The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1915-12-29

course VI oSC1olls II ONpo1
of Agriculture is taking a deep in
terest in this matter. 1t has made
it a special part of it's duty to in
vestigate farm credit in every sec
ton of the Union, and to place it.
self in position not only to offer
suggestions for land-mortgage bank
ing legislation, but also as to uni
form State legislation permitting
and governing all forms of coopera-
tive effort. and particularly cooper
alton in the field of rural credit.
This whole subject is now in the
hands of a joint committee of the
Senate and Of the House. and l have
little doubt that the next Congress
will be successful in proposing a sat
isfactory scheme.
have trespassed already undluy
on your time. l regret that ! am
compelled to deny myself the pleas
ure of reviewing before you the ex-
tent and variety of the activities of
the Federal government through its
Department of Agriculture, and of
the States ard the Federal Govern
ment through the land grant colleges
in behalf of a better agriculture,
a juster distribution, and a more at
tractive rural life. Today the
State and nation together r spend
ing perhaps more than sixty mil
lions of dollars to foster agriculture
and a better rural life. No other
nation begins to compete with ours
in it's provision for this great ma
tional industry. Through every
promising approach the two great
agencies are aiming to increase pro-
auctions, to make agriculture more
profitable, and rural life more at
tractive. I can not, however, fore
go the duty of directing attention to
the most recent act for bringing
home to the farmers of the nation
the results of agricultural science
and practice, and to induce the av-
erage farmer to do what the best
farmer practices. 1 refer to the
Smith-Lever educational extension
act, under the terms of which with
in a few years the nation will be
expanding, without considering 10
cal funds and without further legis-
lation, approximately nine millions
of dollars. Through the terms of
this act the State and the nation
are cooperating as they should in
this and in other fields, and instead
of trying to reach the farmer
through bulletins or the newspapers
alone, this large effort will be made
to reach him by personal contract.
The nation is taking the rural popu-
lation to school. 1t has discovered
that it can furnish educational aid
to the man and the woman busily
gagged about their daily tasks who
have not had the benefits of the
training of the colleges and can not
spare the time to attend college. 1t
is the greatest single educational I'M
dertaking on the part of any ma
ton, and in my judgment, is the
most significant and far reaching.
For many reasons I am optimistic
about the future of American agri-
culture. More helpful agencies are
operating on rural life today than
ever before in the history of the
world, and through his own intelli-
gent effort with the aid of the ma
chinery prvided by the State and
the ration, the American farmer
will more than hold his own and need
not fear competition. He will in
evitably control the home market
except for things which can not or
should not be produced here, and
will be called upon increasingly to
supply the needs of foreign nations:
We shall not, however, be blinded
by over confidence and misled by
the cries and alarm of the demago-
que. In the high endeavor of
strengthening the foundations of the
national life, the Federal Depart
ment of Agriculture will cordially
cooperate in it's proper sphere with
its great allies constituted by the
States and will labor %zealously for
the betterment of the condition of