The Washington herald., 1915-02-13
THE OPEN FORUM.
Rural Banks as Remedy for Nonem-
ployment and High Cost.

! oAAN NOoN.
Editor of The Washington Herald: The
present administration is held responsible
for the large number of unemployed in
our cities. The same charge has been
made every year for fifty years. II is
often made for political influence. with
| out giving any definite reason for many
! people believe without demanding a rea-
| son. We admit that laws may and have
! had much to do to hamper trade and
productions. No business can be conduct
I ed without money and yet We know that
the money OF the country has been kept
out of the hands of the chief producers
OF labor and wealth except on almost
prOhibitive terms. The result has been
that thousands have every year left
| their land in despair and seeking labor in
vain have fled to tho already over
| crowded cities.
There is demand for the employ
mcnt of every able bodied man in the
country on remunerative terms We COM
plain of the high cost Of food. while
millions Of acres OF our most produC-
tive lands lie idle. The lands are call
ing for occupants and promise indus
! trious families, now in want. a comfort
able living. do not mean desert lands.
nor the reservations in the dry belt that
do not produce more than two or three
crops In five years and is fit only for
stOCkmen. but lands that give one or
two crops year. To bring worthy men
to these lands must be the Office Of re-
liable agents of the government. II can
not be safely left to real estate agents
nor to railroad companies II is hard to
account for the influence that advertising
has had to lead people to certain loss.
Thousands have been attracted to the
cold climate OF Western canada to
raise wheat only where the crop is often
killed by frost. when delightful homes
might be had in our own country on bet
ter terms. In one small town 10000
was collected by agents for stock in
mines that were never worth dollar,
and still those agents are at large.
The unemployed in most cities could
be located on small farms within twenty
five miles. that would produce enough.
II properly titled. to keep family above
want Labor commissioners. or phiIan-
thropiSts, could do no better work than
to locate families on tracts OF land Charg-
ing commission sufficient to pay ex-
penses. The government. county, and
State would furnish a skilled agent to
advise methods OF farming, which in
experienced men could learn only by
costly experiments. The writer knows
a community that averaged only twenty
one bushels of corn per acre Under the
OF an agent, one man three
Years ago raised so bushels from seven
and one half acres. We can imagine
what an immense influence such an ex-
pertinent was in a community
The increasing tendency to abandon
agriculture is a serious menace to the
prosperity and life OF the nation. and
should be arrested by every legitimate
But we would not advise di-
ret aid In the shape of subsidies. Farm /
a In V,f,f
guarantees. They want rural banks !
with such supervision as the national |
banks have had. and. as almost every !
civilized nation on the globe has given !
for the ttllers of the soil, our currency |
laws have Disseminated against them. |
lrd the provision in the new law for |
farm loans is a POOR makeshift for
what the farmers need. The Agricul- !
tural department has done a wonderful /
work, but men cannot be kept on the /
.arm unless they can obtain money on q.
favorable terms. Cities and railroads
borrow money for 3 to ) per cent on
-wenty years time. The government
an obtain money at to per cent. The
'armer pays 3 to u per cent with COM
MISSION and other expenses on three to |
tve years time. while his land is the best
security the country affords If mis-
.crtune comes to him in the loss Of crops
lis mortgage is often fOrClosed. and his
and taken. The case demands action
without delay. More than $4,000 has
'een spent to investigate the working
# rural banks in other countries and to
make reports. No one questions their
iesiraOllity. 1t is due not only to our
arm"rs. bat TO our entire population
farmers must have money at a low rate
# interest. on long time and on the
amortization plan OF payment \ just
ate Of interest would save them SI45.-
CGMO year. This. the experience Of
Very country tells. will be secured bv
ural banks. They will cost the govern
nent nothing and may be a source off
q Venue. No measure has come be-
ore Congress that is of more Importance.
When this is assured a company could
iafely buy a tract OF land divide il into
mall farms. form an association that
"ud work harmoniously in buying and
ellinE. and have from twenty to forty
ears 10 pay for their land The many
Millions We pay foreign countries for
cod that might he produced at home bv
h" unemployed would go far toward
neding our needy dependent population.
here should be no cry for bread in this ,
ich country. w. H. II. PHILLIPS. :