The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1914-04-03


rubes are laughing a little at the
bankers" said successful farmer to
US before we left the states. I'VE
have actually farmed successfully for
years, have studied farming in agri-
cultural colleges. We think we know
our business fairly well. 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-
ton and thirty state bank associa-
tons 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, zone 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 single idea
on agricultural production that is moi
| being more or less widely worked out
| in America by these lowly farmers
whom the bankers are so benevolent
" and condescendingly instructing
On the other hand so far as we car
discover the United States is the only
country in the civilized world where
banking methods have not been IL
any degree adjusted to the needs o.
the farmer. Sometimes over here II
Europe the joint stock bank does ths
work. More often it is a cooperative
credit bank that loans to farmers.
But some bank stands ready t
meet the farmers needs everywhere
except in the United States. II
America, as nowhere else, the banke
takes the terms calculated to accom-
modate the city merchant and fnan
ciers and infiicts them upon the pro
testing farmer. Sixty and ninety da,
loans are just what are needed in tn
city, but they are of no possible use L
the farmer A merchant or commits
sion man gets his returns promptl
and can meet ninety day paper a
maturity. But the farmer cannot bu
calves or pigs and fatten them. mai
ket them. and get returns short OF
much longer period. The rural be,
. rover who invests the borrowe
| money in seeds or fertilizers canno
hope to realize upon his investmen
short of six or eight months. 1t
not so much question of interes
as of terms and methods. In man
localities interest rates are fair.
some places interest on farm loans
too high. But it is true evc<ywher
in America that the bankers stu
bornly refuse to the farmer the sol
OF loans which he needs. And tn
banker who sits behind the cashier
desk writing speeches about bette
farming drops his facile pen Ion
enough to crowd down the throat
! some farmer patron who should hay
an eight months loan. three month
loan, which is as apt to cripple
TO help him