The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-04-18
FARMERS MUST
PULL TOGETHER
Should Form Mutual Insurance
Associations in Order to
Share Disasters.
THE QUESTION OF CREDITS
Credit Associations the Basis Of
All Other Rural I'M
provements.
THE QUESTION OF CREDITS

Tho trouble with the American
farmer is that he Is so blamed indl
vidualistic that he always kicks over
the traces Instead OF pulling with tho
team. What we have to do is learn TO
pull together like those Swedes and
Germans."
Thus did C. C. Thach. of Alabama.
chairman of the farmers conferences
Yesterday express in good American
the problem OF successful co operation
which confronts the Southern farmer
to-day at the Conference on Rural
credits. Experts who have studied tho
question of rural credits described the
cooperative loan societies which have
solved tho difficulty abroad and In some
of the States
The rural situation in America was
acutely analysed by John Lee Coulter
who offered ten suggestions ms to what
is necessary TO put farming on Il bust
ness basis and develop the great waste
acreage OF this country
One OF his most interesting plans was
that for the formation of farmers.
mutual insurance associations in all OF
the communities. whereby the sudden
and unforcseeE losses which arc such
hazardous element In farming, may
be equally distributed, instead OF ruin
ing one man. He advised an aaaocia-
ton with not more than 400 or 400
members, pointing out that loss OF
but a few dollars to each of them
Another important measure which he
advocated was the insuring and clear
Ing up OF all American land titles and
tho establishments of clear and fixed
farm boundaries. Arabic land should
be the very best security upon which
to borrow money. he said. and liz 80
In most countries: but In the United
States II IS always difficult because OF
the uncertainty OF land titles.
Mr. Coulter also pointed out the need
for the formation of land mortgage
societies among American farmers, so
that they can issue bonds OH CO.
operative basis. and thus raise money
independently OF the bank. the country
store and the usurer. The rest of tho
discussion turned upon the question OF
how this can best he accomplished.
German Land Society.
The German farmers loan associa-
tons. known as the "Landschafte."
were described by II. II. Price. OF Ohio.
who has just returned from Europe.
where he made an exhaustive study
OF the subject of cooperative credit
associations. The Lanrschafte. he said.
has been organized for over 100 years.
and has immense sums OF money loaned
TO the farmers at the exceedingly low
rate OF per cent. whereas tho Amer
lean farmer usually pays from 10 TO
20 per cent before h. gets through.
These associations not only pool
their land. and borrow large sums on
the security for their own use. but
they advance money to the young men
whose characters warrant the risk. In
this way the young man without capt
tai has all opportunity to become
land owner through his membership in
the association. Mr.. Price showed that
the need for similar arrangement is
now felt In this country. Formerly the
young American farmer could go West
and take up u homestead. hut this great
supply of free land IS now practically
exhausted. that the country must
either supply better credit facilities or
else have large class OF renters.
He also pointed out that abundant
and safe credit facilities are the es-
sential and prerequisite of all better
ment in rural communities. II is fruit
less to talk OF draining waste :and,
building silos and introducing scien- ,
tifc methods when the farmer has diff
iicuity in raising enough money to
move his crops
w. c. Tate, of North Carolina. who
has personally studied the methods
employed in Switzerland. stated that
single canton in that country has
loaned s50.00o,0o0 tic tho land holders
of that country at per cent interest.
and makes profit upon It,
Acute discussion among the farmers
present quickly brought out the fact
that this system was essentially pa
ternalism. in which the government
subsidized the farmers or loaned them
money. The same weakness was quick
ly discovered in tho French loan So
cieties. which receive government sub
ventions, and in the New Zealand sys-
TEN.
There followed a spirited discussion.
to whether this ~oas an indication
that State aid would be necessary to
solve the rural problem In this country.
or whether rural associations similar
TO those in Germany could be formed
The consensus of opinion seemed to
favor the latter method.