The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-01-25

older people as we'll. and sending some
boys to school. but l hope you will
| pardon me for referring more especial
! ~ to my home county, Prince Edward,
! and what the banks OF my own town
are doing.
| We Joined forces with the supcrin-
tendent of schools. demonstrators and
| the State Normal School and got our
! board of supervisors and town Council
to appropriate $500 for County Fair
| We then went to the merchants and
got long list of prizes offered. We
brought the largest crowd to Farm
| vile ever known, some 1900 children.
not counting the students at the Nor
NAL school: and we had a parade, free
moving pictures and auto rides. and
everybody had a glorious time.
We had a corn club contest, and the
banks of Farmvillc will pay all of
the expense attached to the winners
attending the winter course in agri-
culture at Biacksburg. And there are
n number OF other banks that will do
/ likewise If the opportunity is offered
them we went before the town Coun-
ell and helped get an appropriation
/ of $1,000 for good roads in our own
county and like sum for the Counties
of Cumberland and buckingham. The
County of Cumberland has built five
miles OF road, and we have paid our
!
At a public meeting for good roads
! in out-town the bank headed the list
| OF subscriptions with Sl00 each This
/ is not told in any boastful spirit but
| wanted 10 give you some idea as To
| the extent the bankers of your own
and other States are willing and anX
ious to cooperate with this demon-
strative work.
Loans to Farmers.
| The thought may have suggested it,
| self to you that if the bankers are so
much interested in the farmer, why
| is 1t that they have not responded TO
| their request for loans as literally as
they might have done in the past
And why is it that the merchant and
professional man has apparently re-
| ceived more consideration at their
hands then the farmer? II has been
moro from your inability TO make s.
financial statement such as is re-
quired OF them than it has been our
lack OF interest in you as a borrower
! No farmer who has been able TO
show that lie is making success OF
| his business has ever been denied credit
| because he was n farmer. the difficulty
| has been that he could not make
! statement of sufficient certainty upon
| which Il line OF credit could be based.
Now believe the farmers are ca
! pable of running their own business,
| but | do claim that a great majority
I, of them don't get in touch with the
( better methods OF doing their business
! like some other occupations, and that
is one of the things the demonstrators
are going TO try and educate the farm
ers In.
The bankers have their conventions
and get tho best talent possible to tell
! them of new methods and plans. The
] merchants doctors, lawyers preachers,
! editors and others do likewise. but the
| average farmer does not have an equal
| chance to get in touch with new ideas,
new methods and new machinery.
! He may read about it, but this will
not do like it would if the demonstra-
tor went to his farm and showed HIM
the practical working of it.
| Where the farmer can give an intel
/ liGent statement as to his worth and
| the degree OF success he is having.
there is no trouble in his securing
credit from the banks as they now
exist. and let me say that no system
| of rural credits that may be inauGu-
| rated by the government or otherwise
: will ever make loans to any one who
! cannot demonstrate their ability to
handle successfully the business un
dertaken and for which the loan is
wanted
The banking fraternity is not antag
onistic to such legislation, and will wei
come any system that will cnurc 10
the benefit of our farmers.
Mortgage and Other Taxes.
But as long as tho laws OF. our state
remain as they are you are confront
cd by a most serious handicap. I re-
fer to the. costs incident To securing
n loan by deed OF trust. They usually
amount to Mt least $50. In addition to
tho interest paid on the money. white
n nj on \, In ,,rI,a hos,
invested In stocks and bonds has only
to write his name on tho back of Same
land 1t Immediately becomes available