The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1913-04-25
Commission TO STUDY
COOPERATIVE BANKS
President Wilson Says Good-by to the
Delegation Which Leaves for
Europe Tomorrow.
WILL REPORT TO CONGRESS

President Wilson yesterday received
the members of the American Commits
sion on Agricultural Cooperation to wish
| them farewell prior to their departure
for Europe, where they will undertake
an investigation of the agricultural cred
II and cooperative selling systems OF
European farmers.
Speaking to Senator Duncan y. F1etch-
er Of Florida, as chairman of the Fed
eral committee appointed by the Presi-
dent to represent the United States gov
eminent upon the commission, the Presi-
dent said that he gave the commission
his blessing and wished II every sue
cess in its undertaking.
The members OF the commission left
afterward for New York. accompanied
by Secretary Of Agriculture Houston
who will speak at a banquet to be given
in honor OF the commission tonight. Sec
rotary of State Bryan. who also was to
have gone to New York to say good-by
to the commission. sent word that his
mission to California would prevent his
being present but that he would send
a telegram Is a last word OF farewell
in place OF the address he was to have
made. The commission sails on the
steamship Saxonia tomorrow morning.
The commission is headed by seven
Federal commissioners bearing the Gre
dentials of President Wilson and Sec
rotary OF State Bryan. They will make
a report to Congress upon the practical
bility of establishing farmers co-opera-
tive banks and a mortgage bank system
in the United States copied after the
agricultural credit systems of European
countries. Besides the Federal commits
sioners. there are delegates representing
about three-fourths OF the States of the
Union. who will make a report to a
committee of nine Governors appointed
at the last conference of the State Ex-
ectives. In this way Official recommended
tons will be placed before Congress and
the State Legislatures urging consid-
GRAFTON OF the credit requirements of the
farmers both as a means of assisting
the farmers and Of relieving the con-
sumers of the country from the burden
of the high cost of living.
The Federal commissioners appoint
ed by the President are Senator Dun
can u. Fletcher, lawyer-farmer. and
president of the Southern Commercial
Congress-; Senator Thomas P. Gore of
Oklahoma, chairman Of the Senate Com
mittee on Agriculture: Representative
Moss of Indiana, who was a farmer be-
fore he entered Congress. and is now
chairman of the House Committee on
Expenditures in, the Department of
Agriculture: Col. Harvie Jordan, for
mer president of the Farmers Union:
Kenyon L. Bdtterfield. a member of
President Roosevelt's country life COM
mission, and president of AmherstCol-
lege; John Lee Coulter. the govern
ment's expert on agricultural statis-
tics, and DR.. Clarence J. Owens, man
aging director of the Southern Com
mercial Congress.
The State delegates include farmers,
bankers. lawyers. and economists.
Vincent Aston was appointed dele
gate from New York by Gov. Sulzer,
and the Prime Minister Of Saskatche-
wan heads a delegation of Canadians
representing four provinces of the Do
minion. The commission returns from
Europe In August, and will then pre-
pare it's report to Congress and the
States.