The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1913-04-17
Cheap Land and Farm Credits
The Greatest Need for ffe Uphff of Country Life.
Observer
By Marion Butler. In Charlotte Observer

farmers cooperative improvement
and demonstration meeting. held 81
Charlotte The various papers read
and talks made on scientific farming.
including the best methods OF i'm
proving farm lands by iudicious use
Of the proper fertilizers for different
soils and different crops. and also.
the kinds OF farm machines most
useful and economical. etc. was very
interesting and valuable. But / was
disappointed 10 see that there was
so little attention given to one OF the
most important questions today fac
ing rural and farm life in this coun-
/ try. that is a system or means BY
which long time farm loans can be
provided for the farmers. using their
land as a basis OF credit. and also
short time loans 70 small tenant
farmers. at a low rate of interest
and on easy terms.
This most vital question to the
farmers Of the United States was not
covered by a single speech or pa
per and was only incidentally re-
ferred to in the closing remarks made
by Prof Bradford Knapp OF the Uni
ted States Department of Agricui-
ture.
There h1s Deen a wonderful awak-
eTing and progress in agricultural
methods made in this country within
the last few years. Our farmers are
learning fast, how 10 improve their
soils and how to produce increased
crops on less land and with less la
Dor. but the farmer is still terribly
handicapped by our financial system
which denies him the equal OPP
portunity to borrow money on favor
able terms while it is patent
owner has the best security in the
world to offer for needed loans.
Our farmers are fast learning
which are the most valuable fertiliZ.
ers for different soils and different
crops and which are the most effec.
tive farm implements to be used, YET
they are not able to secure the CAPT
tai necessary for such successful
farm operations except at ruinous
; rates OF interest.
AS an illustration, | know of man!
intelligent and industrious farmer:
around my farm at Elliott, n c., who
: are today buying fertilizer on time
and paying as much as $23 so a ton
for a certain grade which | am able
to buy for cash at $21 SO ton. This
is at a rate of about 10 per cent inter
= est, even if the account should stant
> for whole year, but the farmer Wh'
buys his fertilizer the first of Apri
and contracts to pay for it on the frs
of November, that is within sever
months, is paying at the rate of abou
IT per cent. This rate is absOlutel
= ruinous to any other business.
\ | know of a tenant farmer who has
this spring, bought a horse on time
for which he was required to pa
o S175 He was offered the same hors
at $3.50 for cash. He gave his not
for S175 to be paid within seve1
months, which makes the rate of in
D terest which he is required to pa
e about 16 IL per cent, if the none
was to be paid within a year, but a
it is to be paid within seven months
;, it makes the rate of interest abou
90 per cent Here are two sampl
= illustrations which shows the condi
g tons under which our farmers, GU
: great wealth-producers. are forced t
E, operate. These rates of interest ar
above the average, but they are act
! ual cases.
But our State and National De
partments of Agriculture have don
wonderful things for the farmers i
l. teaching them how to do things, ali
| while there has been wonderful prog
ress made by the farmers in utili2
ing this information, yet there ha
S been nothing done to enable them t
e get cheaper and easier money so a
= to use this information most effec
" lively.
Every country in Europe has lon
since considered and solved to
greater or less degree, the probler
: of easy and cheap rural credits; bu
a our farmers who have had a rio
n and virgin country in which to OF
crate nave DCon Q0ul0u the m6duS
getting money on their farm capita
- and left in the mesh of the none
It sharks; and so the farmers c
d France, England. Germany. Austri
o and of all the Continent, have bee
able to measure arms with our farm
ers. and this is because they hay
been able to get cheaper none,
whether land owners or tenants. TIL
time is rapidly approaching, if nj
TO already here, when our farmers cal
,e not keep up the contest unless the
too, can get money on reasonab
terms and on the only security whic
is they have.
I'd The number of farmers who al
- leaving the farms and going to Il
towns and cities is constantly il
creasing. In 1910 over so per Gel
re of our people were living on the far
Sc and producing wealth Today, on
+. about half of the people of the coul
at try are on the farms. This cond
10 tioo calls for the parupst attaufjr