Governor John E. Weeks

It is my hope and expectation that something may be accomplished for the betterment of the state because you have taken the time and effort to meet together for one common purpose. Dr. Perkins is doing a sp1endid service for the State of Vermont and co ntributing the liberal use of his time, authorized by President Bailey to the business of organizing a Comprehensive Survey of Vermont. It is many years ago since I had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Henry Israel when we were both working for the betterment of the state in Addison County, Vermont and I am delighted to have the opportunity to introduce him to you today as a man who has had a large experience in life, and who is, by virtue of this experience and wide interest, competent to speak with authority on any subject which he chooses to discuss. (SEE biography)

Mr. Henry Israel

The proposed plan for a Comprehensive Survey of Vermont promises much for the whole country life movement in America.

"I want to emphasize that here in America we are still fundamentally an agricultural country. In other words, agriculture is our major task. In 1920 the total value of agricultural investments amounted to about $79,000,000,000, while amount invested in manufacturing was $44,000,000,000 and in railroads about $20,000,000,000. In 1927 the farm investments dropped to $59,000,000,000, thus the farm losses were about $20,000,000,000 during that period. In 1900, through increased efficiency on the farm, one man was enabled to do the work that it took twenty men to do in 1870."

Mr. Israel said that while he was in favor of the McNary-Haugen measure or any other measure which would make two farms where there was formerly one, that there were McNary-Haugen measures in the time of Pharaoh, and there would continue to be need for such measures until the root of the trouble was attacked.

First, there is a matter of health, annually 750,000 mothers die from causes incident to childbirth. This, of course, in the rural districts is due in part to lack of doctors who provide among other things, the highly important pre-natal care. The school situation in rural districts show that there are seven million mothers of 1/2 of whose children are of school age. A survey shows out of 28,000,000 boys and girls in the country, there are 4,000,000 more boys and girls of school age than there are in a similar 28,000,000 in the city. The school term in the country is too much shorter than in the city and 1/6 of the children in the country have high school opportunity. Of the teachers in the country, 23% have only 2 years beyond elementary schooling. One-third of the teachers have not had the advantage of high school education. Ten thousand of the teachers have finished only the eighth grade.

In the country the child has one against six chances of the children in the city of the opportunity of reaching the age of one year. The reason for this, of course, the contrasting conditions of the city and country in which the child grows and develops. One might expect the opposite because of the healthful conditions in the country, but the lack of scientific care is responsible for the above rate of child mortality.

In the country there are 101,000 Protestant churches, 1/3 of the preachers of these churches have to eke out their living by doing other jobs. Two-thirds of the churches do not have full term service, about 1/3 have full term service.

There are 1,600,000 young people who have had no religious education whatsoever. Two-fifths of the rural churches are standing still or losing ground. One-fourth have no Sunday schools, 1/6 receive home missionary aid.

Henry C. Taylor, national economist, says regarding the whole situation, "There is no reason why, in the long run, the farmer will benefit any more from better business methods--from higher production unless they learn the great reason, that, in the long run the farmer gets only what he consumes.

You can not have your cake and sit by it and not eat it, and be a living, throbbing, vital factor--you will be a dead farmer. Eat your cake in order to be a living farmer. Producing your cake is not enough -- you must eat it too."

Better health, better educational and religious facilities, more of the cultural and social advantages of life constitute the farmer cake. These things he must consume in order to live. There is a competition of efficiency with inefficiency, Master ofthe Grange, you are familiar with this competition of efficiency with inefficiency. You know that the price of eggs, for instance, is determined by the average grade of eggs. The eggs of poor quality discount the value of high grade eggs, thus we have efficiency competing against inefficiency.

Social elements: At Memphis last week there was a conference of 35,000 social workers of the feebleminded, insane, epileptic and other social inadequate persons. Professor Jenson of the University of Missouri, for two hours held this audience spellbound -- speaking on the subject, "How Much Longer Do You Social Workers Intend To Do Welfare Work?"

What are we living for?

What is the outcome going to be? How much longer will the efficient have to compete with the inefficient?

We need better farming--better business and better living conditions. The greatest of these three is better living. The question is now, "What are we living for?" Why are we having these situations? Better living conditions constitute the heart of the situation.

We need to eliminate the competition of the efficient with the inefficient. We need greater efficiency for the 28,000,000 on our soil. We need a decrease of the movement from the farms to the cities and an increase of the movement from the cities to the farms.

At Laconia, N. H., another meeting is being held to decide upon methods of improving the farm situation. However, the plan which you have before you here today is much more comprehensive and therefore much better adapted to fulfill the needs of the situation.

Dr. H. F. Perkins

(Have copy of his address)

Commissioner C. H. Dempsey

I believe that the carrying out of this Comprehensive Survey will prove of incalculable value to the state.

No partial program will solve the problem, for it is very complicated. For instance, a family has recently come to my attention in which there are eleven children. The wife is a perfect invalid because she has been almost worked to death. The father has a very large farm, 30 or 40 cattle and a large number of pigs. He will not let his 14 or 15 year old daughter go to school because he needs her to help take care of his wife, his cattle and his pigs. This constitutes one type of social problem. The father thinks more of paying off his mortgage than he does for the welfare of his wife and children. Let me cite another case of a little village far removed from any railroad center or any cultural facilities. There are little or no cultural opportunities for the 15 or 20 young people, and not much of an opportunity for high school education. At the present time there is a young woman in charge of the high school. In addition to teaching the regular two year high school course, she is giving some commercial work and part of the 3 year course. She wants permission to take on the full 4 year program. Each high school pupil pays $30 tuition a year so that the net cost to the town is $50 per year. The young lady runs the Sunday school, has charge of the girl scouts, and is responsible for most of the cultural and social opportunities afforded by young people.

I believe there is a very great value in studying the situation and finding out what sort of activities will make country life richer or better.

For instance, in the town of Moretown there is a proposition of the improvement of the school (Flannigan) which has been badly damaged by the flood. This situation is typical of many of the smaller towns of Vermont.

There is one statement of Dr. Perkins I rather doubt, and that is the statement that the rural population is falling off in the rural districts not only in quantity but in quality. This may be true here and there, but I doubt whether it is generally true. For instance, one little town there are twenty children- all American. I was told that one little fellow in this town has read all the books in the school library which are available. The remaining children are likewise desirous of securing more good books to read, therefore, there is a real need for a better and larger library. On the other hand, in this and other towns there is need for better school buildings, better equipment and better sanitary conditions, etc. Sometimes a real need for a community center is taken care of simply by adding an extra wing to the present school building. In one case where the school directors were thrifty-minded, this idea was carried out in order to save the expense of a new building.

I know of many homes where the people live like animals, and worse than a good many of the animals live. There is thus a great need of community enterprises and social and health betterment. I could refer you to an enterprise which has been carried out in Vermont and which is conducting a periodic, medical inspection and pre-dental service for all of the school children within a limited area in Vermont.

I could outline considerable areas in Vermont in which there is practically no opportunity to have a tooth filled or a tooth extracted. Many young people's teeth are so far gone that a false set is necessary. I do not believe there is a dentist in the entire Grand Isle County and I think that there are about two physicians since the death of Dr. Branch.

When we come to study this country problem we find that a comprehensive study will be necessary.

Our Survey should answer these three questions, What is it?, What of it?, What are we going to do about it?

In other words, what are the conditions and their consequences and what can we do to improve them?

For instance, there is a standardization of rural schools. This phase is one that is most important to me. It is not merely a problem of having better desks, better sanitary conditions, better equipment, better buildings, etc., but it is a question of having better educational and social activities. It should mean an arousing of the community life together with a demand for and a supply of these better educational and cultural facilities. We can get concrete results and have the effort to make Vermont community life more valuable, a tremendous success if we do not delay our efforts too long.

Commissioner Wm. Dyer

As representing the Department of Public Welfare, I very heartily endorse the plans for a comprehensive survey. Some time ago this plan for a comprehensive survey was suggested to the members of the advisory committee of the Eugenics Survey, and I voted in favor of it.

A good deal of credit should be given to Dr. Perkins for his part up to now. In my capacity in the Welfare Department, I pretty well know that this movement will be one of the finest things for the state that we can adopt or go into. I heartily endorse this movement and will say so far as consistent, the Department of Public Welfare will cooperate from the office and in the field.

Mr. Thomas Bradlee

In undertaking a comprehensive survey, Vermont would be doing just what any large organization or cooperation does annually. It would be making an inventory of the resources, problems and possibilities and outlining the future on the strength of the results of such a study. Vermont has gone on for years and years without a comprehensive study of its problems. It would be well to take a periodic inventory and base our future plans upon results which this Survey brings forth.

The morning paper carried a notice from Dr. Galpin -- Bureau of Agricultural Economics-to the effect that people will continue to leave the country districts regardless of economic prosperity until the living conditions are improved. Apparently there is something more driving people from these regions (rural areas).

I believe that a survey may bring forth communities wherein has been developed certain institutions which have proven to be a great benefit to the particular communities.

Dr. Jarvis, who led the orchestra from Barre in the recent high school orchestra competition held in Burlington, discussed the situation with me the following morning. He mentioned three little girls who lived just outside of Barre. The eldest of these girls about 12 years of age, had never seen an elevator until she rode in one in the hotel here. Of course it is neither possible nor necessary that we attempt to take elevators to rural districts, but there are things which will make the young people in these rural communities more contented which we can take to them. One of the aims of this Survey will be to find and develop, ways and means that will keep the people, especially the young people, content to stay in the rural community.

This proposed movement is one in which every community in the state can cooperate. If each community does not take a part in it, the movement will not be a success. It can be no greater success than that which the people can contribute to it. There must be something that will grow out of it in which the people themselves, will have a responsibility.

I believe that every community to which this plan is presented will cooperate in it. You can take to most any of our people a comprehensive plan and explain it to them in detail, help them to grow up with that plan, and find them ready and willing to assist in carrying it out. Our people are not fundamentally different than the people in any other state. When people will not accept a good plan, it is usually because the person who presents this plan is not thoroughly enough acquainted with this plan to properly explain it. I wish to say that the Extension Service will cooperate in the Comprehensive Survey.

President Guy W. Bailey

A college president is always more or less conservative and more or less suspicious of any innovation, especially if proposed by a member of the faculty, but from the time--about 2 years ago--when Dr. Perkins first came to me with his plan for an Eugenics Survey, I must say that he has conducted the entire job in a most careful and thorough way. I approve of and appreciate the value of all of his plans for a comprehensive survey.

All Vermonters are especially indebted to Dr. Perkins for having instituted the work that he has. I have been very much interested in this plan, and if it can be carried out according to the lines that you have indicated, much good will result. About one-half of the towns in the state are slipping backward and some are slipping very rapidly. I believe that the young people will not continue to live where they do not have social, religious, and educational privileges. I believe that the young people are going to continue to leave in some of our towns, to continue to leave some of the so-called back farms, just so long as they can not get these privileges.

I hope that this Survey will prove to be a great deal of help. I believe that it will.