The Anderson daily intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson, S.C.) 1914-1915, 1914-07-07
HOW WYATT AIKEN SUPPORTS
BILL FOR FEDERAL AID

cutivatcs, feeling that he my n0w
where another may reap. he Will ncv-
or bring TINT :oil up 10 high state
Of productivencss.
1t makes no difference how public
spirited man may be, If he ~ ,riy
II tenants interest In tho :onImun,ty Y
In which he lives he cnn l,t fulhl, the
highest duty Of Il citizen IN tn. $.hn:sl,
In the church. and In the state. be-
CAUSE he never knows VIII n tic '.lrx-
orable hund Of necessity will drag
him from his surroundings and set
him down In community of un3ym-
pathetic strangers.
No! Class Legislation.
W. have heard II objected that ieh
lsatiOn in the interest Of agriculture
Is class Legislation and smncks of pn-
tcrnaliSm; *: II every vocation and
every industry that make up the world
of business was not rooted In Sricul-
ture. Just as fertilizer placed at the
roots of tree nourishc3 the tinics.
leaf, just SD stimulated agriculture
and growth and nnur-
inilmcnt to the mnll2st enterprise
and to tho . hlimblest citizen. Tho
United States has already recognized
this principle III watering the dry
ands of the west and In cleaning riv-
icrs and hnrbors to cheaper freight
rates ON farm products rctwnnn OK
changing consumers. Germany.
France. Itnly. Switzerland and many
ether European c0untrlGs iecogEiyod
ths ciple-rionn of them more
than hundred ,yanrJ ago when
either by Legislative concessions To aG-
riculturists, by government loans. CT.
as in the case of France. by dire Il suit
!sidy, they establish ID land loan banks
with exceedingly low rates nt inter
est. AS result, agriculture In the
and wealth Is distributed in that
healthy proportion between country
and town that makes for the highest
Taking Switzerland M an example
1t will perhaps emphasize tho cOnten-
ition VIC arc trying to. bring QUITO tell
something OF tho wonderful develop
ment OF that count ". due entirely to
the establishment " rural-crcdit
5unks. .'s
Less than half a century ago 50 per
cent OF the lands OF Switzerland wero
titled by tenants. Except for the few
land holdcrs. who were themselves
lana poor. the people were poor. un-
progressive and apathctic, Tho pun
lie treasury was Mt low tide. Men of
public spirit, realizing that there was
disease in the public policy. set about
to ascertain tho cause. 1t was not
long until tho tenant system was iixed
on Il: tho root of the country's evils.
and the government set about to right
those OWLS. A system of land banks
was established. through which tao
government loaned small sums to ten
ants, at low rate OF interest. with
which to buy homes.
Improved conditions wcrt apparent.
from the beginning and today, thanks
to Switzerlnnd's lnnd. loan .Jystem. 90
per cent OF the ngriculturists OF that
country own their homes. the banks OF
Eidering the rugged nature OF the soil
1t Is ono Of tho most productive agri-
cultural countries In Europe. When
n: commission was sent ty the United
Stnts's to examine rural-crcdit Systems
In Europe and to observe results.
mambcrs OF the commission were
amazed TO find that European farmers
were supporting families on and
acres Of ground and that 20 acres con-
gtituted n very large farm. They
were informed that the, high per; cent
of production was due to intensive
farming, that intensive farming, was
due to ownership and that. ownership
lwoa aedne In large measure to land-loan
banks. organized in whole 'or; In part
by government aid. They 1nquali-
A,dly and unanimously recommend