The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-04-09
To Loan Money for EncOur-
agement of Agriculture.
MILLIONS ROT IN FIELDS
Farmers Know Neither When
nor Where to Sell Product.
Railroad and College Men at
National Conference.

national conference on marketing and
farm credits which is being held here.
The address of B. F. Yoakum, of
New York, chairman of the board of
directors of the St. Louis & San
Francisco lines was read. President
Harry Pratt Judson of the University
of Chicago; C. w. Thomson of Mime
apolis, director of the bureau of eco
nomic research of the University of
Minnesota; HGtton w. Summers of
Txeas, were among the more prominent
men on the program.
Writing of the relation of govern
ment, agriculture and the railroads
and their bearing on better marketing,
Mr.. yoakum said that the establish
ment of these market conveniences in
sufficient number to be near farms
would naturally cost a lot of money
and in order to provide these funds
he is in favor of the government CIV
ing it's sanction to an agricultural
credit system not like but similar to
those which have been found practical
In the European countries. On TINS
point he said:
Federal Credit System.
IAN institution in a general way SIM
ua- to the Credit F'oncier la France
could be organized in this country I'M
der a federal charter. 1t could be
made semi-governmental in character
with the secretary of the treasury, the
secretary of agriculture, and two otn-
er government representatives as mem |
bers of the board of directors 1t coulo
he made a stock company of 80 mil
lion dollars capital, million TO pe |
sold at not less than par with an ad- |
ditional amount not exceeding MIL !
lion dollars to be issued in any one |
year. as approved by the board of d1- |
rectors consisting of the above men
toned government representatives ana
cfn
could also be authorized to transact |
business in foreign countries to get the !
heneft of a world market for its Sc
curities-
-'Under such a charter, branch or
e,auizations in different states could
he authorized where the state laws did |
not conflict with the policy or the
parent charter; the board or such state
organizations could be represented py
a board of directors, the governor and
such Other state officials as might be
deemed best.
Transportation Lays Foundation.
Agriculture and transportation
have laid the foundation which has
made this the greatest and most pow
erful nation of the world. They are
the biggest factors in Americas
growth.
"Since 1905 our population has in
creased 16 per cent The value of
farm products was 81 per cent more
In 1912 than in 1905, while railroad
construction was 40 per cent less.
There are not over 1000 miles of
new railroad under construction. 1t
would require the construction of 165,-
600 miles of additional railroad to
furnish the same transportation IA
cilities west of the Mississippi river
that there are east of it on the basis
of area.
Relation of Railways.
That great area of rich country can
not grow as it should 1000 miles
per annum of newly built railroads
Our public men as a rule have not
realized yet what confronts us in the
way of agricultural developments. The
production of farm food supply, its
movement to the market and its re-
lations to the consumer require the
same scientific and intelligent consid-
Grafton as does raw material and it's
relations to consumer and manufac-
turer in readjusting our present tariff
schedules"
Mr.. 'Yoakum said he believed in the
readjustment of the tariff, but de-
clared that if congress should wipe
out the entire tariff on every article
that is brought into this country from
every place in the world on last years
collections. it would only amount to
$326,000,000, while the waste which
falls upon the farmers of the nations
means an annual loss of over five
times the amount collected by our
revenue collectors.
Vegetables Rot i'm Fields.
The speaker gave figures which
showed that $35,0OO,O0O worth of
fruit and vegetables rot in the fields
every year; $25O,000,0OO loss on corn
stalks, rice. flax and other grain
straw in the field, and $1,5OO,OOO,
additional which the farmers could
receive by cooperation if they knew
when and where to sell their products
to the best advantage bringing the to-
tai loss up to S1,7S5. 100000.
Paper by a Topekan.
President Judson presided at the
at the noon hour, while the subject,
Organized?" was discussed. The paper
by Arthur Capper of the Capital To-
peka, Kan, was read. J. p Page of
Arkansas, discussed the subject from
various standpoints.
What May Be Expected From the
Federal Government" was the sub
ject taken up during the afternoon by
W. ]. Spillman, special representative
of David F. Houston, secretary of ag-
riculture- Mr.. Spillman said in part:
ut is becoming more and more ap-
parent that increased production will
not of itself meet the needs either of
the farmer or the city consumer. It'll
is now generally recognized that the
problems relating to marketing are
quite as important as those relating to
production, if. indeed, they are not
more so. The present movement for
cheapening distribution is therefore
timely
''I am of the opinion that it will
have vastly more effect on the cost
of living than any other movement re-
lating to agriculture"
-o