Arizona republican. [volume] (Phoenix, Ariz.) 1890-1930, 1914-12-13
N0G0vERNMENT
AID TO FARMER

WASHINGTON. Dec 12-That there
is no emergency which justifies the
government assistance to farmers di-
rectly through the use of government
cash or credit was the position taken
by Secretary Houston of the depart
ment of agriculture, in discussing rural
credits in his annual report submitted
to President Wilson . Secretary Hous-
tons statement was regarded as indi-
eating the policy of the administra-
ton.
Secretary Houston pointed out that
the new bank law takes just and par
ticuar 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 a system of cooperative cred
it associations" financed with private
funds, by means of which the COM
bined credit of farming communities
could be utilized and by a system of
land mortgage banks, likewise pri-
Vately capitalized.
There seems to be no emergency
WHICH, itlulit VI JUSllllto SONtI
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 Eu-
ropean peoples for whom government
aid was extended in some form or 9TH
er during the last century"
In advocating a land mortgage bank
ing system and q system of co-opera-
tive credits associations. the report
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 in
vestigation of the marketing and dis
tribution system and, while the study
is not get sufficiently finished to adj
nit of final conclusions, the work thus
far shows the need of a reorganiza
ton of the distribution process. He
says:
During the present grass season,
for example. Chicago has received
Mexican, Canadian and Florida cattle
at about the same time. Steers raised
i'll California by an oregon operator
have been shipped through Denver to
Omaha and their beef sent to points
on the Atlantic coast. Hogs raised in
Illinois and shipped to Indianapolis
have been slaughtered at Boston and a
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 their identical ship
ping point from which they came TO
fill orders from local retail markets"
Secretary Houston asks Congress for
an additional emergency appropriation
of several million dollars on account of
the recent outbreak of the foot and
mouth disease among cattle He said
that if the interval between the last
and the present session of congress
had been longer the department would
have been without sufficient funds to
meet the situation.
The department. he said. had pur-
sued it's former policy of purchasing
diseased and exposed cattle at an APP
praised value and of Strengthening
them and burying them. 1t has estab
Iished 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