The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1894-12-28
RELIEF FOR FARMERS
State Senator Hutchinson on
Needed Legislation.
psf,c,e.cy JUDGEMENTS UNJUST
Mortgage Compsnses Gsbbifsg the
Farms -DeIinqusnt Tar Interest
--Hauroad Rates.

state Senator r. A Hutchinson, Of LIN
chin and okanogan coaFsses. has been IA
sne city far few days On q visit 70 sss
sister. Mrs. Paul Pauiscn. and goes from
here 70 Tacoma He gives gloomy ac-
cs,nn. of the condition OF affairs In East
rrn Washington aud thinks some radaeai
measures of relief are needed. In an Ia
serglsw with observation-disclosures reporter
rs zatd.
about half TIE farmers sre bankrupt
and have lost their farms hy foreclosure
on the part OF the mortgage companies
MANY Of them are giving 10 wheat-gfo~-
lag and are taking 10 raising fax ana
hogs and 10 siairying. Many OF them. BOW
ever. have no. oaly lost their farms. Dut
have deficiency Judgments hanging over
thelr heads Generally the Scotch conn
uanlcs have been quite lenient. and when
q mar has paid his taxes and part OF
.he interest. they have given extensions
far one or two years. bar the etsrinais
ssr,,,a MICS have generally ponnccd on a
mar ana fnreeiosed without compuaction
Many men Who have had valuable farms
III, nav. 10 20 out and work fer wages
..geycral remedies will have to be pro-
vsdsd. among them being the repesii OF the
deficiency judgment law There IS rsats
ro Justice In this law. for the niofssase
companies loan money on the intrinsic
value OF the land and improvements. not
upon a man 3 hosesty and industry. 80 tae
value OF the land ought TO be full secnri-
~. They only loan froTn 20 10 10 per cent.
q. the value of the farm and they send
our solicitors who induce many farmers
IA tske loans who would not do SO other
wise They took the risks Of malnte-
nance OF the value placed on the properly
II The tine they made the loan ana wneh
This falls below the amount they ad-
yaneed, they ought 10 bear their snare Oh
The asp.eetatsan. Instead OF this. they
sares = gale in depressed times and IN
Deeenll,er or January. when taxes ana
o,hsr accounts are falling due. SO mat
the property vii. not bring more than me
a...aunt III the loan in many cases 9"
not believe the repeal OF this deficiency
law viii hurt credit. for III ofdtnar; times.
when there seems 10 be a good prospect
that a farmer will be able TO earn the In
tsrest and repay the principal. there IS
,s,st as mgch competition among cspital-
aets 20 loan their money as there IS IN
any other branch Of business; and as
said before, the mortgage man takes the
value Of the land as his security and not
the farmers h0ficaty and industry. The
property ought Ia he appraised when fore
closure proceedings are begun. and IL II
brings hess in cash than the amount OF
the apprassement, the mortsagor should
have one or two years fer redemption.
.Tne delinquent tax law also needs
amendment 10 relieve those who have
suffered By the hard times. The difn-
Guilty Ia that the heavy interest and
penalty have hit class they were not
fIitendef for. That law was passed two
years ago. when times were fairly good,
ana vas a member OF rhe COMMITTEES on
taxation which drafted 1t. We found that
many loan companies were allowing their
taxes To remain unpaid from year ~ year.
because the penalty and interest were
so light that they could make the money
earn more by putting il out at interest.
especially these fellows who charge from
TO 10 per cent month. Accordingly
we placed tho reralty az % per cent
to catch these people and IL has proven
effective "a regards them, but 1t has
also hit the farmer class. contrary 10 our
expectations. IL would be difficult to
draft a law which will compel the money
lenders 10 pay and at the same time not
be oppressive TO others. In fact. We
want a law which will admit OF the
smallest proportion of sieiinauencies. for
the more people pay their taxes the less
each mans taxes will he.
Another measure OF relief which should
be passed Is one rexiueing railroad rates.
The railroad companies say they are
bankrupt and in the hands of receivers,
but the receivers can reduce rates just
as we'll as the companies. Ia regard TO
their bankruptcy and the claim that low
er rates will leave them IN worse plight
than ever there Is no evidence that such
II tho case. The fact Is that the rail-
roads have not been run on business
principles TO naake money out OF the ear
rage os freight and passengers. hut
their directors have tried 80 make money
b. site issues amt by watering the stock
ami bonds. The question ia how 10
aqueexe out the water ana arrive ct tho
actual value ef the property and thea es-
sahi.Eh rates which viii allow q fair
5,Trsit an ihis value under proper man
sgement. That could he done >nly by a
Railroad commission ard We already have
more commissions than we can afford
The state should also appoint grain
Inspectors 10 property grade wheat and
otter grain. Seattle can help the farmers
materially ny bnisllng elevators. fer this
risy with i,s competitive railroads ~ the
natural pNtiet COR the prusacts Of East
err Nashsngten, oiir people look 10 YOU
and our intcTssts are more hoani up with
yours than with any csleer city in the