The Calumet news., 1912-06-01
Or. Maurice F. Egan Gives Amer
ican Farmers Data
llIiteraey is Unknown Among Danish
People. Honest Poor Receive
Needed Help.

prosperity second only to England
among the old World countries is told
by DR.. Maurice Francis Egan. Ameri-
can minister to Denmark, who is now
in this city on leave, having recently
completed, on behalf Of the state Dc
partment, a lecture tour through the
farming districts of the South.
DIR. Egan, together with several 9th ?
er of the American diplomatic officers
in Europe, has, under instructions from
the state Department made a thor
ough study of the farmers welfare"
problem in the European countries. Of
the part played by the governments
in advancing the material prosperity
of the farmers. OF the success Of the
farmers themselves in forming coop
eratiNe societies for mutual assistance,
and of the advantages secured TO the
whole people Of those countries from
the promotion of their agricultural re-
sources. lie is engaged now in prepar-
ing report upon the methods CT the
Danish government In supplying
cheaper money for their farmers,
which idea President Taft hopes to in
troduce into the United States for the
benefit Of the American farmer.
No lllteracy There.
Speaking of his recent lecture tour
through tho South Dr. Egan said:
81 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
become the most prosperous people ag-
riculturally i'm Europe When | say
most prosperous | mean by compari-
son. and taking into consideration the
obstacles they have had to meet and
overcome. The wealth per capita Of
Denmark is comparatively next to that
OF England. This wealth however, is
equalizcd. There are no very rich
people there. Every man is fairly well
of but the poorer he Is the more care
fully does he conserve his resources.
Material we'll being is as common in
Denmark as education.
There is no illiteracy in the coun-
try. Every man, woman and child over
the age of years, unless he be an
idiot. can read and write. The meth
DDS by which they have achieved their'
present prosperity are three: Educa-
tion-practical education-a perfect
system Of cooperation. and the intelli-
gent assistance of government
For instance, the only means of liv-
fs. trtsfa L
ture Denmark, like Julius Caesar s
Gaul Of ancient days, is divided into
three parts-butter, bacon and eggs.
Now, the government, being dependent
upon the farmers. does everything In
its power to increase the number OF
small farmers. and this 1t has done bv
making money as cheap as possible
for the farmers. 1t controls a great
series Of banks, managed somewhat af-
ter the manner Of the Credit Foncier.
Loan Money To Poor.
"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 commune viii certify
10 IL. may obtain from one OF these
banks loan of about Si.5S2 in our
money. He obtains this solely on his
character and ability and not by any
material security he can offer. With
this money he may purchase n farm
of from 3h TO ~ acres. This farm
means live and dead stock on the land
and the necessary implements for tn,
working Of e. The amount loaned by
the bank covers probably nine tenths
Of the value of the farm-not 0f the
land. because land i'm 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. Thi'
is an example OF the way In which the
Danish government encourages th'
multiplication of small farms.
Nov. as TO the question of educa'
tion. 1t is compulsory 1t has beer
compulsory Tor many years and th'
awakening OF Denmark TO the careful
use of it's natural resources Is due t'
two things-thc Danish sense of tn
prac tical valale OF practical education
and n series OF disasters
Educational Facilities.
"The first disaster occurred I'm th'
late i0s when the discovery was mad
that the Danes had 80 impoverishe'
their soil by the continuous growing o
grain that bankruptcy threatened. eve
the great landowners being In dangei
Then came the closing Of British port
to Danish grain and the growth Q
American competition, which killed ol
whatever prospects of profit the Dane
might have made from their impoVcr
ished land.
~ very admirable Lutheran bishol
lGrurdtwig. saw that the Danes mus
Le kept at home but that they mus
be so educated as to make their coun
try fit for them TO live in. He 81
that patriotism on an empty stomac
would not work, and he began to fori
the high schools OF which there ai
=