The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-05-11
state Aid for Developing the Agri-
cultural Interests of Country.


The scheme to enable Irish tenants in
Ireland to buy land by means of a govern
ment loan at 4 per cent interest. with an
annual installment on the principal equal
to one-fftieth of its amount, so that the
mortgage would be paid off in forty-nine
years, has not succeeded very well. The
trouble however, seems 10 be due to other
reasons than the form Of the loan. A bill
is now before parliament providing that
only one-seVentieth of the loan shall be
paid annually. Farmers in England are
also pushing their demand Tor government
to refund their mortgages AT 8 per cent.
Russia adopted this principle some years
ago and by means of this state aid IS peo-
ping the immense tract Of virgin land that
is being opened up by the trans-Siberlan
railroad. American farmers don ask Tor
such paternalism. but they would ike the
aid of state officials in reminding thelr
present mortgages Farmers who nave
been paying from to y per cent interest
or even more, cannot possibly AFFORD TO pay
such rates to-day. The mortgage loan
companies do not dare to reduce the rate
for fear of injuring their securities, al
though several of them have gone into re-
ceivers hands because tney trled 20 set
more out of the farmers than the business
would pay. Some comprehensive refund
ing scheme whereby the security of all
mortgages could be pooled as further Sc
c1trstV fo- a lower rate of interest would
bring about state OF AFFAIRS greatly 10
the advantage of both borrower and len
der We are also RFtdAlg impressed Win
the idea that annual payments on the
principal should be part of SUCH
scheme. one great difficulty in the way
Of carving it out is the unSaVory reputa-
ZION that has followed in the tran Of spec
ulative and watered investment compa-
MES. go, T.,
sue of the American Agriculturalist, and
il suggests a few thoughts upon very
important question.
20 long ago as when we first began to
ag- ourfo11f1ITq1 affairs absorbed
the conviction that no country could be
truly great and permanently prosperous
whose foundation was not firmly laid up
on a we'll arranged ana prosperous ayr
culture It's commerce and its manufac-
lures may make a country great and its
greatness may abide Tor many years, per-
hans. but sooner or later the truth will
he brought home to 1t that permanent
prosperity is the outgrowth of a prosper
Gus agriculture. country ike farm
must be self sustaining If IL would enjoy
nermanent and uninterrupted prosperity.
There Is something amiss with the cOun-
try that cannot or does not produce its
own food and clothing, and the day is
quite likely to come when the disadvan-
tages attached to such remissness or in
ability Will be realized
II should be the daily consideration of
the "statesmen" Of a country how the ag-
ricultural interests of that country can
better be advanced and developed. Every
nlea and complaint that comes from the
Agricultural element should be profoundly
considered, and nothing should be left I'M
done that would effect faVorably that in
terest.
in its administration give all necessary aid
to upbuild.ng and establishing on a firm
basis of its agriculture. Botn our state
and national governments should haste TO
enact wise laws that would have the effect
Of multiplying 4-fold the number of and
100 acres farms in THIS country, a country
whose permanent prosperity will depend
upon whether its agriculture is duly fos-
tered. 1t is the question for our statesmen