The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1913-05-15

n the last campaign. and that re-
GENTLY the President had been quot
I'd as saying that IL vas important
10 get up a currency bill that would
meet the approval OF the bankers.
Within the last few days there
has been much general discussion
about this proposed currency bill.
and in connection with the discus
sion there has arisen a suggestion
that the fact that the President is
so strongly in favor OF a currency
bill. might, at once, throw some light
about where the large Democratic
funds came from last sum
mer.
One thing is certain. and that is
that the country will watch. with
the keenest interest. tho kind OF cur
rency bill that the Democratic ad-
puts forward The pee
pie, generally, are we'll enough in
formed about the currency question
today. to understand the difference
between the currency laws that Wall
Street wants and the kind Of laws
lhat the people want.
A Big Pie Counter Scheme.
1t has just been announced by the
Postmaster General that the Presi-
dent will revoke the orders issued
by President Taft. placing all Of the
fourth class pOstmasters under the
civil service, and that ciyi! ser
vice examination will be held 10 Sc
lect these pOstmasters 1t has just
developed, however, that the plan is
not to appoint the postmasters thar
receive the best grades in this exam
inatiOn, but that the Postmaster
General, after holding the eXamina-
ton, shall be allowed to select any
the examination.
That will mean that if a Republic
can should pass the examination and
should secure grade of 80 per cent
of a possible 100 per cent. and
if another Republican should pass
the examination and secure, say a
grade of S5 per cent, and that If one
Democrat should squeeze over the
dead line and get a grade Of 20 or
II per cent, that then the two Re-
publicans who receive the high
grades, showing greater efficiency,
could be turned down and the DEM
ocratic mediocre politician, securing
the grade of only 70 could be ap-
pointed. This is merit, under the
civic service system, with a VEN
geance
Farm Loan Banks.
This government has just appoint
ed a commission, made up of men, Of
more or less prominence, from differ
ent parts of the country, to go to
Europe and study agricultural con-
ditions and methods there, and es-
pecially to study the system of cheap
farm loan banks, which exist in most
European countries.
Every farmer, as we'll as every pa
triotic American citizen, will hope
that the trip of this commission will
result in many reforms that will
make farming more profitable and
country life more attractive
For half a century there has been
an alarming drift of high class far
mers to the cities, leaving negroes
or low class tenants, mostly foreign
ers, to conduct the farms This has
meant, not only a falling off of the
production of the farm. which has
added to the high cost of living, but
over and above it has meant that the
farms would ceast to furnish high
class new blood from the country,
which is all that prevents the cities
from rotting. This is a question that
calls for the highest craftsmanship
because if this tendency is not check
ed it will threaten the foundation of
the republic
However, it was really not neces-
sary to send a commission to Europe
to study these questions, because the
kind of systems of cheap farm cred
it's in Europe are well known to all
reading and informed people. The
only problem that any European
country has had to face, in making
these farm banks a success. has been
the securing of a sufficient quantity
of cheap capital to be loaned to the
farmers at from three to four per
cent interest.
This country is in position today
to solve this question, by using the
enormous deposits in the Postal Saw
ings Bank, on which the government
pays only IA per cent interest, for
that purpose. This money could be
loaned to the farmers at three or
four per cent and then leave a profit
large enough to cover all costs OF
the transaction, and besides leave a
sinking fund.
This country has been lending
enormous sums of money to the ma
tional banks without interest, and
has only recently began to charge
the banks two per cent interest on
government money. If the postal
savings banks should not furnish
sufficient money to finance these
farm loan banks, then this money
that is being loaned to national