The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1915-03-05


and carefully analyzed. After this has
been done. the next ster Ia 10 secure
the most favorable terms for financing
proper and sound enterprises. This
IL frequently not difficult II the com.
mittee has thoroughly mastered the
subject and Is able to put Il clearly
before local bankers. Where the local
bankers are unwilling to finance
genuinely productive enterprises at
reasonable rate of interest, the COM
mittee must consider other ways of
securing capital. One Of the simplest
plans for accomplishing this is credit
union or cooperative credit associa-
tion. The essential features of this
plan are that group Of farmers or
ganize themselves to receive deposits
and make loans. BY keeping the ex-
penses down to minimum, it has
been possible in some cases for such
associations to pay interest on depos.
its that is within one per cent of the
interest it charges on loans
The committee on communication
and transportation should deal pri-
marily with the roads and telephones.
The keynote of the work should be or
ganized self-help, not appeals to get
Government help.
Just as the five business committees
are to grapple with the fundamental
problems of producing and selling in
their various forms, the five social
committees should direct their efforts
to the improvement OF living condi-
tions in the country.
To increase the farmers income is
not the only thing needed to make
rural life what it should be. As a
matter of fact, says this article, it is
the prosperous farmer who is more in
olined to move to town than his less
fortunate neighbor. Having accumu-
lated competence he wishes to en-
JOY it, and there are five principal
reasons which lead him to believe
that he can do this better in the city:
1st, there are usually better facilities
for educating his children; End. the
sanitary conditions are frequently
much better in towns, and the time
does not seem to be far distant when
the cities will be actually more health
full than the country. Again, house
hold conveniences such as hot and
cold water, heating and lighting sys-.
TENS, ETC., are more abundant in the
towns and add greatly to the comfort
OF living. Finally, there is more op-
portunity for recreation in the city,
and frequently, strange as it may ap-
pear, more to appeal to the sense Of
beauty that is inherent in practically
every man.
Cooperation ON the part Of rural
committees can do as much to alter
these conditions as it can to increase
the average cash income. The COM
mittees that have these matters In
charge should, therefore, be regarded
as quite as important as those which
deal with business questions, and they
should receive the same support from
the entire community which they are
endeavoring to benefit. The result
will be a community spirit which, in
it's way is capable of producing as
valuable results as the national spirit.
In fact, says the article in closing,
Patriotism, like charity, begins at
home--that is, in the neighborhood"
AS an appendix, the pamphlet con-
tains a brief list of suggested readings
for the various committees. Many of
these are Government publications
which may be had free of charge by
addressing the Division of Publica-
tions of the Department of Agricul.
c..-..- Al.<>