The Lee County journal. (Leesburg, Ga.) 1904-19??, 1912-11-14
LandIordism A Menace To Nation

OAi4Qn WY NANs 49,
Iident Charles S. Barrett Of the Far
mers Union in letter addressed 70
the officers and members points to
| the danger Of landlordism. He says;
Discussion the country over is
ragginy around the subject Of rural
credits. At the outsets wont to say
! / have made some investigation OF
the matter; that | believe a modl-
fed system of rural credits feasible
+ in America; that | am convinced
the time has come for action and
not merely talk, and the rural cred
its may be used to stem the tendeh-
cy towards landlordism which |
know to be one Of the grayest mem
aces facing this nation.
There is little use for me todwell
upon the various plans offered
whereby some systems Of rural cle-
dts can be effectual. 1t is only es-
sential to say that the Raiffeisen and
other plans have been followed IN
Germany and other old world coun-
tries with signal success for more
than a,eentury It is possible under
one Of these plans for number OF
farmers in a given community to.
become mutually responsible for
loans extended to their respective
members. It is also possible for ru-
rel credits to be materialalized by
constituting the laasdd itself the basis
of LOANS and that plan is merito-
rious and economically sound for
the simple reason that in the last
analysis the soil is the source of all
wealth.
The International Institute Of
Agriculture in Rome under the di-
rection Of David Lubin has made
thorough inquiry into all these plans
and if any American farmer desires
detailed information Mr.. Lubin will
be glad to furnish it.
want to stress right now to every
farmer in this country who is talk
ing excitely about plans land who
thinks that all that is necessary to
succeed with rural credits or any
thing else is to find ''plans''-that
there are plans galore. What is
needed right now is men bold enou-
gh and with sufficient initiative in
every community to carry these
plans into execution, and to do it
in the faceof Encouragement, diff
culties and sacrafce Of time and
health, if that is necessary.
1t is just as well therefore to stop
worrying 50 much about plans"
and think more about how we are
going to find the'men to execute the
plans, not just for one week, bnt
right on to the end Of the chapter.
It is necessary toremember, how
ever that Germany is country Of
thickly settled, small communities
and that the plans which have pro
we'd advisable there may have to be
altered to take into account separa-
ton of agricultural units in Amer
lea. This process resolves itself,
however, into a matter of detail and
the main portion of the task is, as
[ have stated, the locating aid
training Of the men to carry into
effect any system Of rural credits
that may be devised, whether nnder
government or private supervision.
/ Now, to the second feature, that
Of Ian ilordism in America. / believe
that perfect system OF rural Gre
dts can do much to overcome or at
least lessen this evil. If you doubt
that it exists | only ask that you
investigate in your neighborhood as
to the number Of men who own
their farms and as to the number Of
acres, wild or cultivated, owned by
an absentee landlord.
Unless it is checked, ownership
of the land by few in each COM
munity is going to strangle individ-
ual initiotiye and collective pros
perity in America. If every farmer,
every American, who reads these