The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1913-12-03


It's needed by tne farmers OF the couu-
try The pending currency bill does
the farmers a great service, 1t puts
them upon an equal footing with 9th
or business men and masters OF en-
terpr.se. as it should; and upon It's
passage they will find themselves quit
of many of the difficulties which ROW
hamper them In the field of credit.
The farmers, of course, ask ana
should be given no special privilege
such as extending to them the credit
OF the government itself. What they
need and should obtain is legislation
which will make their own abundant
and substantial credit resources avail
able as h foundation for joint, con
certed local action in their own be-
half in getting the capital they must
use II is to this we should now ad-
dress ourselves.
Allowed to Lag.
II has. singularly enough, come to
pass that We have allowed the indus
try of our farms to lag behind the
other activities of the country In It's
development. | need not stop to tell
you how fundamental to the life OF
the Nation is the production OF It's
food Our thoughts may ordinarily
be concentrated upon the cities and
the hives of industry, upon the cries
OF the crowded market place and the
clangor of the factory, but II is from
the quiet interspaces of the open val
leys and the free hillsides that we
draw the sources Of life and OF pros
perity, from the farm and the ranch,
from the forest and the mine. With
out these every street would be ST.
lent. every office deserted, every fac
tory fallen into disrepair. And yet
the farmer does not stand upon the
same footing with the forester and the
miner in the market of credit, Ire 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 season when his crop ma
lures, lies at the gates of the market
where his products are sold. And the
security he gives Is OF character not
known In the brokers' office or as IA
miliarly as 1t might be on the counter
OF the banker
Efficiency In Farming.
The agricultural department Of the
government is seeking to assist as
never before to make farming an eff
cient business Of wide cooperative eff
fort. in quick touch with the markets
for foodstuEs. The farmers and the
government will henceforth work to-
gether as real partners in this field
where we now begin to zee our way
very clearly and where many inteIii-
gent plans are al0c8Gy being put into
execution. The treasury OF the Uni
ted States has, b. timely and we'll
considered distribution OF its depos-
its, facilitated the moving Of the crops
in the present season and prevented
the scarcity of available flnds too OFT
en- experienced at such times. But
we must not allow ourselves to de-
pend upon extraordinary oxpedients.
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 and expand his business, We
lag behind many other great countries
of the modern world in attempting to
do this Systems OF rural credit have
been studied and developed on the
other side of the water while We left
our farmers to shift for themselves ia
the ordinary money market. 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 pro-
duce our food.
Study Rural Credit.
Conscious of this backwardness and
neglect on our part the congress re-
Gently authorized the creation OF a
special commission TO study the vari
Gus systems of rural credit which
have been nut into operation in Eur
ope, and this commission Is already
prepared TO report. Its report ought
to make 1t easier for us to determine
what methods will be best suited to
our own farmers. hope and believe
that the committees OF the senate and
house viii address themselves to this
matter with the most fruitful results.
and [ believe that the studies and re-
Gently formed plans of the depart
Tent OF agriculture may be made TO
serve them very greatly in their work
OF framing appropriate and adequate
legislation. 1t would be indiscreet
and presumptuous in anyone TO dog
Matte upon 80 great and many-sided
a question, but | feel confident that
common counsel will produce the re-
suits we must all desire.
Let Sherman Law Stand.
Turn from the farm to the world Of
business which centers In the city and
In the factory, and | 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 anti
trust law stand, unaltered, as it is,
with its debatable ground about It,