Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1914-03-11
Coo peratiye Farm
] Products Mark citing
Il H0tv II Is Done in Europe and May Be Done
in America to the Pr0fit of Both
60, . f Farmer and Consumer
/ WHEN FARMERS ARE BANKERS.
81 MATTHEW $. DUDeEoN..

! AXE. bANhkNS.
AS to another case, one of the mem
bers said: Hes all right; he is go
ing to be married. and it's q fine girl
he gets and . bit of money, about 70
pounds she'll bring him. too, and that
will help to pull him through and
make the payments VI. \. ss s2Ss7
or another delinquent member
said: "A sister was q long time all
ing, and after q long sickness she
died, poor child. He's q fine boy. hon
est as the day is long. He's q decent
fellow. We can't crowd him. He's
had hard time. He's doing all he
can, and will pay as sure as the sun
rises. ii 7..3 4. &
Buying Pigs. .st.s
OF another case the inspector said :.
Here's guard on the train who Dor.
rowed money from us for the pur-
chase Of pigs. He hasn't time to tend
hogs, has he y Back came the reply :
".Sure, any OF US that has wife and
home can keep pigs If he wants to-.
It's as easy to keep pigs, as it is to
keep q home at all. It appeared,
however, that no pigs had been
bought by the train guard; that rel
alive had bought pigs. presumably
with the money borrowed. There was
no danger at all as to the repayment
OF the loan, the sureties being good.
Fraud had been practiced, however.
and the committee were not at all
complacent about their part In the
matter, feeling they had been too easy
IN making the loan. This particular
brakeman would have poor chance
II he ever asked for another loan. And
SO the committee proceeded sympa-
thetically considering each individu-
al case, deciding each upon its own
merits, irrespective of what are con-
sidered in America to be general
banking rules. 1t must be borne In
mind that the cases referred to were
few delinquents among very large
number which were promptly settled.
What Money 10 Used For. &.
Many OF the loans had been for
the purchase OF seeds and manures in
the previous spring. Some Of the
members had purchased pigs; some
times a COW was secured. One had
bought horse. one had built Z COW
shed. On the whole the rule that
loans could be made only for pro-
ductive and economic use was we'll OBJ:
served. s5f & t55s55 vi
TITS hard to crowd the boys said
one Of the members. All, that's the
trouble with us Irish, !" replied the In
spector. But good business means
good business, although 1t II hard to
be harsh at all. South OF Ireland
temperaments were not altogether:
convinced that harshness was wis.
dom, and the answer came back Did
you ever know Of harshness to be any
good at all ?''S 's q. Il Il t .s5
Some Harslnsss Necessary.
The inspector, VINO, in our previous
conversation with him, had seemed
the most easy tempered young man,
developed /, considerable severity
when appearing before the committee.
He kept insisting that the delinquent
debtors must be dealt with more,
harshly and In more business-like
way. Ia several cases he advised i'm
mediate legal proceedings unless
something was done. He told them
that unless good business methods
prevailed a new committee must be
appointed or that the society would
get into trouble and would be closed
out. The attitude was more or less
for effect upon the committee. The
nan raised in this section Of Ireland.
is SO soft-hearted that he cannot be.
harsh IN his own matters. and 1t Is
indeed difficult for him to be business
like when business-like methods in
volve harshness. The committee took
the situation seriously to heart. how
ever, and the words Of the inspector
had their effect for they promised that
more business-like methods would pre-.
vail In the future.
Good Business Methods. Il
The inspector had not only full
knowledge of cooperative concerns.
but was evidently in addition skilled
accountant, and pointed out why the
books must be kept according to the
uniform system OF accounts recon.
mended by the Irish Agricultural Or
ganization society. "A must searching
annual audit Of accounts is also re-
quired performed by either an off.
cial public auditor appointed under
the Friendly Societies act or by per
sons selected by the members at the
annual meeting. Everywhere, as here,
we have found that good business
and accounting methods are en-
ployed and that careful audits are in
sisted upon and considered necessary
to the success of these societies. II
there Is any lack Of these qualifica-:
tons in the farmers who are the bank
era. the lack is supplied by the I. A.
O.iS. through their inspectors and au-
ditors.
Farmers Can 30 Coed Bankers.
I'VE came somewhat doubling wheth-
er q farmer could be banker. We
go away convinced that the farmer,