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No. I11-3
some of the statements included. A decision will also doubtless
be reached in regard to the relative importance and immediate
urgency of the various issues.
Matters which require legislative enactment should engage the
attention of thinkers in every state. The very definite require-
ments of legislative statement should be boldly faced, and the mak-
ing of proposed statutes should be undertaken. When rural social
thinking shall have as its goal practical legislation rather than
vague discussion, achievement is certain to follow. In like manner,
matters in the field of voluntary association should be subjected to
definite plans of organization and practical working programs.
THE METHOD OF GATHERING AND ORGANIZING THE STATE-
MENTS OF THE PROBLEMS
The following statements of the rural social and economic prob-
lems in the United States are based on significant quotations from
about one hundred and fifty letters from teachers, farmers, county
agents, preachers, editors, and others interested in and acquainted
with agricultural problems. The informants were carefully se-
lected from Dr. Bailey's "Rus", the "Who's Who" in Agriculture.
Generally, the persons selected were born and reared in the country,
educated and spent most of their lives in the state or section they
were asked to speak for.
The object was to get statements from those who have made a
study of the problems, those who have active contact with country
life, those who are actively interested in the rural social and eco-
nomic problems at present.
Some mistakes were probably made in the selection of so many
names, but on the whole the replies were remarkable. It is prob-
able, furthermore, that some letters have been misinterpreted by
taking important statements out of their proper setting, but no
other way seemed so feasible for putting such a mass of material
into such narrow compass, and still leave a large part of the person-
ality of the different writers. It will be noticed that the letter
called for a statement of state problems rather than sectional prob-
lems. That was done to avoid a confusion of the issue and a too
general statement of the problems. They are grouped in geograph-
ical divisions for the sake of brevity and convenience, and because
of a general similarity of state problems within a given section.
The authors take this opportunity to thank the informants for
their very generous replies, and to beg indulgence for the liberal
use of their expressions.
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