The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1914-12-16
WILL NOT AID FARMERS,
NO CRYING NEED FOR ASSIST.
ANCE SAYS HOUSTON.
t'avors Warehouse Plan and Urges
Permissivc System of Capitalization
In StOragc-POints Out SOuth's Err.
rOrS.

no emergency which justifies govern
ment assistance to farmers directly
through the use Of government cash
or credit, was the position taken by
Secretary Houston of the department
Of agriculture in discussing rural cred
its in his annual report submitted
today to President Wilson. Secretary
Houston's statement was regarded as
indicating the policy of the admins
tration.
Secretary Houston pointed out that
the new bank law takes just and par
ticu,ar knowledge of the farmers re-
quirements." He suggested that any
credit needs OF the agricultural COM
munity beyond those cared for under
the federal reserve law should be
cared for by system of "coOpera-
tive credit associations" financed with
private funds by means Of which
the combined credit of farming COM
munities could be utilized and by a
system Of land mortgage banks, like
wise, privately capitalized.
There seems to be no emergency
which requires or justifles government
assistance to the farmers directly
through the use Of the governments
cash or the governments credit said
the report. "The American farmer is
sturdy, self-reliant and independent,
He is not in the condition Of serfdom
or semi-serfdom in which were the
European peoples for whom govern
ment aid was extended in some form
or other during the last century"
In advocating q land mortgage
banking system and system Of CO.
operative credits associations the re-
port asserted that the use Of the
funds loaned for productive purposes
on the farms covered by the mortgages
should be insisted upon.
Mr.. Houston's report reviews the
investigation of the marketin; ard dis
tribution system and while the study
Is not yet sufficiently finished 70 ad-
NIT Of final conclusions the work thus
far shows the need of reorganiza-
tion of the distribution process He
says:
During the present grass season,
for example. Chicago has received
Mexican. Canadian and Florida cat
tie at about the same time. Steers
raised in California by an Orgeon op-
orator have been shipped through
Denver to Omaha and their beef sent
to points on the Atlantic coast. Hogs
raised in Illinois and sold at Indian
apolis, have been slaughtered at Bos-
ton and part Of their cured bacon
shipped to Los Angeles. Michigan
dressed veal calves expressed to south
Water street commission houses at
Chicago have been returned to the
Identical shipping points from which
they came to fill orders from local
retail markets"
Secretary Houston asks congress for
an additional emergency appropria-
tiOn Of several million dollars on ac-
count Of the recent outbreak CT the
foot and mouth disease among cattle.
He said that If the interval between
tho last and the present session Of
congress had been lo onger the depart
ment would have been without suffi-
cient funds to meet the situation.
1.-The department" he said, "has
pursued it's former policy Of purchas-
ing diseased and exposed cattle at an
appraised value and Of slaughtering
them and burying them. 1t has es-
tablished a very strict quarantine. The
expense Of this task will be very great
and it will be necessary to ask con-
gress for an emergency appropriation
Of several millions of dollars. The in
terests at stake are vast and justify
any reasonable expenditure"
The report sets forth the activities
Of the department in establishing
standard grain grades and in the in
itial administration Of the new cotton
future law. which the secretary calls
the first" definite systematic, legal
approach to the solution Of difficult
problems in this field of distribution"
The secretary recommends consid-
Grafton Of legislation to establish a
permissive warehouse system for
grain and cotton. He pointed out that
the warehouse facilities for cotton in
the South are not centralized.
''If the warehouses now in exist
ence." said the report. "were remodel
cd so as to comply with the under
writer's requirements. and were bond
cd. and If adequate business methods
were adopted the financing Of the
cotton crop would he materially i'm
nn cot ftr,.n ich