The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1912-12-13
SENATOR FLETCHER AND THE
FARMER

address delivered by Senator Duncan
L. Fletcher, president of the south
ern commercial congress, at the ad-
journed conference of the governors
of the United States, held in Wash
ington, D. c., December eth, 1912, at
the invitation of President Taft:
Mr.. President: I thank you for this
opportunity to say word in this
presence on what l conceive to be
one OF the most important subjects
now stirring the American people.
The southern commercial congress,
by permission of the department of
state of the United States, secured
Hon David Lubin, American delegate
to the international institute of agri-
culture, Rome Italy, to guide the con
ference on cooperative rural credits,
which was held in Nashville, Tenn,
April 1-G. 1912. Twenty-seven states
! were represented. The complete out
line of the European systems of CO.
| operative rural credits, as published
by the international institute of agri-
culture, was used as a text by the
delegates in the conference. 1t was
unanimously decided that commits
| sion OF, for and by the farmers should
be assembled, to be composed of two
delegates from each state, for the
purpose OF going abroad for a full in
vestigatiOn OF the European systems
OF cooperative agricultural finance.
The purpose of securing a commission
of such size was TO bring into one
unit the combined ability of repre-
sentatives Of all the states, and for
the further purpose OF having two
men Of recognized capacity to convey
the findings of the commission to
their respective states and to assume
positions Of leadership in the crystal
zation of the plans in securing the
enactment of federal and state legis-
lation for the establishment OF some
practical and efficient system of rural
credits in the United States
The southern commercial congress
entered Immediately upon the cam
paign OF publicity and education
throughout the United States.
More than one-half the delegates,
from all parts of the United States,
have already been secured, and prov
inces in Canada have asked permits
sion to send delegates on the Ameri-
can commission. Arrangements have
been made for the commission 10
leave New York April Goth, on the
Saxonia, of the Cunard Line, and re-
turning, leave Queenstown July is,
on the Cedric of the White Star Line.
The itinerary includes Italy, Austria
Hungary. Germany, Denmark, Switz-
erland, Sweden, Belgium, Holland,
France, England, Ireland and the Bal
kan states.
If it is desirable to have the farm
er obtain a higher price for his pro-
ducts than he now receives, this in
quiry is worth while.
If it is desirable to have these same
products reach the consumer at a
lower price than he now pays, this in
quiry is advisable.
II it is desirable to loosen the hold
of the trusts on the products of the
farmer, this inquiry is important.
If it is of moment to afford facili-
ties for the producer to produce
needed money on terms reasonable
and just, this study is justified.
If there is a call for making the
farmers securities-land values
available in such sort as will form
the basis, through cooperation of the
establishment of groups, for financial
operations similar in character to
those of any organized industry, then
this investigation should be made.
American farms today, valued at
forty billion dollars, would not be &C
cepted by the banks as security for
an aggregate of five billion dollars;
whereas, according to the German
standard, cooperative groups ought
to be able to use that security for
credit of twenty billion dollars at the
lowest rate of interest next to govern
ment bonds
Ii we would like to find way to
save the farmers of the country mil
lions of dollars every year in interest
and otherwise encourage agriculture,
We should lose no time in ascertain
ing how it is done in other countries,
and see if we cannot apply such
methods to conditions here.
AS Mr. Lubin strikingly puts it,
For while the flag of a nation is a
symbol of liberty in its ideal form.
the dollar in the mans pocket is an
evidence of liberty in its practical
form
If fifty years and more of expert
orco in o+hor countries have damon. |