The weekly times-record. (Valley City, N.D.) 1912-1922, 1914-01-15

nation Is the production Of It's food.
Our thoughts may ordinarily be con-
| centruted upon the cities and the hives
Of industry. upon the cries Of the
crowded market place and the clangOr
Of the factory. but it Is from the quiet
interspaces of the open valleys and the
free hillsides that we draw the sources
Of life and Of prosperity. from the
farm and the ranch. from the forest
and the mine. Without these every
street would be silent. every office de-
serted. every factory fallen into disre-
pair. .
And vet the farmer does not stand
upon the same footing with the fOres-
ter and the miner in the market of
credit. He is the servant of the sea-
sons. Nature determines how long be
must wait for his crops and will not
be hurried in her processes. He may
give his note. but the season Of its
maturity depends upon the season
when his crop natures and lies at the
gates Of the market where bis prod
ucts are sold. And the security be
gives is Of character not known In
the brokers' Office or as familiarly as
it might be on the counter Of the
banker
The agricultural department of the
government is seeking to assist as
never before to make farming an eff.
cient business, Of wide cooperative eft.
fort, in quick touch with the markets
for foodstuffs. The farmers and the
government will henceforth work to-
gether as real partners in this field.
where we now begin to see our way
very clearly and where many intelli-
gent plans are already being put into
execution.
The treasury Of the United States
has by timely and well considered
distribution of its deposits facilitated
the moving of the crops in the present
season and prevented the scarcity Of
available funds too often experienced
at such times. But we must not allow
ourselves to depend upon extraordi.
nary expedients. We must add the
means by which the farmer may make
his credit constantly and easily avail
able and command when he will the
capital by which to support and ex-
pand his business. We lag behind
many other great countries Of the mod
ern world in attempting to do this.
Systems of rural credit have been
studied and developed on the other
side of the water while we left our
farmers to shift for themselves In the
ordinary money market. You have
but to look about you in any rural dis
trict to see the result. the handicap
and embarrassment which have been
put upon those who produce our food.
Conscious of this backwardness anu
neglect on our part, the congress re-
Gently authorized the creation OF
special commission to study the vari-
GUS systems of rural credit which have
been put into operation in Europe. and
this commission is already prepared
to report. Its report ought to make It
easier for us to determine what meth
DDS will be best suited to our own
farmers. l hope and believe that the
committees of the senate and house
will address themselves to this matter
with the most fruitful results. and !
believe that the studies and recently
formed plans of the department Of az
riculture may be made to serve them
very greatly in their work Of framing
appropriate and adequate legislation.
It would be indiscreet and presImp-
tuous in any one to dogmatize upon so
great and many sided question. but
feel confident that common counsel
will produce the results We must all
desire.