St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1916-02-23
FOR FARMERS
State Association at Annual Meeting
Votes to Assist In Development
of Agriculture

fully alive to the Importance of de-
veloping the agriculture of the state
to a higher degree of efficiency was
clearly manifested at the annual meet
ing Of the Vermont State Bankers as
sociation held here yesterday. In his
annual address Pres. H M McFar-
land urged it and by vote the associa-
ton appropriated the sum of 500 to
be used by the newly appointed COM
mittee on agriculture to expend in
among the farmers of Vermont
About rs bank representatives were
present for the annual meeting and
spent the first part of the afternoon
visiting the scale works and other
points of interest. At 4:30 the meet
ing was called to order in the Museum
and invocation offered by Rev. Alfred
Poole Grint. A cordial address of well
come was given by Judge w. P. Smith
of st. Johnsbury and a response by HI.
L. Ward of Burlington. This was fol-
lowed by the presidents address.
Pres. McFarIand's Address.
In his annual address Pres. HI. M.
Mcfarland of Hyde Park came out
strongly for investments by banks in
farm mortgages. He said that on
December 81 last $40 of the total
assets of Vermont savings institutions
were invested in real estate mort
cages. very largely of the farm type.
He said in part:
In banking upon the farm mortgage
we are standing upon the greatest re-
source of the country, the basis of all
prosperity, a resource in the hands of
the farmer that is feeding and clotn-
| ing the people and producing billions
of new wealth every year. No security
for the peoples money, which Saving
Bank deposits are, can be more logical
than the country's broad acres, none
safer.
This being true and in view of pres
ent agitation for some form of rura
credit enactment, 1t is especially fit
ting that we should briefly consider
the relations existing between the
banker and the farmer and his farm.
They are close. mutual and should he
reciprocal in other than~@the usual
way, the paying and the receiving in
| terest.
The slogan of the new religion is
cooperation. 1t is in the air. Co
operation not only between men do
ing the same business as between
banker and banker, farmer and farm
er, but between banker and farmer
and between men of all kinds of bust
ness. AS another has said, not CO.
operation but inter-co-operation, enc
group of men acting for and with an
other group of men, having in view
not alone financial betterment but bet
ter and more sanitary homes, better
schools, better roads, improved social
conditions and that general uplift
which means a better civilization.
The farmer needs help and cooper
alton such as this more than other
and greater facilities for borrowing
money. 1t is the unsuccessful man
who is complaining about his credit,
not the farmer grown successful un-
der the touch of help that is helpful
not only to the raising of more and
better crops and better marketing IA
; cilities, but to better living for him
self and family and best of all to a
knowledge gained from experience
that his banker and his merchant are
his friends, ready and willing to help
him make of his farm the gold mine
it rightfully is, and of his home the
equal in comfort, sanitation and con-
venience of his hitherto envied neigh
Dor living in the city or village. He
has credit and to spare. He is not
asking for federal aid. He is moi
complaining. Rather he is rejoicing
, that he and his family have come into
their own financially, socially and in
the enjoyment of the amenities of life
This is the help that we Vermont
) bankers are privileged to give to Oul
farmer friends, and we can do ouI
: state no greater service than this
J Vermont is essentially an agricultural
} state. Her prosperity is inseparably
, connected with the prosperity of he1
. farmers If they prosper, all prosper
If they suffer or fail for any reason to
receive the maximum return for their
labors it is a common loss. The veal
or woe of one is the veal or woe OF
all. If we act from selfish motives
we will not withhold this help for it
will be the bread cast on the waters
to return after not many days. in
creased not one but four fold for ad-
ded income for the farmer means ad-
ded deposits for the banker and what
has been and is being done in Hamp-
den county, Massachusetts,, can be and
will be done in Vermont
While we cannot expect immediate
results like those achieved in Hamp-
den county, beginning can be made
working independently, as many
banks throughout the country are do
ing, in the way of giving prizes to
boys and girls for meritorious effort,
raising corn, growing pigs, cooking,
canning fruit and vegetables, or in
some other similar line of work or by
connecting ourselves with the county
or government agent working in our
vicinity. The important thing is the
; beginning The beginning made. re-
suits will surely follow for the work
is its own guaranty of continuance.
This work is at once our obligation
and our opportunity. What the farm
er needs, as l have already said. is
not more credit but help to greater
efficiency, to a better understanding
of the capabilities of himself and his
CONTINUED on page fve.)