El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1913-12-06
SUCCEED
IN FARMING
PURSUITS
Back to the Farm Movement
Is Pushed, Through an
Aid Society.
GIVES FINANCIAL
AID WHEN EEEDED
BY FREDERIC j. HAskIN

w ASHINGTON, D. c, Dec. g.
w The general manager of the
Jewish Agricultural and Indus
trial Aid society, in a letter, tails how
the Jewish farmers are making use of
cooperative credit and helping them
selves to a plane of economic indepen-
dence. They are doing it under the
helpful auspices of this society, whose
aim is to put them in the way Of do
ing things for themselves
The society itself was formed in
1900, and was the outgrOwth of the
activities of the Baron de Hirsch fund.
Baron de Hirsch was so impressed with
the desirabliity of aiding the perse-
cUted Jews of Eastern Europe to find
a haven Of refuge in the United states
that he gave S2,400 600 for the estab-
lishment of q fund, the income from
which was to be expended in assisting
these people to get an economic foot
hold on American soil. This was IN
1889, and by 1900 il was thought wise
to institute a movement which would
take the immigrant Jews out or the
swea tshops and crowded tenements,
and settle them where the opporIun-
tiles of lettering their financial con-
ditions were doubled and their chances
of living good, healthful lives multi
piled many times.
It was not long, however, until it
was found that the work of looking
after the Jewish immigrants going in
to the industrial field and that OF To-
eating others upon the land as farm
ers could be done better through sep
arate organizations, and so the lnOuS-
trial end Of the activities Of the So
Ciety were separated from II and.
placed under what is known as the
Jewish Removal office. This was
under the general direction OF the
parent society until 1907, when II was
established as a wholly Independent
institution leaving the J. A. & 7. A.
society to devote its whole attention
to the work of planting the feet OF
Jewish immigrants upon the soil and
seeing to it that they could stay there
Loans on Third Mortgages.
The fundamental activity OF the
society thus became that Of rendering
aid to those who desire to become
farmers, or who need aid after they
have entered an agricultural pursuit
Loans are granted at four percent in
terest for the purchase and equipment
Of farms As the funds OF the society
are limited. IL never makes its loans
on first mortgages, since such loans,
with but few exceptions, can be OBJ
tanned elsewhere. Most of its loans
are upon second mortgages, while
many are upon third. and some even
upon fourth mortgages, where they
can be supplemented as securities by
chatteI mortgages and other collateral
Lands are mortgaged up to IS percent
of their value, as a rule, and to their
full value as an exception The loans,
however. average only about $500, as
the society encourages small holdings
than can be well worked rather than
large ones poorly worked
There are cases where the society,
in its efforts TO locate new immigrants,
upon its own account buys the farm
upon which to locate an immigrant
family, and resells it to the immigrant
when he becomes able to meet the
payments on it. It also helps him. In
many cases to stock his place Fur
thermOre il tries to educate him how
to coax good crops out of his soil, and (
how to do it with profit to himself I
and with gain to the community. He
is visited by expert cOuntrymen, and, (
in addition. he can get a farm paper |
devoted solely to his interests and to 1
those of his cOuntrymen- Tt is called |
sfThe Jewish Farmer" and is the only /
agricultural paper in the world pub
lished in Yiddish.
A large number of free scholarships |
in the state agricultural colleges of I
the several states are awarded to the /
sons and daughters of Jewish farmers ]
on the basis Of competitive exam 4
nation.
Cooperative Banking Encouraged.
But perhaps the most important OF 1
all the activities of the society is its I
work Of encourag ing cooperative bank 1
ing among its people 1t agrees to /
lend a thousand dollars at two percent 4