The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1913-12-03
DETROIT TIMES WEDNESDAY DECEMBER B.. 1918.


II has. singulariy enough. come e.
ltas thht We have allowed the indus
,try of our farms 10 lag behind the
other activities OF the country In It's
development. need not stop 10 tell
the nation IL me nroa A. ,nq IRE ,ts
food. Our thoughts may ordinarily be
concentrated upon the cities and the
hives OF Industry. upon the cries Of
/ the crowded market place and he
clangor OF the factory. hut II Is from
the quiet interspacek Of the open val
lsys and the free hillsides that we
perity. from the farm and the ranch
| from the forest and the mine. With.
out these every street would be sill, Mt
s' d sssSsfsa xs3 y tae'9 sss
farmer does not stand upon the same
footing with the forester and the
miner In the market OF credit He is
determines how long he must wait for
MS crops. and Will not be hurried In
her processes. He may give his note
but the season OF It's maturity de-
Ponds upon the season when his crop
| natures. lies at the gates OF tna
market where his products are sold
acter not known In the brokers OF
Ace or as Familiarity as II might be on
the counter OF the banker
Help For Fmrmers
The agricultural department of the
never before to make farming an er.
hcient business. OF wide cooperative
for foodstuffs. The farmers and the
government will henceforth work to-
gether as real partners In this held
very clearly and where many intel
ligent plans are already being put into
execution. The treasury OF the United
asr s ha as, sy timely st "ns
facilitated the moving OF the crops IN
the present season and prevented the
scarcity Of available funds too often
experienced at such times But we
must not ALLOW ourselves to depend
upon extraordinary expedients. We
must add the means by which the
farmer may make his credit constant,
ly and easily available and command
when he VIII the !apital by which "a
support and eNpsnd his business, we
or the modern world In attempting t.
do this. Systems OF rural credit nave
been studied and developed on the
other side OF 1he water while we left
our farmer. to SHIFT for themselves
In the ordinary money market. You
have but 10 look about you in any
rural district to see the result. the
handicap and embarrassment which
nave been put upon those who produce
our food.
Conscious OF this backwardness and
Gently authorized the creation OF a
special commission to study the var
ious systems OF rural credit which
have been put into operation In Eu-
rope. and this commission In already
prepared to report. It's report ought
to make Ii easier for us to determine
what methods Will be best suited TO
our own farmers. / hope and believe
that the committee of the senate and
house Will address themselves to th,s
matter with the most fruitful results,
ana 1 believe that the studies and re-
Gently formed plans OF the department
OF agriculture may be made to serve
them very greatly I'm their work OF
islation. 1t would be indiscreet and
presumptuous in any one to dogmatize
upon so great and many-sided ques-
,lon' but ! feel confident that com
we must all desire.
Turn from the farm to the world OF
business which centers In the city and
IN the factory. and l think that all
thoughtful observers will agree that
the immediate service we owe the
business communities Of the country Is
20 prevent private monopoly more ef-
iectuaiiy than IL has yet been prevent
ed l think II Will be easily agreed
That We should let the Sherman anti
with Its debatable GROUND about it, il,
but that we should as much as pos
siDle reduce the area OF that debatablc
sroand by further and more explicit
Iegisiation; and should also supple
ment that great act by Legislation
which will not only clarity It but also
facilitate its administration and make
II fairer to all concerned. No doubt
we shall all wish and the country Will
expect this to be the central subject
OF our deliberations during the presen,
sided and so deserving OF careful and
discriminating discussion that i shall
take the liberty OF addressing You
date than this, IL is Of capital 'I inl
portance that the business men of this
country should be relieved of ali un :
e eefsant,es OF law with regard to their
clear path indicated which they can
travel without anxiety. 1t Is as i'm
p3rtant that they should be relieved
prosper as that private monopoly
should be destroyed. The ways or ac-
tion should be thrown wide open.
Primary Laws Urged.
turn to a. subject which hope
can be handled promptly and without
serious controversy OF any kind.
or s selecting Of &.
States, feel confident that do not
misinterpret the wishes or the ex-
.pSe Pee nron OF the country when J urge
which will provide for primary cleo.
lions throughout the country at whtc n
the voters OF the several parties may
dency without the Intervention OF
tn tho ,s.ugssstien that this Hesitation
ohcuiu PfOv1uc ioT the retention OF
party conventions. but only for the
purpose Of declaring and accepting the
verdict OF the primaries and formulat-
Ing the platforms OF the parties: and
suggest that these conventions
should consist not OF delegates chosen
for this single purpose. but OF the
nominees for Congress, the nominees
for vacant seats In the Senate OF the
United States. the Senators whose
terms have not yet closed, tho national
committees. and the candidates for the
presidency themselves, in order that
platforms may be framed by those re-
sponsible to the people for CARRYING
them into effect.
These are NIL matters Of vital do.
nestle concern. and besides them. out
side the charmed circle Of our own
national life in which our affections
sciences. there stand out our obiisa-
tons toward our territories over sea.
Here we are trustees Porto Rico
Hawaii. the Philippines are ours, in :
deed. but not ours 20 do what we
please with. Such territories. once re-
garded as mere possessions. are no
longer to be se1hsh1y exploited: they
are part OF the domain of public CON
science and OF servicea BILE and en-
1ightened statesmanship We must adj.
minister them for the people who live
In them and with the same sense OF
responsibility to them a. toward our
own people In our domestic affairs No
doubt we shall successfully enough
bind Porto Rico and 1he Hawaiian
Islands to ourselves by ties OF justice
and interest and affection. but the per-
f0rmance OF our duty toward the
hi mi 10 n