Omaha daily bee., 1912-06-02
DANE FARMERS COOPERATE
Dr.. Egan Tells Why They Have
Made Success of System.
HOW WEALTH IS EQUALIZED
Per Capita Wealth is Next to Eng
land, but There Are No Poor
Persons, No Very Rich Ones
in the Kingdom.

WASHINGTON, June 1.-The wonderful
story Of how the Danes, upon land but
poorly suited to grazing and In the face
of repeated reverses, have brought their
country to state Of agricultural pros
perity second only to England among the
old world countries is told by DR.. Maurice
Frances Egan, American minister to Den.
mark. who is now in this city on leave,
having recently completed, on behalf Of
the State department. a lecture tour
through the farming districts Of the
south.
DR.. Egan, together with several other
Of the American diplomatic officers In
Europe. has, under instruction from the
State department, made thorough study
Of the farmers welfare" problem In the
European countries OF the part played
by the governments in advancing the ma
tarial prosperity of the farmers, Of the
success Of the farmers themselves In
forming cooperative societies for mutual
assistance, and of the advantages secured
from the promotion Of their agricultural
resources. He is now engaged in prepar-
ing report upon the methods Of the
Danish government In supplying cheaper
money for their farmers, which idea
President Taft hopes to introduce In
the United States for the benefit of the
American farmer
Speaking Of the recent lecture tour
through the south, Dr. Egan said:
Il was sent by the Department OF
State to expose to dairymen, and farm
'ers especially interested in dairying, the
methods by which the Danes have be-
come the most prosperous people agri-
culturally in Europe. When l say most
prosperous. I mean by comparison and
taking into consideration the obstacles
they have had to meet and overcome.
The wealth per capita Of Denmark IL
comparatively next to that of England
This wealth, however, is equalized. There
are no very rich people there. Every
man is fairly well off. but the poorer he
his resources Material well being is as
common in Denmark as education.
There is no iiteracy in the country.
Every man, woman and child over the
age Of years, unless he be an idiot,
can read and write. The methods by
which they have achieved their present
prosperity are three. Education-prac.
tical education-a perfect system Of CO.
operation and the intelligent assistance
of government.
Butter. Bacon and Eggs.
For instance, the only means Of Nv.
ing which the Danes have is agriculture.
Denmark, like Julius Caesars Gaul Of
ancient days, Is divided into three parts
s-butter, bacon and eggs. Now, the gov.
ernment, being dependent upon the farm
ers, does everything In Its power to In.
crease the number Of small farmers, and
this it has done by making money AS
cheap as possible for the farmers. II
controls a great series Of banks, man.
aged somewhat after the manner Of the
Credit Foncier
AN agricultural laborer In Denmark
who has worked on a farm for five years,
who is poor, and who has a character
so good that two reputable members of
his community will certify to it, may
obtain from one of these banks a loan
of about sl,5S2 in our money. He OBJ
tains this solely on his character and
ability and not by any material security he
can offer. With this money he may pur-
chase a farm of from three and one-half
to twelve acres. This farm means
live and dead stock on the land and
the necessary implements for the work.
ing of it. The amount loaned by the
bank covers probably nine -tenths of the
value Of the farm-not of the land, be-
cause land in Denmark is never sold
merely as land The farm Is judged
by the value Of its production for, let
US say, at least seven years in hard corn,
which represents its ability to sustain
dairy cattle and hogs. This Is an exam
pie of the way in which the Danish gov
eminent encourages the multiplication of
small farms.
Now, as to the question of education.
1t is compulsory 1t has been compulsory
for many years and the awakening of
Denmark to the careful use Of its natural
resources is due to two things-the Danish
sense of the practical value Of practical
education, and a series of disasters.
Soil is impoverished.
1.-THE first disaster occurred in the late !
Nos, when the discovery was made that
the Danes had so impoverished their soil
by the continuous growing of grain that
bankruptcy threatened, even the great
landowners being in danger. Then came
the closing of British ports to Danish
grain and the growth Of American COM
petition, which killed off whatever pros
poets of profit the Danes might have
made from their impoverished land.
"A very admirable Lutheran bishop |
Grundtwig. saw that the Danes must !
be kept at home but that they must
be so educated as to make their country |
fit for them to live in. He. saw that
patriotism on an empty stomach would |
not work. and he began to form the high |
schools, of which there are some 100 in |
Denmark today, which fostered and made |
possible the idea Of cooperation.
From 1s4S, the year in which, under |
the new constitution, 1t was possible for |
the poor Dane to own land in fee simple !
the constitution meaning the breaking up
of the feudal system of land tenures-
until 1863 when Denmark lost Schleswig- |
Holstein to Prussia, the Danes struggled |
against terribly adverse circumstances, |
and then under the impetus which the |
high schools had given them, they began |
to cooperate. In the high schools, which |
are only open to men over the age Of |
20 years the Danish farmers learned to !
trust one another: they also learned that |
with impoverished land and no capital |
they could not compete there with the |
great landowners who were beginning to |
sell .<raat artifiac Of hI1ffar nd hnoa tnl |