The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1913-04-26
ALL STATES ARE REPRESENTED
Royalty Will Greet Party in Italy
on May Eleventh
WILL PROMOTE AGRICULTURE

steamship SaXOnia of the Cunard line
sailed from this port today il had on
board about eighty of the members Of
| the American commission on agricul-
tural cooperation. bound for Europe
10 make u thorough and systematic
| study of the rural credit and banking
| systems In use in fourteen of the
! countries Of Europe. The commission
\ has total membership of one nun
dred, but some of its members, who
are United States senators or repra.
Sentatives in Congress, are detained
! by the eXigencies Of the extra ses-
sion of Congress ANA will not he able
To join the other members of the
commission until after the adjourn
ment of Congress.
| Practically all the members of the
commission and several prominent
| officials arrived here two days ago
and completed their arrangements for
| the trip which will occupy several
| months. Yesterday they attended a
banquet given in their honor at which
the secretary Of agriculture and sev.
I
cials were also present.
States Pay Expenses.
The plan of sending "a commission
Of investigation To Europe originates
at the meeting of the southern com
| mercidl congress which was held I'm
April Of last year at Nashville, Tenn.
| The plan evolved al that sathering
met with the hearty approval of the
federal government and of the gov
| ernments of the states Of the union
ana in accordance with it each state
| appointed two delegates 10 the com
mission. whose expenses are to be paid
| by their respective states. President
Wilson appointed commission "f
seven To- represent the federal govern
| ment. with Senator Duncan T..
Fretcher of Florida, as chairman: the
| commission also includes the dele
gates appointed hy the secretary 81
state to attend the International nstl-
tutc Of agriculture which viii open
at Rome on May :.
In accordance with the plan clahor
ated for the work of the commission,
the scope of the investigation provides
for an examination of the methods
employed by progressive Agricultural
communities in Europe in production
and marketing, and in the financing
of both these operations. In addition
To that the following special subjects
are To he investigated: The parts
played. respectively. in the promotion
of agriculture by the governments and
by voluntary organizations of the ag-
ricultural classes; the application OF
the cooperative system to agricultur
al production. distribution and IL
nance; the effect Of cooperative or
ganiZations upon social conditions in
rural communities; the relation of tho
cost of living to the business organiz-
alton of the food producing classes.
Reduce Interest Rates.
II has long been recognized
throughout the United states that the
farmers of the country. who number
about 12.0O0.O00, and who annually
add $500, 000.O0 To the national
wealth. are seriously handicapped by
the lack Of a financial credit system
adequate to their needs II is esti-
mated that the farmers of the United
States are employing about $4,000
00O. 900 OF borrowed capital on which
they annually have To pay S5lO.OOo,-
600 interest. Counting commissions
and renewal charges the rate aver
ages about Sia per cent while the
farmers in Germany and other Eu-
ropean countries can obtain all the
capital required by them at q rate of
interest from 3ia to Az per cent. In
Germany as well as i'm other Euro
pean countries the rural credit" sys-
tenn has been developed with excel
lent results and to great benefit Ia the |
agricultural classes and II is believed |
by the promoters Of the commission |
that similarly beneficial results may |
be obtained by the inauguration oc |
an adequate agricultural credit sys-
tenn in the United States. Canada also |
is greatly interested i'm the sub
ject and every one of the Canadian
provinces Is represented in the com.
mission.
Will Visit Chief Centers.
After reaching Rome the commits
sion will he given a reception by tho
international institute of agriculture
on May 10. and on the following day
the members will be received by the
king and queen of Italy at the Qurinal.
The commission will remain in Italy
eight days and during that time they
will visit Naples. Florence. Bologna
and Milan. Thence II will proceed to
Austria Hungary spending five DAYS
at Vienna and five at Buda-Pe The
NA