The Madison journal. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1888-current, 1914-10-17
REASON FOR HIGH INTEREST
Farmers viii Never Come to Their
Own Until Organization and Co
Operation Is Effected.

There are $4,000 bankers in this
country, and they can get hearing
whenever they wish, because they are
well organized and cooperate for bust
ness.
Every state has an active associa-
ton in touch with the national body.
Let any question come up that broadly
affects backing, and the bankers will
promptly get their views Of 1t before
the country and before congress,
writes o. F. Dornblaser In National
Field.
Farmers are borrowers to the ex-
tent Of $4,000, O0O, 900, on which they
pay over five hundred millions a year
Interest Counting commissions and re-
newal charges. the average interest
rate Is S1z per cent, as compared with
a rate Of Al to 31a per cent paid by
the farmers of France and Germany.
Money is more plentiful here than
in either France or Germany. For in
dustrial and commercial purposes 1t
can be borrowed at as low a rate, and
IL it costs twice as much for farming
purposes the reason must be that
French and German farmers enjoy
better facilities for borrowing. II
our farmers had equally good facili-
ties they could save over two hundred
million dollars q year in interest
charges.
Now, too many Of our farmers Dor
row individually; while German farm
ers, without exception. borrow COOP
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. they are borrow
ing for long term on land mortgage
or for sixty or ninety days on their
notes OF hand.
That is the great difference. By
cooperating for the purpose Of Dor
rowing, our farmers can save, In in
terest alone, more than half the value
Of a years oat crop. And by CO.
operating for the marketing Of their
farm products he could save a far
larger sum than that.
The little country Of Denmark has
100000 900 acres of land. In the early
part Of the nineteenth century 1t was
q bleak waste Of sand dunes: its
commerce practically all gone. the
country impoverished by wars and the
peasantry in a pitiful condition. To-
day this same little Denmark is. in
proportion to its population, the
wealthiest country in the world.
In our country about % per cent
of the entire population own their own
urban homes and about A per cent
own their farm homes. while out of
every 100 families in Denmark SO
own their houses and farms. The
Dane realized that he must not only
Increase the product Of his land, but
he must also strive to realize the high
est price for it. So cooperative selling
was adopted to bring about this result.
Denmark has now about $4,000 general
cooperative societies, over 1000 dairy
ing societies. 40 bacon and 500 egg dis
tributing centers.
Last year this little nation shipped
81, 000, 900 worth of butter to England
each week. Six years ago there we're
LOO cooperative creameriss. ham
ding almost all the milk in the country.
The Danish farmer is assisted by his
government.
Organization and cooperation among
farmers is what will make the high
ups take notice. A single farmer, no
matter how skilled. industrious or sue
cessful. is only a man when national
power and influences stand up to be
counted. Farmers will never come to
their own. will never enjoy rights and
privileges accorded to others. will
never have an equal and equitable
standing in opportunities. protection
and business until. like other classes,
they unite to make their demands
backed by the combined powers Of