Carroll County democrat. (Huntingdon, Tenn.) 188?-1971, 1913-12-05

Nheer az I0f something fundamental
to its whole business life and neces-
sary to set credit free from arbitrary
and artificial restraints. / need not say
how earnestly hope for its early en-
actment into law
] present to you. in addition, the
urgent necessity that special provision
be made also for facilitating the cred
its needed by the farmers of the coun-
try The pending currency bill does
the farmers a great service. 1t puts
them upon an equal footing with 9th
er business men and masters Of en-
teFprise, as 1t should; and upon it's
passage they will find themselves quit
OF many Of the difficulties which now
hamper them in the field Of credit
The farmers, of course, ask and
should be given no special privilege,
such as extending to them the credit
of the government itself What they
need and should obtain is legislation
which will make their own abundant
and substantial credit resources avail
able as a foundation for joint, con-
certed local action in their own be-
half in getting the capital they must
use, 1t is to this we should now adj
dress ourselves.
Allowed to Lag.
1t has, singularly enough, come to
pass that we have allowed the indus
try of our farms to lag behind the
other activities of the country in its
development. / need not stop to tell
you how fundamental to the life OF
the Nation is the production of its
food. Our thoughts may ordinarily
be concentrated upon the cities and
the hives of industry, upon the cries
of the crowded market place and the
clangor Of the factory, but 1t is from
the quiet interspaces of the open val
leys and the free hillsides that we
draw the sources Of life and Of pros
perity, from the farm and the ranch
from the forest and the mine, With
out these every street would be ST.
lent, every office deserted, every fac
tory fallen into disrepair. And yet
the farmer does not stand upon the
same footing with the forester and the
miner in the market of credit. He is
the servant of the seasons. Nature
determines how long he must wait for
his crops, and will not be hurried in
her processes. He may give his note,
but the season of its maturity depends
upon the season when his crop ma
lures, lies at the gates of the market
where his products are sold. And the
security he gives is of character not
known in the brokers' Office or as fa-
as 1t might be on the counter
Of the banker.
Efficiency In Farming.
The agricultural department of the
government is seeking to assist as
never before to make farming an eff
cient business, of wide cooperative eff
fort, in quick touch with the markets
for foodstuffs. The farmers and the
government will henceforth work to-
gether as real partners in this field,
where we now begin to see our way
very clearly and where many intelli-
gent plans are already being put into
execution. The treasury Of the Uni
ed States has, by timely and we'll
considered distribution Of its depos-
It's, facilitated the moving Of the crops
n the present season and prevented |
he scarcity Of available funds too oft |
IN experienced at such times. But |
We must not allow ourselves to de-
pend upon extraordinary expedients.
Ne must add the means by which the
armer may make his credit constant
y and easily available and command
when he will the capital by which to
support and expand his business. We
ag behind many other great countries
# the modern world in attempting to
10 this. Systems of rural credit have
,een studied and developed on the
ther side of the water while we left
'ur farmers to shift for themselves in
he ordinary money market. You
AVE but to look about you in any
ural district to see the result, the
and embarrassment which
ave been put upon those who pro-
uce our food.
Study Rural Credit.
Conscious of this backwardness and
eglect on our part, the congress re-
emily authorized the creation of a
pecial commission to study the vari-
US systems of rural credit which
ave been put into operation in Eur
pc, and this commission is already
to report. It's report ought
, make it easier for US to determine
hat methods viii be best suited to
ur own farmers.
Let Sherman Law Stand.
Turn from the farm to the world of
usiness which centers in the city and
! the factory, and / think that all
loughtful observers will agree that
le immediate service we owe the
usiness communities of the country
! to prevent private monopoly more
ffectually than 1t has yet been pre-
ented. | think it will be easily agreed
lat we should let the Sherman anti
'ust law stand, unaltered, as it is,
18th its debatable ground about it,