The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1904-04-27
FARMERS AND THE TRUSTS.
Secretary Wilson Says the .Agriculturist
Who Owns His Own Land Has tbe.
Advantage.
St. Louis Republic.

from the StanQpolnG or the FARMER.
My interview was held at the De-
pariment Of Agriculture during the
busiest hour Of the day, and the Sec
retary answered my questions between
jobs.
AS he did 30 I was surprised at his
versatility.
He is like Napoleon in that he can
do four things at time and do them
all we'll.
His mind seemed to jump at a Sec
ond's notice from the pasture lands Of
Dan to the grain fields Of Bersheba,
and when it landed it was all there.
Now, the question was the appoint
ment Of o man to investigate crop
conditions in the Philippines, now
the arrangement of the new agri-
cultural building to be put up at a
cost Of several million dollars and
now the importation Of bug to wipe
out the San Jose scale and make our
orchards rich.
started out with:
"Mr. Secretary, you work as
though you had /, your coat off you.
claim to be the representative of the
man with his coat off; 81 want to
know what you think of that man in
his relation to our big combinations of
capital"
"The only man with his coat off
whom know is the farmer" replied
Secretary Wilson. with the ordi-
nary laborer I have nothing to do.
The farmer is o big enough PROPOSE
tion for us here.
I'VE are working for him, and al
though we look over the fence now
and then at the struggles Of labor and
capital we keep on our way, saying
nothing as to anything else, but stead
lily saving wood"
"But, Mr. Secretary, adapt my
questions to the farmers. What do
they think of the gigantic trusts
which, like Jonah's gourd, have
sprung up in a night?"
"They are anxious about them," re-
piled the Secretary, "but it is from an
investment standpoint. They want
to know whether they have sub
stantial basis, how they are oper-
ated, what business they are doing
and whether they will keep on paying
dividends.
"The farmers are interested in the
new Department. of Commerce and
Labor, and especially in it's bureau of
corporations. If that bureau can give
them as satisfactory information about
the trusts as the Treasury does about
our national banks there will be no
difficulty in their getting fair share
OF the farmers money"
"But, Mr.. Secretary. I thought the
farmer posed as poor man."
''That may have been so some years
ago." replied Secretary Wilson. "It
is not so now. You can't whine on
full stomach, full barns and full pock-
etbook. That is the condition of the
farmer today. His is growing rich.
He has become creditor instead of a
debtor.
He is g capitalist hunting places
to invest his surplus. He has had
good crops and good prices, and today
his deposits are rolling in like gol-
den tidal wave, flooding the Western
banks with more money than they
can handle. The local banks are send
ing millions to the East, and New
York is taking what they cannot lend
out in the West.
The farmers, not satisfied with
American Investments, are sending
millions into Canada to buy lands
there, and still they have money
left. Indeed what they want most
is . safe place TO put their surplus,
where It will, bring them a fair rate Of
Interest,"
''What do you mean by fair rate.
Mr.. Secretary? ?" i asked. sss
Oh, shout s per cent, z replied Hfr.
Wilson. s'That is the best you can
expect Of money now.,,, .;Ss 3is
5$ why don't they take up their
mortgages?' said ]. / Not long ago
sst ,4s,: Has se:a that the whols United
States vest Of tho Missouri was prac-
tically owned By the savings banks 81
New England q 81 ~
That 10 not so now, replied Secs
retary wilson. These mortgages
have been paid lopg ago, and vast
! sums have been spent il improving
/ the farms. here are moftg cages still,
ja trna II, &, i, CO. 4