The Washington times., 1913-08-13
WILSON PROMISES
RELIEF TO FARMERS
President Tells Why Measure
Could Not Be Put in With
Currency Bill.

Defending the position Of the Admin
istrltion in refusing to incorporate in
the currency bill a special provision for
rural credits. President Wilson today
issued a formal statement TO the public,
in which he urges that the subject of
rural credits be taken up in a special
bill al the next regular session OF Con-
Eress. He said:
Again and again during the discus
sion Of the currency bill il has been
urged that special provision should ne
made in it for the facilitatiOn of such
credits as the farmers of the country
most stand in need of-aGricultural cred
its as distinguished from ordinary com
Inercial and Industrial credits. Such pro
Yosals were not adopted because such
credits could be only impsrfeCtly pro-
Nded for in such a measure. The scope
ard character of the bill. its immediate
and chief purpose, could not he made
to reach as far as the special interests
of the farmer require.
Distinct System Needed.
Special machinery and a distinct sys-
um Of banking must be provided for If
rural credits are to be successfully ana
adequately supplied. government
commission is now in Europe studying
the interesting and highly successrul
methods which have been employed IN
several countries of the old world, ana
its report will be made TO Congress at
its regular session next winter. IL is
confidently to be expected that the Cen
EleSs will at that session act upon lhe
recommendations Of that report anu
establish a complete and adequate sys-
tenn of rural credits.
: NO S1lhipPf more lTlDOT
TO the welfare or the industrial dSel-
Cpuent Of the United States; there Is
no reform in which l would myse't Ieel
il a greater honor or privilege 10 tahe
rsrt. because / should feel that II was
a service to the whole country or lne
first macnitude and significance. II
should have accompanied and gone hand
N hand with the reform of our oahh,
ing and currency system If we na9
been ready to act wisely and with luIl
knowledge of what we were about.
There has been too little Federal
legislation framed to serve the farmer
directly. and with deliberate ADJUST
ment to his real needs. We long ago
fell irto the habit of assuming that the
farmers Of America enjoyed such an
immense natural advantage over the
farmers of the rest of the world, were
So intelligent and enterprising and so
AT ease upon the Incompatible SOILS OF
our great continent, that they couId
v hat handicap they carried. no matter
what handicap they carried not ma I-
or Of natural circumstance, they Ia
bored under.
Farmers at Disadvantage.
I'VE have not exaggerated their ca
pacity or their opportunity, but we have
neglected to analyze the burdensome
disadvantages from which they were
suffering, and have too often failed
to rerrlve them when we did see what
they were
"One of the chief and most serious Of
these disadvantages has been that he
has not been able to secure the extend
ed bank accommodations he every year
stands in need of without paying the
most burdensome rates Of interest and
saddling himself with mortgages and
obligations of every kind which he fair
ly staggered under, if he could carry
them at all In other countries systems
Of rural credit have been put into Opa-
ration which have not only relieved the
farmer, but have put his enterprises
upon q footing of easy accomplishment
Countries in which agriculture was
fatally languishing because wholly un-
profitable have seen their farming lands
blossom again, and their people turn
once more hopefully to the soil for
living. Our farmers must have similar
means afforded them of handling their
financial needs, easily and inexpensive
~ They should De furnished these ia
ciNues before their enterprises Iangulsh,
not afterward
Relief Is Promised.
And they will be. This is our next
great task and duty. Not only is a Gov
ernmont commission about TO report
which IS charged with apprising the
Congress OF the best methods yet Cm-
pICyeL IN this matter, but the Depart
ment Of Agriculture also has under
taken a serious and systematic study OF
the whole problem Of rural credits
The Congress and the Executive
working together. will certainly AFFORD
TIL needed machinery Of relief and
prosperity 10 the people Of the coun-
IA