Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1913-01-11
LEND THE SCHOOL FUND.

J. H Miller, director of college ex-
tension work at the State Agricul-
tural College has scheme which we
think has lot of merit to it and we
would like to see the legislature take
the proposition up. 1t is as follows:
Kansas has school fund of more
than million dollars invested in
school districts and municipal bonds
bringing in an interest income of less
than six per cent. Every dollar of
that money should, in Judgment, be
lent on farms, of five per cent or less
on long terms eight to twelve years
That would be only small part of
the money needed, but it would help,
and it would help fix rates and dura-
tionS of loans.
Hitherto this country has been set
tied largely by pioneers. Crowded
Europe three hundred years ago be-
gan sending its real, red-blooded and
restless, freedom and home-loving
sons and daughters to our eastern
shores. When the eastern colonies
could no longer give their restless
sons the freedom of pioneers, these
other red-blooded men moved to the
mountains of Pennsylvania, the plains
and forests of Ohio and Indiana.
When men there began to hem their
people in by fence and farm, others
in turn sought the prairies of Illinois
and Missouri, and so from east to
west the pioneer has come for free
dom and for free land and free
homes.
CREDIT NOT NEEDED THEN.
There has been little need Of farm
credit when land was free or to be
had at small cost. To-day there is no
unsettled frontier. There is no more
West" Kansas was settled by red
b!ooded men and women of older
states. AS with other states she has
lost many desirable and also some I'M
desirable people. Thousands of the
best people of Oklahoma. Texas,
Colorado, Montana, and western Can
ada "hail from Kansas For twenty
years our population las remained
about the same. We talk about our
wonderful state and about how we
should advertise for settlers, and
calmly let thousands of our own good
people leave the state. In ten years
our army of tenant farmers has in
creased nearly six thousand. ALI
over the state the loss of the eldest
sons is almost as terrible las once in
Old Egypt. In many meetings with
old friends at the farmers institute
and on my inquiry about the boy who
a few years ago was winning prizes in
the corn contest, / am met by the
answer: why, he has taken a claim
down in Texas or it may be Colo
rado or Montana, or Canada. This is
an awful loss. We should keep these
capable Kansas boys here and right
in their communities where they
have learned to farm and where they
know soil conditions. Pride keeps
them from renting and our system of
farm loans keeps them from buying
small farms.
YOUNG MEN CANT BUY.
The present short-time loan system,
with the small amount lent on farm,
prevents thousands of fine young men
from buying farms. The three-or
safe system for the farmer who wants
to buy farm with the profits from
his farm production. The chances
are too great against success. 1t does
not allow for ''lean years. for sick
ness of family or live stock, nor for
low prices for produce or stock. With
state money there will be no occasion
for short loans, and farmer should
have from eight to twelve years for
repayment of loan and interest, with
entire paymentof principal and inter
est figured out for semi-annual pay
ments, January and July, with privi-
lege of making two or more payments
at any regular payment time" He
also should have the privilege of
carrying one payments over to the
next payment time," when reasons
for same seem good to the state land
commissioner.
/ want to make it easy for the en-
ergelic renter to buy a farm and pay
for it; for the young man just leaving
home to start home of his own to
buy small farm and to make the
farm pay for itself. L would urge a
loan to three-fourths the value of the
land when the applicant can produce
what Germany and Denmark value so
highly, ''good personal character
CREDIT He should be man of good
e