The Mena weekly star., 1913-08-21
RURAL CRFD|TSD|S-
 CUSSEDBY WILSON
President Says Not Advisable to Act on Rural Credits at Present ScSsion-WiII Take It Up in
 December Session.

Washington, Aug. il.-President Wilson has issued a statement be- fore the Democratic House caucus, before 1t resumed consideration of the administration currency bill, announcing that he believed it not advisable to amend the measure at present with provisions of rural credits, but to postpone that shape of banking until the December ses- sion, when the government com m1ss1on now studying tine subject in Europe will have reported.
 Representative A. Mitchell Pal mer, chairman of the caucus, con- ferred with the president and was acquainted with the contents of the statement, through which it was hoped to persuade the so-called in- Surgent Democrats to abandon their fight for agricultural currency. The president said:
 Again and again during the dis cussion of the currency bill it has been urged that special provision should be made in it for the facili- tation of such credits as the farm CTS of the country must stand in need Of-agricultural credit as dis tinguished from ordinary commer- cial and industrial credits. Such proposals were not adopted because such credits could be only imper- feCtly provided for in such meas ure. The scope and character of the bill, it's immediate and chief purpose, could not be made to reach as far as the special interests of the farmer require.
 Special machinery and a distinct system of banking must be proNid- ed for if rural credits are to be sue cuSSiul and adequately supplied. \ government commission is now in Europe studying the interesting and highly successful methods which have been employed in several countries of the old world and ifs report will be made tO Congress at a regular session next winter. It is confidently expected that the Con greSs will at that session act upon the recommendation of that report and establish a complete and ade- quale system of rural credits. There is mo subject more important to the industrial development of the United States: there is no reform in which l would myself feel it a greater honor OF privilege to take part because | should feel that it was service Do the whole country of the first magnitude and signiti- cance IL should have arcompJn- led and gone hand-in-hand with the reform of our banking and curren- ry system if we had been ready to act wisely and with full knowledge of what we were about
 'There has been too little federal legislation framed to serve the farmer directly and with a delib- crate adjustment of his real needs. We long ago fell into the habit of assuming the farmers of America enjoyed such an immense natural advantage over the farmers of the rest of the world, were 50 inteli- gent and enterpriSing and so at ease upon the incOmparable soils of our great continent that they could feed the world and prosper. no matter what handicap they carried, no matter what disadvantage. whether of the law or of natural circum- stances. they abOrpd under We have not exaggerated their capacity or their opportunity but we have neglected to analyze their burden some disadvantages from which they were suffering and have too often failed to remove them when we did mol see what they were.
 "Our farmers mus, have means afforded them of handling. their financial needs easily and ineNpcu- sNcIy. They should he furnished these facilities before their enter priSes lau2ush and mol afterwards.
 And they will he This is our next great task and duty Not only is government commission about to report, which is charged with ap- prising Congress of the best meth ods yet employed in this matter, but the department of agriculture has also undertaken a serious and syS- lematic study of the whole prob lem of rural credits The Congress and the executive. working togeth- or. will certainly afford the needed | machiuery of relief and prosperity | to the people of the countryside, | and that very soon."