Ih RURAL. NEW-YORKER 
129'J 
The “Resolutions” on Agriculture 
HAT is the real value of a “resolution” on 
agriculture iu a political platform? Who 
makes it? What does it represent? Do practical 
working farmers have any real chance to frame such 
“resolutions?” Do they express the wishes and de¬ 
sires of working farmers? Now the farmers of New 
York State have a chance to consider these ques¬ 
tions when they read the bids for their votes which 
the two leading parties have made. The truth is 
that both parties are trying to sell their policies to 
the farmers, and these resolutions represent an ef¬ 
fort at salesmanship. The Democratic party at 
Syracuse offered the following: 
The Democrats on Agriculture 
We pledge a reorganization of the State agency with 
the welfare of its agricultural interests. Existing laws 
for the handling, distribution and marketing of food 
products, the development of food warehouses and ter¬ 
minal market facilities under a strict supervision that 
will include rigid enforcement of the pure food and 
bovine tuberculosis laws should be strengthened in or¬ 
der to protect and benefit both the producer and the 
consumer. 
In place of the present unworkable and irresponsible 
Council of Farms and Markets we insist upon a single 
agency, responsible to the 'Executive, that will honestly 
and intelligently foster the agricultural interests of the 
State. 
\Ye pledge that the Democratic members of Congress 
will constantly work for the drastic reduction of exor¬ 
bitant tariff schedules that weigh heavily against the 
farmer and the wage earner, and for the extension of 
farm credits under the Federal Reserve System. 
They renominated Governor Smith. It is clear 
that the Governor did not really care to run again. 
He has nothing to gain and much to lose should he 
he defeated, or win by a narrow majority. It would 
seem to be wiser for him not to take the chance, 
hut his great popularity was needed to help the 
national ticket. The Governor has now been in 
office four years, and has done little or nothing to 
benefit agriculture. He will claim that the Legis¬ 
lature has been politically opposed to him. so that he 
lias been unable to carry out his policies. There is 
hardly one chance in one thousand this year that 
the Legislature will besDemocratic. It is not likely, 
therefore, that the election of Governor Smith will 
make any change in our present agricultural policy. 
The Governor retains his wonderful popularity in 
town and city, but has probably lost ground with 
farmers on account of the school bill he favors. 
The Republicans met at Rochester and plowed out 
the following resolution: 
The Republicans on Agriculture 
A prosperous and contented agricultural populatiqn 
is essential to the welfare and prosperity of the State. 
There must not be two standards of living and the 
economic return on the farm must equal that of other 
industries. 
To this end the Republican party pledges its repre¬ 
sentatives to do all in its power to assist those engaged 
in agricultural pursuits, to so market the fruits of 
their labor as to give them an adequate return for their 
labor and investment. 
We heartily endorse and recommend the co-opera¬ 
tive marketing of farm products. We pledge encour¬ 
agement by the State to the development and operation 
of the associations and approve not only the legislation 
already passed but such further legislation as is neces¬ 
sary for this purpose. 
The maintenance of our Department of Farms and 
Markets, our agricultural schools and colleges to devise 
and recommend better methods of production and mar¬ 
keting, as well as better conditions of life in rural 
communities, we recognize are very important func¬ 
tions of our State government, and we pledge the party 
to provide adequate funds to carry on these activities 
to the fullest extent. 
These platitudes are very familiar to country peo¬ 
ple. They promise nothing of vital living import¬ 
ance. The only tangible pledge is that of provid¬ 
ing “adequate funds.” On this platform the Repub¬ 
licans have nominated Col. Theodore Roosevelt, for 
just exactly the opposite reason for the renomina¬ 
tion of Governor Smith. It is hoped that the strong 
vote for President Coolidge will carry Roosevelt 
with it, while the popularity of Governor Smith is 
expected to help Mr. Davis. Col. Roosevelt has a 
splendid war record, but has not thus far done any¬ 
thing to show that he would make a superior execu¬ 
tive. He has youth, energy, a great name and every 
possible incentive to make good as a son of - his 
father. We do not yet know how he stands on the 
school bill or on other matter’s in which farmers are 
interested. The inference is that he will be guided 
by the advice of party leaders, without any great 
display of independence. Under the circumstances 
the most practical suggestion to New York farmers 
this year is to control their members of the Legis¬ 
lature as far as possible, and through some strong 
organization make their wishes clearly known. 
Child Labor Amendment and This Case 
My family and I are very much pleased with the 
stand you take in regard to the school bill, also child 
labor amendment. I am enclosing a clipping from one 
of our country papers, thinking perhaps you would tell 
what would happen in a case of this kind if the child 
labor amendment goes through. We wish you and 
The R. N.-Y. many years in which to carry on the 
good work. C. H. WELLS. 
New York. 
HE clipping referred to is from the Argus of 
Patchogue, N. Y. Here it is: 
“Little Mother’s” Stirring Plea Wins Judge Furman 
When Anna Bartkowski’s widowed mother died at 
Bay Shore seven months ago, she left behind as a legacy 
to her 17-year-old daughter two small sons, a four-room 
home at 52 Clinton. Ave., for which the rent must be 
paid, and something of her own stout heart. There was 
not a penny in the legacy. 
But Anna, all undaunted, shouldered the burden 
death had imposed on her and set about being mother 
to her two little brothers, Frank, 15, and William, just 
10. She was determined to keep that four-room home 
going and the boys cared for if she had to work from 
early morning till late at night. 
But some of the neighbors, and an aunt, came to 
the conclusion that the boys would be better off if they 
were in some institution, so one of the workers for 
the Child Welfare Board had Anna brought before 
County Judge Furman, sitting in the children’s court, 
Patchogue. last week. It was held by this worker that 
Anna was too young to care for her small brothers, 
and that she had no means of livelihood sufficient to do 
this. 
So Anna appeared before the judge with the two 
boys under her wing and made a poignant appeal to 
the court for permission to continue her guardianship. 
“I’ve taken care of them for seven months, ever since 
mother died,” she said, “and I don’t see why you 
won’t let me do it.” 
“How can you live and keep them going and pay the 
rent and all that?” Judge Furman asked. 
“Why, Your Honor, I take in washing. I've three 
or four washing days every week. I make at least $12 
a week and our rent is only $12 a month. Frank is a 
caddy at the Brightwaters Golf Club, and that helps 
a little too. 
“You see, judge,” she went on, tears in her eyes, 
“I’d rather work my hands to the bone than see my two 
brothers put in an institution or separated or taken 
by some member of the family and worked to death.” 
Judge Furman was so impressed with the girl’s plea 
that he refused the petition of the Welfare Board to 
remove the boys from her care, instructing the board 
on the contrary, to give her every aid in maintaining 
her little home. Also he appointed Probation Officer 
Charles J. Odell as “big brother” to the youngsters. 
There is no use trying to tell just what would 
happen in such a case. We do not know what Con¬ 
gress would do if the chance were provided and we 
do not think it wise to find out by ratifying this 
amendment. We believe, however, that in such a 
case the home would be broken up, the children 
placed in some institution, and the older girl forced 
to give up her employment. In our judgment that 
same thing would happen in the case of thousands of 
other families and if continued would breed a class 
of dependents without real character or self-respect. 
Transportation to Consolidated Schools 
In our town they have consolidated six districts and 
built a new school, to which I am forced to send my 
children. The distance we live from school is about 
four miles. It is impossible for the children to walk, 
and the board of trustees does not seem to be willing 
to carry them. Is there any law that can compel them 
to provide transportation to get our children to school? 
We want our children to receive their education, but 
I certainly cannot afford to take them back and forth 
and do my work at the same time. There are about 20 
children who are not able to attend school for the same 
reason, and if we ask the trustees about it they say we 
must bring them, and we cannot do it and go to work 
to provide for our families. We are told that the law 
does not require a child to walk an unreasonable dis¬ 
tance. Could you tell me what they mean by that? 
What distance do they call reasonable? F. F. 
New York. 
T HE law relating to transportation is found in 
Subdivision IS of Section 200 of the education 
law, in which it is provided in substance that when¬ 
ever any district shall have contracted with the 
school authorities of any city, or other school dis¬ 
trict for the education therein of the pupils resid¬ 
ing in such school district, or whenever in any school 
district children of school age shall reside so remote 
from the sehoolhouse that they are practically de¬ 
prived of school advantages during any portion of 
the school year, the inhabitants of the district are 
authorized to provide by tax or otherwise for the 
conveyance of any or all pupils residing in such 
district and the trustees may contract for such when 
so authorized in accordance with such rules and 
regulations as they may establish, and if necessary 
may use any portion of the public money apportioned 
to the district for the purpose of defraying the ex¬ 
pense. 
The district to which F. F. refers is evidently 
not a contracting district. Apparently he lives in a 
district which has been dissolved and its territory 
annexed to an adjoining district. Under such cir¬ 
cumstances the Commissioner has held in cases that 
have come before him on appeal that transportation 
should be furnished at the expense of the consoli¬ 
dated district where the distance is too great for 
the children to walk. There is no arbitrary rule 
or statutory provision regulating such districts. We 
have generally advised that where children are re¬ 
quired to walk two miles or more from their homes 
to the sehoolhouse transportation should be furn¬ 
ished. However, all the conditions including the 
roads, the ages of the children, the climate, etc., 
are to be considered. 
■Since the statute authorizes the trustees to furnish 
transportation when authorized by the voters of the 
district parents who are interested should ask that 
the matter be brought before a district meeting and 
in the event the action of the meeting is unfavor¬ 
able the parents would have the right to appeal to 
the Commissioner of Education pursuant to the pro¬ 
visions of Section S90 of the education law. In case 
the Commissioner sets aside the action of such meet¬ 
ing and directs transportation to be furnished he 
may then authorize and direct the trustee to levy 
a tax with which to pay for transportation. 
IRWIN ESMOND, 
Director and Asst. Counsel Univ. State of N. Y. 
New York State Rural School Improve¬ 
ment Society 
So much has already been said and written by those 
of us who regulate the country school in practice and 
not in theory, that one would think the subject quite 
completely covered. But we, who will fight to the Iasi 
ditch before we shall schedulize the lives of our babies 
by making commuters of them ; we, who are not at all 
delighted with the prospect of duplicating the problems 
of milk transportation by shipping those same babies 
five days a week for their 13 or 14 school years; we, 
who are quite convinced that the larger the school unit, 
the smaller the chance for personal influence and in¬ 
dividual development, in spite of the advantages of 
democratic contact with large numbers; -we, who get 
and weigh the faults and fine points of the one-room 
school at first hand, have now discovered another rea¬ 
son why we should organize and run our school business 
ourselves. 
Through a near-by county, there runs a “public 
utility” sometimes single-tracked, sometimes double- 
tracked, at the usual exorbitant freight and passenger 
rates. The power that runs it is a menace because it 
is entirely exposed, though fenced iu. The corpora¬ 
tion has felt for some time that their system of re¬ 
trenchment necessitated a cut in their land valuation. 
Being a corporation, it was a simple matter to hand the* 
facts over to their annually employed attorney, who 
should search the laws for the necessary loop-holes 
which would facilitate the presentation of the matter 
to those public officials who raise and lower valuation 
evidently at will. The attorney asked for a 50 per 
cent reduction, on the ground that “only one track is 
now in use.” Remember that no one else can make 
use of that land; that the rails and ties are still 
there, and fenced in ; that it is still the property of the 
corporation and that trespassing thereon is forbidden. 
I here give the results of their claim in one single 
school district; and very likely the results were simi¬ 
lar throughout the entire route. 
1. The claim was stated merely. Proof was neither 
asked nor given. 
2. It did not go through at the regular grievance 
hearing. Why? 
3. They were granted a special grievance hearing. 
Why? 
4. They got not a 50 per cent reduction but a 75 per¬ 
cent reduction. Why? 
Now this should be our cue. We should organize. 
Then we may have a definitely appointed representative 
to present to our public officials having charge of land 
valuations, the acreage owned by each of us, neither 
now nor any time of any use, and claim therefore, tax 
exemption. Do we own an abandoned farm? Why 
pay taxes on it at all? Of course our claims will be 
substantiated. 
Let’s organize. 
If these conditions are upheld by existing laws, and 
no doubt they are, organization of sufficient strength 
might correct the law. But it will have to be our own 
organization. No existing body will seek remedies for 
us. Therefore, let’s organize. E. w. B. 
A Result of Rural School Consolidation 
In the discussion about consolidating rural schools 
there has been little said regarding transportation. 1 
wish to relate the experience of District No. 1, Eaton, 
Madison Co., N. Y., in this matter. The children from 
this district, eight in number, were carried about three 
miles to the Hamilton, N. Y., high school. A farmer’s 
wife drove the conveyance, consisting of a gentle farm 
team, drawing a three-seated wagon, with rigid top and 
side curtains to roll up in fair weather. In the group 
was a bright little nine-year-old girl, very headstrong 
and hard to control. Her delight when riding was to 
let her foot hang outside the wagon and “tick, tick” 
against the spokes of the wheel as it revolved. The 
driver told her many times not to do so, but. the girl, 
knowing the driver had no authority, persisted in her 
pastime. An auto-truck came up behind and horned 
for the road. The lady with her team gave it the 
right-of-way. There was a shrill scream. The horses 
were pulled up with a jerk. The girl was under the 
wagon with her leg wound around the wagon axle, 
broken in three places, and in a few days it was 
amputated. It was thought the girl turned a little to 
see the auto and by that motion put her foot between 
the spokes of the wheel and w-as pulled from her seat. 
Next came the lawsuit. Case was tried in Utica be-' 
fore a jury of 11 mechanics and one farmer. The girl 
in her testimony admitted she knew it was wrong to 
do as she did, and admitted she had been told not to do 
it . The contention was set up that the vehicle used 
was not suitable for the purpose, notwithstanding the 
fact that similar ones are used by farmers everywhere 
to convey their families. The jury fell for this argu¬ 
ment and gave the girl a verdict of $15,000. The dis¬ 
trict went next to the Appellate Division and the verdict 
was upheld. Should the district settle on this basis 
the tax upon a farm assessed at $5,000 will be $800. 
surely some tax. The district intends to take the case 
to the court of last resort. The assessed valuation of 
the district is $104,000. The girl is minus one leg, her 
father is dead and the mother a day laborer. Without 
doubt the girl will win out. 
The point desired to be made emphatic is this: 
When the district becomes a public carrier a specially 
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