 

 ernment should be the agency to perform the service. 



The types of work which Government may do for agricultural 

 cooperation, for example, under the principles just enunciated, 

 are as follows: 



1. The Government may investigate facts and principles 

 underlying the development of agriculture and country life. 



2. The Government may interpret those principles in the light 

 of the needs of the people. 



3. The Government may inform the people of the results of 

 its investigations and interpretations. 



4. The Government may advise individuals and groups how 

 best to take advantage of these facts and principles; that is, 

 how to apply them to farm improvement, marketing and ex- 

 change, and community life. 



5. The Government may demonstrate the best methods of ac- 

 complishing this application of facts and principles to* actual 

 needs and conditions. 



The Government may not participate in the farmers' busi- 

 ness nor direct their community life. Only as legislation may 

 be necessary to restrain should Government interfere with the 

 initiative and development of the individual. It should not try 



