The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1913-12-02

fpass that we have allowed the indus
try Of u farms to lag behind the
other activities of the country in it.
development. need not stop to tel
the nation is the production of its
food. Our thoughts may ordinarily
be concentrated upon the cities ana
the hives Of industry. upon the cries
of the crowded market place and the
'lanGur OF the factory. but it is from
the quiet intcrSpaccs of the open val
leys II the free hillsides that we
draw the sources of life and Of pros
pcrity, from the farm and the ranch,
from the forest II the mine. Without
these every street would he silent, cv-
cry 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 mar.
kct of credit. Tie 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 sea
son when his crop natures. lies at
products are sold. And the security
he gives is of a character not known
in the brokers' office or as familiarly
as it might he on the counter of the
banker.
Will Work as Partners.
The agricultural department Of the
government is seeking to assist as
never before to make farming an eff
!icient business. of wide cooperative
effort. i'll quick touch with the markets
for foodstuffs., The farmers and the
government will %henceforth work to-
gether as real partners in this field.
-lNvo MO ,ry l,a~s, - 49, .,,. 10,
very clearly and where many intelli-
gent plans are already being put into
execution. The treasury Of the Uni
ted States has. by Il timely and we'll
considered distribution of its deposits,
facilitated the moving of the crops in
me present season and prevented the
scarcity of available funds too often
experienced ut such times +. But we
mus, nor allow ourselves to depend
upon extraordinary eSpedients. We
must add the means by which the
farmer may make his credit constant
ly and easily available and command
when he will the capital by which to
support n expand his business. We
lag behind many other great coun-
tries of the modern world in attempt
ing to do this. Systems of rural cred
it have been studied and developed or
the other side of the water while we
left IL farmers to shift for Them
selves in the ordinary money mar
ket. You have but to look about you
in any rural district to see the result,
the handicap and embarrassment
which have been put upon those who
produce our food.
Commission Report Will Help.
Conscious of this backwardness and
neglect on our part. the congress re-
Gently authorized the creation Of a
special commission to study the va
rious systems of rural credit which
have been put into operation in Eu-
rope. and this commission is already
prepared to report. It's report ought
to make it easier for US to determine
what methods will be bets suited to
u own farmers. l hope and believe
house will address themselves to this
matter with the most fruitful results,
and l believe that the studies made to
serve them very greatly in their work
of framing appropriate and adequate
legislation. 1t would be indiscreet and
presumptuous in anyone to dogma
tie upon so great and many-sided a
question. but ] feel confident that
common counsel will produce the re-
suits we must all desire.
Reduce TIu Dcbatable Ground.
Turn from the farm to the world Of
business which centers in the city and
in the factory, and I think that all
thoughtful observers will agree that
the immediate service we owe the
business communities of the country
is to prevent private monopoly more
effectually than it has yet been pre-
vented. think 1t will be easily
agreed that We should let the Sherman
ANTITRUST law stand, unaltered, as it