Shoshone journal. [volume] (Shoshone, Idaho) 1884-1931, 1913-12-05

try of the farms to lag behind The
other activities OF the country in its
developments. I 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 places and the
clangor of the factory, but it is from
the quiet interspaces of the open val
leys and the free hillsides that we
draw the sources OF life and pros
perity from the farm and the ranch,
from the forest and the mine. With
out these every street would be silent,
every office deserted, every factory
fallen into despair. And yet the
farmer does not stand upon the same
footing with the forester and the
miner in the market of credit. t,e 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 the products are sold And the
security he gives is of character not |
known in the broker Office or as
familiarly as it might be on the coun-
ter of the banker.
Department to Assist.
The agricultural department of the
government is seeking TO assist as
never before to make farming an eff
cient business, Of wide cooperative
effort. in quick touch with the mar
kets for foodstuffs. The farmers and
the government will henceforth work
together as real partners in this field,
where we now begin to see our way
clearly and where many intelligent
plans are alread, being put into
execution. The treasury of the United
States has, by a timely and well con-
;idered distribution of its deposits. !
facilitated the moving of the crops in
he present season and prevented the
scarcity Of available funds too often
experienced at such times. But we
must not allow ourselves to depend
lpon extraordinary expeditions. We
must add the means by which the
armer may make his credit constant
y and easily available and command
Then he will the capital by which
0 support and expand his business
We lag behind many other great !
ountries of the modern world in at
smpting to do this. Systems of rural
redit have been studied and dcvcl- !
ped on the other side of the water
lille we left our farmers to shift for
lemselves in the ordinary money :
larket. You have but to look about I
on in any rural district to see the re- I
lit, the handicap and embarrassment 9
hich have been put upon those who
roduce our food
Rural Credit Question.
Conscious of this backwardness and
sglect on our part, the congress re-
,ntly authorized the erection Of a n
,ecial commission to study the va g
Gus systems of rural credit which 4
i've been put into operation in Eu- c.
pc. and he commission is afreajy e
'epared to report. Its report ought Il
make il easier for us to determine n
hat methods will be best suited to "
lr own farmers. / hope and believe b
at the committees of the senate and W
'use will address themselves to this e.
after with the most fruitful results, 10
ID ] believe that the studies and re- al
ntly formed plans of the depart sc
eDt of agriculture may be made to lii
rye them very greatly in their work az
framing the appropriate and ade- III
ate legislature 1t would be fndis- of
eet and presumptuous in anyone TO OF
gmatize upon so great and many IA
led question, but feel confident en
1t common counsel win produce the al
suits we must all desire. in
In Puef,ees VyorlI tn
rurn from q farm to the world u
business which centers IN the cifr A
9 IN tho factorv ar5 thirt ft
tharhtf. ohservers VIII awca
Il the immediate service We owe the