The United States Department of Agriculture which, together with
the various state agricultural agencies, has hitherto given primary
attention to the problems of production is now aiming to bring about
a better organization of rural life. One of the first things the
department will attempt is to look into existing organizations,
enterprises and activities in order to determine just how they are
working and just what their effect is on rural communities. Next, it
expects to take steps to encourage and bring into active co-operation
organizations that will be helpful in advancing rural life.
The Department of Agriculture and some of the states have already
developed work in this field and it will be the object of the Rural
Organization Service, operating through the department, to secure the
co-operation of all these agencies. The Department of Agriculture is
now charged specifically with the problem of studying the marketing
of farm produce. Congress at its last session appropriated $50,000
to enable the secretary of agriculture “to acquire and to diffuse
among the people of the United States useful information on subjects
connected with the marketing and distributing of farm products.”
Marketing, however, is only one aspect of the problem of rural
organization. The General Education Board, which for several years
has co-operated with the Department of Agriculture in the support
of its farm demonstration work, has expressed a willingness to
extend its co-operation with the department in this problem of Rural
Organization Service. This offer of further co-operation has been
accepted. The secretary of agriculture has sought and secured the
services of Dr. T. N. Carver, professor of economics in Harvard
University, as director of this work, and the president of Harvard
University has granted Dr. Carver indefinite leave of absence.
It is expected that the work of investigation, experiment and
demonstration now conducted by the Department of Agriculture and by
many of the state colleges and experiment stations will fit into the
new scheme. The Rural Organization Service plans to co-ordinate and
crystalize these results and apply them in community effort for the
advancement of agriculture.