Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-01-28

two has commended the movement In
which we are engaged. encouraged the
sending of the commission for the pur-
poses before mentioned. agreed that the
proposal to adopt some similar or modi-
fed system i'm this country is a wise one.
and practical one Every national
farmers organization has. by resolution.
approved Of the commission and the EFFORTS
of the Southern Commercial congress.
local farmers unions, boards of trade
and other organizations have taken SINH
lar action More than half the number
contemplated have already engaged to go
and applications are coming In daily. II
will be question of elimination and Sc
lection, not one of solicitation for us to
make up the commission.
1--WE have contracted for the trip, and
will sail from New York April % for
Rome, and. returning. leave Queenstown
July IS. We are going there to work.
and we will bring back results. We will
submit report which will form the basis
of legislation in the several states and In
Congress- We will have two men of the
highest standing and capabilities in each
state, who will be able to lay that re-
port intelligently before the people of
their states and inform them precisely
what steps are to be taken and point the
way to permanent establishment OF
banks societies or institutions which Will
meet our demands. Hence the reason for
so large a commission-the education of
two strong men in each state, who will
in turn be able to explain the system and
its manner of operation which the COM
mission shall recommend. We believe that
a study at first hand of the construction
and practical operation of these Industrial
and financial institutions Will prove
very valuable if not indispensable help in
formulating an American plan for the
organization of popular cooperative
banks in this country.
Results in Ireland.
Sir Horace Plunkett, who in 1889 start
ed the agricultural cooperative movement
in ireland, out of which grew the Irish
Agricultural Organization Society, found
ed in 1894, described the results of this
movement. Sir Horace has served as
vice president of the department of agri-
culture and technical instruction for Ire
land commissioner of the Irish longest
ed boards, and is an honorary fellow of
oxford, besides ching an author of note.
He said. in part:
IF 1 can be of any. assistance to your
commission in the great inquiry 1t Is
about to conduct through what suppose
will be one Of the most representative
delegations the United States has ever
sent to foreign lands, it will be because
nv own country, Ireland. has been forced
to work out for herself the very selfsame
rural problem which is now occupying
prominent place in the minds OF the
American people.
II say with confidence that the Aneri
can farmers have q lesson to learn where
we Irish learned to revOlutionize our agrl-
cultural system, where the commercial
congress thinks that the whole trouble
lies The inquiry which the delegation
is going to make we Irish were COM
PEELED, as l have said. to make long ago.
They will find that in every progressive
country in Europe agriculture is just as
we'll organized as any other industry. and
in some better organized. The farmers
combine together to buy everything they
want for their industry, to sell all that
they produce, and to get cheap working
capital.
Conditions AnalvZed