The gazette-times. [volume] (Heppner, Or.) 1912-1925, 1914-11-12


question that the key to the solu-
ton Of many of the problems or
rural life will be found in some
form of concerted action or OF CO.
operation. Some form Of organiza-
ton is as inevitable as 1t is desir-
able. Without it the farmer can
not have adequate schools or social
life; without it he cannot secure
good roads; standardize his products
or economically market them; with
out it he cannot have the proper
health facilities or lay the credit
foundations which will enable him
to secure capital at more reasonable
rates. The Congress has recently
given concrete expression OF Its ap-
probation of these phases OF rural
life by placing at the disposal of
the Department Of Agriculture the
fund for the study Of cooperation,
and not only as it affects market
ing, but also as it affects other
phases of rural activities and espe-
cially as it affects rural credits.
The Farmers Credit.
In addition to recognizing, as the
President expresses it, that the
farmer 'is the servant Of the sea-
sons" and that, therefore, not as
matter of discrimination but as a
matter of equal justice, peculiar con-
sideration should be had for his cir
cumstances and of his credit needs.
by providing in the Federal Reserve
Act, for longer period of maturity
for farmers loans and for loans on
, farm mortgages by national banks
within certain limits, Congress has
spent many weeks maturing meas
ure for the creation Of land mort
gage banks and the Department of
Agriculture has made a special
study Of cooperative credit associa-
tions for the small farmer There
Is every reason to hope that in the
near future valuable and helpful
action will be taken in these two di-
rections.
Nothing short Of successful at
tempt to secure these larger results
in the rural life of the nation, to
organize 1t, to make 1t profitable.
healthful, comfortable, and attrac-
tive, can satisfy any thoughtful and
patriotic man. It is the only sure
way Of developing and retaining in
the rural districts Of the nation an
adequate number Of efficient and
contented people.
Contented People.
That the thought and action OF
the nation must be along these lines
is made clear by the facts have
breclted and by the further fact that
while the population Of the nation
in the last Is years has increased
% millions, the strictly rural dis
tricts have shown an increase Of less
than 6 millions. We cannot neglect
the higher things to which the ma
terial minister and which II secured
would render much of our other ef-
fort unnecessary.
The greatest undeveloped re-
sources of any community Is its
people, and If we devoted more at
tentlon to the conservation and de-
velopment Of the people we should
be relieved Of much Of our concern
for the conservation and develop
ment Of our natural resources.
An awakening of the mental and
spiritual faculties Is prerequisite to
the success of any educational enter
prise, and therefore along with our
attempts directly to increase the
production Of material things, we
must minister to the minds and
spirits Of the rural population. In
short, we must see to 1t that the
finer results and the higher things
Of civilization are not the peculiar
possession Of urban peoples,-that
they do not pass by or over our
struggling rural masses.
We must see to 1t that there ls
within reach Of every country boy
and girl an opportunity for a sound
elementary and secondary school
training, that the rural family be
nrotnctod in ito haolth ,ooipet thn