The Celina Democrat. (Celina, O. [Ohio]) 1895-1921, 1914-04-03

TuDeS are Laughing nIlle II ING
bankers" said a successful farmer TO
us before we left the states. we
have actually farmed successfully for
years. have studied farming in agri-
cultural colleges. We think we know
our business fairly we'll. It's certain
ly funny to read speeches by bank
ers telling us how to farm. have
come to the conclusion that the bank
ers know so little about farm loans
that they would do better to study
and discuss their own business than
TO try to teach us ours" And we
have concluded that there Is some
force in what the farmer says.
The American Bankers associa-
tion and thirty state bank associa-
tions are actively promoting agricul-
tural advancement, The work under
taken by them includes soil surveys,
experiments with fertilizers, hiring eX-
perts to make practical demonstration
upon the farm, education in road mat
ters. and so on indefinitely, The bank
ers are duplicating what the federal
agricultural department is doing.
what every agricultural college is do
Ing, and what every farmers institute
is doing. They are going into the
field OF production which is important
but which after all is one in which
the farmer remarked, "one is led to
think that the bankers of the country
have unanimously concluded that they
know their own business so thor
oughly that their elevating educa-
tional instincts can get opportunity
for expression only by doing mission
airy work among US lowly farmers and
elevating this ignorant class to their
own high plane Of intelligence"
Worst Banking for Farmers.
We have been going through Eur
ope accompanied by agricultural ex-
perts We have talked with leaders
in agriculture in several countries.
We have read bulletins and books ga
lore on agricultural methods abroad.
We consulted government specialists.
We have seen and heard and studied
about all the most scientific up-to-
date farming methods. But neither
the experts with us nor we ourselves
have been able to recall a single idea
on agricultural production that is not
being more or less widely worked out
in America by these lowly farmers
whom the bankers are so benevolent
ly and condescendingly instructing.
On the other hand SO far as we can
discover the United States is the only
country in the civilized world where
banking methods have not been In
any degree adjusted to the needs Of
the farmer. Sometimes over here in
Europe the joint stock bank does the
work. More often It is a cooperative
credit bank that loans to farmers.
But some bank stands ready to
meet the farmers needs everywhere,
except IN the United States. In
America, as nowhere else, the banker |
takes the terms calculated to accom- !
modate the city merchant and finan-
ciers and infiicts them upon the pro-
testing farmer. Sixty and ninety day |
loans are just what are needed in the |
city, but they are Of no possible use to |
the farmer A merchant or commits |
sion man gets his returns promptly |
and can meet ninety day paper at |
maturity. But the farmer cannot buy |
calves or pigs and fatten them, mar
ket them, and get returns short OF a |
much longer period. The rural bor-
rover who invests the borrowed |
money in seeds or fertilizers cannot |
hope to realize upon his investment |
short Of six or eight months 1t Is
not SO much a question OF interest |
as of terms and methods. In many |
localities interest rates are fair. In |
some places interest on farm loans Is
too high But 1t is true everywhere |
in America that the bankers stub |
bornly refuse to the farmer the sort
OF loans which he needs. And the |
banker who sits behind the cashiers
desk writing speeches about better
farming drops his facile pen long
enough to crowd down the throat OF
some farmer patron who should have
an eight months loan, three months
loan, which is as apt to cripple as
to help him.
How the man on the farm can bor-
row money advantageously and eco
aomically is an important question.
IT may not be so important as good
marketing but It ia important enough.
His loan should be on terms which
meet his occupation and his financial
resources. If he cannot get these
terms from his banker he will
naturally try to get them elsewhere
The question is viii the banker force
him to seek loans elsewhere. or will
he meet the needs Of the farmer.
There is little doubt that the banker
could give longer time on safe per-
sOnal paper There Is little doubt