The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1913-05-02
Nicollet County Man
SUMNER s. LApp.

tural cooperation which sailed from
New York April 26 for Naples on a
three-months tour of investigation
through Europe will endeavor to de-
wise separate banking system for
American farmers. The investiga-
ton is being made under the aus
pieces of the Southern Commercial
congress, and it's aim is to place
cheap money at the disposal of
American farmers in order to in
crease agricultural production and
to lower the cost of producing food.
The commission is headed by sew
eral federal commissioners bearing
the credentials of President Wilson
and Secretary of State Bryan. They
will make a report to congress up.
on the practicability of establishing
farmers cooperative banks and a
mortgage bank system in the United
States, copied after the agricultural
credit system of European countries.
Besides the commissioners delegates
representing about threefourths of
the states will participate in the in.
vestigation. The commissioners ap-
pointed by the president are Sena,
tor ID. u. Fletcher, of Florida; Sen.
ator T. p. Gore of Oklahoma; Rep,
resentative Moss of Indiana; Colonel
the Farmers union, Kenyon l.. But
terrified, president of Amherst col
lege, John Lee Coulter, expert on
agricultural statistics and Clarence
j. Owens, director of the Southern
Commercial congress. The state
delegates include farmers, bankers,
lawyers and economists. Hon. Ole
Peterson of Nicollet county, Mime
sofa, has been invited to Join the
party in Europe and assist in the
work of the commission.
-
Representatives Davis and Ham.
mond of Minnesota have interested
themselves in the proposed high
way project in the Minnesota val
ley. and they have conferred with
the secretary of agriculture and the
postmaster general in regard to the
obstacles which have recently risen
and which, for the time being
brought negotiations between the
federal government and the state
authorities to an end. 1t has de-
veloped that some of the states to
whom the federal government made
the offer of $4,000, in case the
state should double the amount, did
not care to accept. Both New York
and Pennsylvania refused to com
ply with the conditions imposed In
fact, they did not think it worth
while to go after a proposition OF
such small proportions. There
were other states who took no ac
ton. The result of this situation
is that the government will have a
surplus of the 100000 appropriated
for federal road purposes left or
its hands. Government officials
have been trying to figure out if il
will not be possible to give Mime
sofa portion of this unused ap
preparation, in addition to the $40,
600 now available, on condition
IIhpt CHC lOSdi cOuDlt
the amount. The representatives in
congress from the third and second
district, respectively, are trying to
bring about a satisfactory adjust
ment of the present difficulty along
the lines Indicated
After caucusing for several days
: the democrats finally launched their
tariff bill in the house The talkfest
is now on. Democrats, republicans
and progressives will from now on
use the tariff bill mainly for politi
cal purposes. In brief. the demo
Gratis are hopeful and optimistic as
to the beneficial results following
J the enactment of the Underwood
} bill; the republicans are skeptica1
and prophesy dire calamity; while
the progressives oppose the meth
DDS used in framing present tariff
legislation. There is abundant evi
dence right at hand that for the
next three months the country will
be afforded every opportunity to
get free of charge a fine assortment
of tariff speeches pro and con, OF
every possible variety The speech
making mills have already started
to grind. and there is no telling
what the net output will be. The
present tariff making is replete with
future political possibilities, invoiv
, ing the making or unmaking of pc
litical parties. The democrats hope
that the bill once enacted into law
will be found so popular that the
country will continue them in power
indefinitely. The republicans, see
ing disaster ahead, forsee in the
present situation a chance to revive
the party and party interest. The
progressives argue that if the dem
ocratief tariff bill is unsuccessful the
people will turn to them.
The three leading figures in the
tariff contest on the floor of the
house are Representatives Under
wood of Alabama, author of the bill
and chairman of the house commit
Ltee on ways and means: Represent
alive Payne of New York, repub-
lican formerly chairman of the
committee on ways and means. and
Representative Murdoch of Kansas
loadar ne tho prooracciuac Mr. Tin.