Vitalizing the Nation and Conserving Human Units Through the Development of Agricultural Communities

• Author: Hugh Macrae
• Published date: 01 January 1916
• Date: 01 January 1916
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1177/000271621606300126
• Subject Matter: Articles

278

VITALIZING

THE

NATION

AND

CONSERVING

HUMAN

UNITS

THROUGH

THE

DEVELOPMENT

OF

AGRICULTURAL

COMMUNITIES

BY

HUGH

MACRAE,

Wilmington,

N.

C.

Perhaps

there

is

no

field

today

richer

in

opportunity

for

the

scientist

and

for

the

sociologist,

than

that

which

relates

to

agri-

culture.

In

reading

an

address

recently

made

to

the

members

of

the

American

Chemical

Society,

by

its

president,

I

was

deeply

impressed

by

the

altruistic

ideals

expressed

in

the

keynote

of

the

address.

This

address

pointed

out

that

the

ultimate

aim

of

research

is

not

the

discovery

of

&dquo;Truth

for

Truth’s

sake,&dquo;

or

&dquo;Science

for

Science’s

sake&dquo;-but,

rather,

the

uplift

of

mankind.

And

the

idea

was

driven

home

with

this

striking

statement,

&dquo;If

this

be

not

the

goal,

then

pure

chemistry

becomes

a

selfish

toy,

and

applied

chemistry

a

mere

tool

for

greed.&dquo;

May

we

not

assume

that

all

branches

of

science

and

all

applica-

tions

of

science

are

beginning

to

feel

the

same

thrill,

to

earnestly

desire

the

same

purpose;

to

interest

themselves

in

the

betterment

of

humanity.

Even

the

most

pronounced

pessimist

must

admit

a

marked

progress

since

the

individualism

which

is

supposed

to

have

char-

acterized

the

Stone

Age;

and

there

is

no

reason

to

assume

that

this

progress

has

stopped.

While

the

convulsion

now

shaking

the

world

points

temporar-

ily

backward,

it

may

be

similar

to

some

of

the

great

disturbing

readjustments

of

nature.

It

may

bring

men

and

nations

closer

together

in

preparation

for

constructive

work

for

the

common

good.

In

so

far

as

America

is

concerned,

the

certain

result

will

be

an

enormous

accumulation

of

wealth;

and

the

future

of

the

country

is

going

to

be

shaped

by

the

way

this

wealth

is

used.

If

extravagance

and

selfishness

are

to

be

the

outcome

then

indeed

the

future

is

dark;

but

if

American

democracy

has

reached

a

point

where

it

can

rise

above

the

temptations

which

accompany

wealth,

and

can

use

this