American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1914-05-21
Coz Operative Farm
Products Marketing
How Ii Is Done in Europe and May Be Done
in America TO the Profit of Both
Farmer and Consumer
WILL THE BANKERS REFORM?
BY MATTHEW S. pu0eEoN.

Copenhagen, Denmark.-The Ameri-
can banker must reform. If he does
not he will be up against it as are
others who refuse to mend their ways.
The American farmer canno get
money of American bankers upon
terms suited to his needs. He is 60
ing to have the money from some
source. If the banker will not give
it to him he will organize a new kind
Of a bank, for you may rest assured
that the American farmer is going
to have an opportunity to borrow
money upon some suitable basis. The
Irish farmer can get money on favor
able terms; the Belgian farmer CO
operating with his neighbors does his
own banking; in Germany the CO
operative banks do a business that is
astonishing in its volume; in Denmark
1t is easy to get money for buying a
farm or for temporary investment in
seeds, fertilizers or stock. The same
is true of the farmer in Italy and
France; even in benighted Russia
farm credits are cared for by Co
operative organizations.
Do the bankers Of America think
that the American farmer is going to
consent to continue to be the only
civilized ~agriculturist who has NJ ade-
quate borrowing facilities. That is
not the American way. What, then,
can possibly prevent the formation OF
cooperative credit associations all
over America? Nothing, except the
presence of some institution that will
do for the American farmer what CO
operative credit is doing for the Eu-
ropean farmer. If the American bank
or wishes to do the banking business
( of America so far as the farm is con-
cerned, he and he alone can give the
farmer this sort of an institution and
thus make cooperative credit socie-
ties unnecessary. 1t is up to the
banker.
CAPITAL for Farming.
Formerly when an American farm
could be acquired by living upon it.
when horses and cows and implements
were cheap. and when fertilizers.
blooded stock. and special high-grade
seeds were unknown. a young man
with comparatively little capital could
begin farming. Now considerable capt.
tai is as necessary to success in agri-
culture as it is in the manufacturing
Industries. Every wise farmer knows
that money judiciously expended in
{ better stock. better buildings. labor
saving machinery. proper fertilizers
and good seed will net large returns
~. A.. 49, 800 r. do these things.
Consequently there is a demand tor
loans.
In America the farmer can seldom
r. get a loan on terms that meet his
. needs. In Ireland. Belgium, Germany
, Holland. Denmark. France. Italy and
elsewhere upon the continent the
b banks have forced the farmers 10 or
ganize cooperative credit societies. In
! many instances the government also
= has aided the cooperative banks IN
r obtaining money for loans. These so
1 cieties are taking a safe. profitable
9 business away from the bank. Now
e when it is too late the banks realiz'
their mistake.
e The question just now is this WI
r, the American bankers fOrestal co
operative credit companies BY nice.
ing the needs of rural borrowers o
will they force the farmer to 80 int
the banking business as did the bank
ers OF Europe? It is up 10 them WI
they beat cooperative credit bank
- bv beating them TO It?
Buying Farm Easy in Denmark
"A To buy a farm there are a nuuee
4 of different methods open to the Oar
lsh farmer. 1t must be remember
10 that in Denmark a farm is oousl-
ie cred as having live stock and impl'
ments used in working the and n
separately attached to it. hence a.
purchase price 70 be paid includes d
Equipment necessary to the operate
Lot the farm and all mortgages ara
Is ed by a pledge Of this person.
roperty as well as OF the real e at'
he would-be buy er has forty n.
1T. Of the purchase price he w'
oly to a credit society for a lo
e loan amounting 70 sixty Per e..
We value OF the farm and sl en-