The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-11-07
Harding Proposes Land Credit Bank


IF the state would charter a land bank
of 81, 900, 600 of $2,000,000, or whatever Is
necessary. limit the dividends to be paid
to stockholders to per cent-start your
bank in that way, as 4 per cent is I'M
practicable-and let the state guarantee
the payment of unpaid loans, the rural
credit problem would be solved. stock
could be issued in this bank and portion
given to every county in the state for
the purpose OF selling it to the residents
of that county. If the stock was not all
DISPOSED of in one county 1t could be Of
fered to the state at large. The people
of Alabama would then own bank under
the control of the state, the money being
loaned exclusively to the farmers OF Ala
bama The state is just as Well able
TO protect itself under that system as
it is under the tax-sale system
Mr.. Harding strongly advocated either
a new constitution for the state of Ala
bana or else a considerable amending of
the present one. Mr. Harding at the con-
cluson of his speech said that he would
present to the congress resolution Tor
the establishment OF a land credit bank.
This he did at the afternoon session,
Following Mr.. Harding, B, M. Allen
as chairman of the committee on resoiu-
tjons. offered a number of resolutions
that looked to the aid OF the farmers in
Alabama. After some discussion and ona
amendment they were adopted by the del
egates.
Clark McAlpine of Talladega delivered
an address on Hog Raising in Alabama
in which he stressed the Importance OF
Alabama farmers raising enough hogs to
supply the demand for pork in the state
He said that nearly all the pork eaten III
Alabama was brought in from other
states and declared that 1t should not be
so. for Alabama has all the facilities to
make her the greatest hog growing state
in the union
Following Mr.. McAlphine came n. r.
Baker, superintendent Of rural schools or
Alabama who talked interestingly on
Rural Schools In Alabama In the
course of his remarks, Mr.. Baker re-
ferred to the Russell Sage report in this
manner; "Some time ago the Russell
Sage foundation made report showing
Alabama to be at the bottom education
ally Let no one be deceived by this re-
port 1t is dated 1910 and hence is now
ancient history. Figures made three
years ago today will not apply even ap-
proximately or comparatively. For IN
stance. the number of high school pupils
reported in the state at that time was
Il, ,l3f. The report of the state superin-
tendent of education for 1912, only two
years later. showed the number of pupils
in the state doing high school work to
be 242a4, an increase of III per cent. We
doubt if the record can be equaled by
any state or has ever been equaled in the
annals of time.
Perhaps the most accurate figures
compiled in this country are those conf
piled by the United States census bu-
reau. The real test of progress, especially
in a so-called backward state, is the
rapidity with which illteracy is being
eradicated. In 1900 only two states, South
Carolina and Louisiana, were lower In
the scale Of native white illiteraey than
Alabama. During the next decade we
stayed ahead of these states and also out
distanced several other states.
Decrease in Illiteracy
-Four states border Alabama. During
the decade mentioned one OF them de-
creased it's illiteracy per cent, another
pes cent, and the two others 9is per