The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1914-12-11
Secretary Houston Declares
There Is No Occa-
sion for 1t
FARMERS ARE ABLE
TO STAND ALONE
His Position Is Thought to
Reflect President Will
sons Ideas

is no emergency which justifies govern
ment, assistance to farmers directly
through the use of government cash OF
credit, was the position taken by Secre'
tary Houston of the department of agri-
culture, in discussing rural credits in his
annual report submitted to President
Wilson. Secretary Houston's statement
was regarded as indicating the policy OF
the administration.
Secretary Houston pointed out that
the new bank law takes just and par
ticular knowledge of the farmers require
ments.p He suggested that any credit
needs of the agricultural community be-
yond those cared for under the federal
reserve law, should be cared for by a
system of cooperative credit associa-
TONS" financed with private funds, by
means of which the combined credit of
farming communities could be utilized,
and by system of land mortgage banks,
likewise, privately capitalized.
There seems to be no emergency which
requires or justfies government assist
ance to the farmers directly through the
use of the governments cash or the gov
ernments credit" said the report "The
| American farmer is sturdy, sefreliant
and independent. He is not in the cond-
| tion of serfdom OF semi -serfdom in which
were the European peoples for whom
government aid was extended in some
form or other during the last century"
In advocating land mortgage bank
ing system aud system OF cooperative
credits associations, the report asserted
that the use of the funds loaned for pro-
ductiye purposes on the farms covered by
the mortgages should be insisted upon
Mr.. Houstons report reviews the in
vestigation OF the marketing and dis
tribution system and while the study is
not yet sufficiently finished to admit OF
final conclusions. the work thus far
shows the need OF reorganization of the |
distribution process. He says:
During the present grass season, for
example, Chicago has received Mexican, /
Canadian and Florida cattle at about the |
same time Steers raised in California |
by an Oregon operator have been shipped 1
through Denver to Omaha and their beef /
sent to points on the Atlantic coast. Hogs
raised in Illinois and sold at indianapolis
have been slaughtered at Boston and a
part OF their cured bacon shipped to Los
Angeles Michigan dressed veal calves
expressed to South Water street commits
sion houses at Chicago have been re-
turned to the identical shipping points
from which they came to fill orders from
local retail markets"
Secretary Houston asks Congress for
an additional emergency appropriation of
several million dollars on account of the
recent outbreak Of the foot and mouth
disease among cattle He said that ii the
interval between the last and the present
session Of Congress had been longer the {
department would have been without sui. {
icient funds to meet the situation.
"The department" he said "has pur- /
sued its former policy of purchasing dis :
,ased and exposed cattle Mt an appraised 4
ralue and Of slaughtering them and bury q
ne them IL has established very G
,trict quarantine. The expense of THIS {
ask will be very great and il will be y
necessary to ask Congress for an emer- {
,ency appropriation of several millions :
# dollars The interests at stake are 1
asst and justify any reasonable expendi- a
ure."
The report sets forth the activities Of j.
he department in establishing standard &
rain grades. and in the initial admins q
ration Of the new cotton futures law "
which the secretary calls the "first def u
lite systematic. legal approach 10 the a
olution Of difficult problems in this field y
( distribution" The secretary recon p
lends consideration Of legislation 10 leg 4
Station TO establish permissive ware ~
ousing system for grain and cotton he q
ointed out that the warehouse facilities 4
or cotton in the South are not central n
red. ~
"lf the warehouses now IN existence " II
aid the report. "were remodeled 30 ~ II
b comply with the Underwriters re- n
uirements. and we're bonded. and Il ade- "
nate business methods were adopted the ul
nancina Of the cotton crop would be- ma 7
rally improved Such q system would co
iruish relief in times 81 emergency and m
ould form = useful part 81 the normal "
strbutive system. Il il probable that on
federal law for a permissivo ware cu
lusing system would stimulate this De- OF
nblc development" 3i
While the production Of grain generally Va
,owed q great increase in the crop ~
IA the refsoft pointed out tire rroiuc- ~
nn of egrn showed no advance. and the au