Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1912-06-20

cut IN ranked envelopes and which
was intended, so It is asserted, to
hamper the investigation which was
icing made into meat inspection at.
fairs.
Pubiicity That Has Value.
The government has benefited vast,
y BY its attempts to employ proper
publicity agents. and if any Of the
writers on behalf of the government
service have oveTstepped the bounds
Of propriety they have u1questionably
dealt blow to publicity Of the right
kind. Take the bureau Of education,
for instance. It furnishes and has been
furnishing for some time interesting
matter concerning educational affairs
all over the country, and the trend of
education in other countries. In the
main it is wholesome stuff and fire
quently it has not only real educa-
tional value, but real news value. The
stopping up Of this source of educa,
tional publicity probably would not
only be an injury to the government
but distinct loss to educators all
over the country who take a deep in
terest in their profession and all that
pertains to 1t. OF course the publicity
matter referred to does not include
the regular publications of the de
partments. There has been no hint
Of an intention to interfere with their
issue.
Not long ago there was established
by congress what was called a bureau
Of mines. The officers of this bureau
are engaged in the work of showing
mining corporations and their EN-.
! ployes how to prevent accidents and
how to save life and property. Some
of the material furnished by the pub
Lefty agent Of this bureau has been
| read by hundreds Of thousands of PEG
pie the country through. Frequently
these articles have been accompanied
by illustrations made from photo.
graphs of actual accident and life-sav,
/ ing scenes.
The state department also has a
publicity agent, and now much mate.
rial is given out of kind which be
fore this was held secret simply be-
cause the holding of everything secret
was the departments custom.
Cheaper Money for Farmers.
The American state department
through five of its ambassadors has
been investigating European systems
by which the farmers there are en-
abled to borrow money at reasonable
rates. The intention of the state de-
partment, after studying the results OF
the investigation, is to attempt to in
troduce the European system in this
country, so that the American farmer
can borrow money at cheaper rates.
It seems to be the administration s
thought that if the European system
is adopted in America the farmer can
raise money on his farm by means OF
bond saleable in any part Of the
country. In Europe, it Is said, the
farmer bOrroWs on equal terms with
the biggest railroad, industrial corpOr-
alton or municipality. The state de-
i partment in a printed communication
to the public on the matter says:
"The investigation is considered one
Of the most important undertakings
yet attempted in dollar diplomacy,
Myron T. Herrick, the newly appointed
ambassador to France, is Secretary
Knoxs right-hand man in the investi,
| cation. Mr. Herrick is himself the
product of an Ohio farm, and has made
! the problem of the farmer" a hobby
| for years. When the work in Europe is
completed the state department will
| prepare an organization plan to fit the
! scheme to American conditions, and a
legislative program will probably be
mapped out for the president to sub
nit to congress. The investigation is
tcentered about the Credit Foncier OF
France and the Landschaften of Ger
many.
How the Credit Foncier Works.
"The Credit Foncier is a limited-li
ability company operated under the SUI
pervision of the French government
for the purpose of lending money tC
| public service corporations, commune
ties, counties and landowners, and to
create and negotiate bonds based on
mortgages which are limited to the
amount due from the lender. In
other words, the Credit F'oncier acts
as the agent for the French farmer, sc
that instead of seeking to raise money
, directly from some local investor by
mortgaging his farm, the farmer places
| his mortgage with the Credit Foncier
which in turn issues bond based upon
that mortgage and which can be sold
anywhere throughout the country. In
this way the French farmer is freed
| from the necessity of borrowing in the
| limited market Of his own immediate
vicinity.
at is just this restriction " hich is
forcing the American farmer to pay ex
| orbitant rates of interest and to put
up with none too acceptable terms. In
this country the farmer is practically
| forced to borrow from some investor
| in his community. If local con
ditions make money tight" there he
| suffers accordingly. In one section OF
the country he pays six per cent. in
terest, and in another ten per cent
though in both instances the security
| offered may be the same. Never can
he compete with the bonds of the big
industrial corporations, though in
many instances the security which he
offers is just as good as that of the
| corporation"
It is intended to make the venture
if adopted here, a project primarily for
| the benefit of the farmer. The pro
moters of the plan are not to receive
any portion of the profits, and ever
the earnings of the stockholders will
have to be kept down to very reason
! able rates.
| Adding Insult to injury.
| ''Why am I gloomy?" demanded the
! Ind nsir.a ,ln s.1itnr 1uhn-r, IL. 1-n5