ut practically the organization of an
interest group county office delays indefinitely the organization of
rural service on a proper basis.

The normal course of development is for the agency that is prepared to
organize and finance a comprehensive rural program for a county should
render this service; but it should at the same time use its influence
to bring about at the earliest possible moment a county council of
social agencies that will give unified control of the rural service
program to all agencies that should have a voice in rural progress. If
this policy is adhered to, there will be the heartiest support of the
work of any agency that wishes to begin its work on a county basis in
any section of the country.

The first impression that may come to one not familiar with the
vastness of the organized movement for rural welfare may be that a
large number of agencies have undertaken rural service for their own
sakes rather than for the sake of the community. This is not the case.
It is recognized that rural organization for definite objectives
should take the place of previous uncoordinated, haphazard opportunism
in rural progress, and the present sporadic and unrelated movements
toward organization are but the result of a very rapid development
which has not yet found time to make the desired adjustment desired by
all concerned. The National Council of Rural Social Agencies, the
State Councils coming into existence, the County Councils and the
community councils that have appeared here and there are but the
beginnings of a well-ordered, economical and necessary coordination of
rural social forces.

How is the church related to this movement? Repeated investigations
have shown that the churches of America have within their membership
by far the larger proportion of those whose public spirit registers
itself in voluntary financial support of public enterprises. The
"friendly citizen" is largely a myth. Those who build churches at
large personal sacrifice, and pay the bills in maintaining religious
services are those whose names appear at the top of most subscriptions
to benevolent enterprises. It was the Christian ministry and the
church membership that made possible the Red Cross drives during the
war, and the other financial campaigns for relief and other calls
incident to the war. Thus history has continued to show the same
condition so far as financial resources for public welfare support are
concerned.

Si