The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1915-03-12

l6 years secretary OF agriculture,
James Wilson, fixes the unit of value
in agricultural lands by the power to
produce forage. The value of an acre
of land is its beef-producing power
expressed in pounds, or in milk, but
ter, cheese or wool. By this standard
Idaho has the highest values in her
irrigated lands per acre of any sim
liar acrea in America. Our climate
will easily add 20 to SO per cent
to the efficiency of the feed. Our
feed in yield and quality will add 100
per cent.
! Then why are not our lands peo-
piled? Why so much sage brush un-
der our canals? Why are our farm
ers faltering and falling by the way?
Why these notes of doubt and disap-
pointment in the letters that go to
the homeland? You may say they
are fools and blunderers and kickers.
But the answer is not adequate.
More than that, it is not true. 1t
may serve as mode of exit from
tight place for those who make the
statement. But it serves no other
useful purpose.
believe in no criticism, unless it
is constructive. To diagnose a case
and offer no remedy is unkind and
unmanly. The remedy for our NAL
ady is wise and sympathetic coop
Grafton with those who are upon our
lands. Our farming must be properly
balanced. Our land is too valuable
to be used simply to produce grain
and hay for the market. This grain
and hay must be fed upon the land
1t must be part of the farm equip
ment of every farm. The established
standard is 80 per cent of the avlue
of the land in live stock. This is
the proper balance established by
long series of investigations. | do
not think our live stock will equal
10 per cent of the value of the farms.
This brings us to the title thought
I-Idaho's financial status as to her
development. In all new countries,
find the expense of development much
greater than anticipated, and have
used their funds entirely and their
credit largely in the development of
their lands. From the things that
i have stated l think that it would
be easy to conclude that Idaho can
only prove its worth by and through
the people who have come here to
develop this state. They are the testi-
monials through which we must inn
press the worth of our country in
the places from which We desire to
draw our immigration. And if they
are not satisfied then all other efforts
will be in vain.
1t is therefore our duty to our state
to put our farms upon a paying basis.
This can be done only through
properly applied credit. l am not
fiat money man, whether for corpora
tions or for individuals. Money. as
well as stocks and bonds, has its
proper limitations. All capital should
be working capital, productive CAPT
tai, not speculative. Our banking
system contemplates local depositors,
and when we have not those, money
is scarce and high, and this is al
ways true in new country.
Another element that makes
against progress in new country is
the lack of established credit by the |
people who are engaged in it's de-
velopment Communities are usually |
remote from centers where money is |
obtainable. This factor also makes
it scarce and high. 1t is possible to
remove this handicap and Idaho is
the place to begin.
Farmers may strengthen their Gre
dit by proper cooperation. Under
hhO So-OPOAoSl'C SlCulLy oyoLcm Ol II
Europe the farmers of those
countries are obtaining money at a
lower rate than the government. 1t
Is said by Myron T. Herrick, in his
excellent and recent work on Rural
Credits, that in all their experience,
covering more than century In time. II
and hundreds of millions in their
operations, not one dollar has ever
been lost by creditor of one of these
credit associations. And I
there are about 10000 OF these CO.
operative organizations in the Ger
man empire.
1t has been asserted that, owingI
to his individualism, the American L
farmer cannot be assimilated in such
organizations here. will answer &
this with Mr.. .Herrick's statement: Il
THE farmers of the United States L
are capable and Independent men, ]
and they should have the right I'M
der the laws to organize themselves l
as best suits their own ideas or Y
L..