Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1916-03-17
ORGANIZING FARMERS FOR CREDIT

that they do not remain dependent upon those with
property.
hanks and the country storekeepers have welcomed
them In most sections The storekeeper very glad to
get cash instead giving credit and the union becomes
one Of the banks best customers
OF course the prime purpose of these organizations
In TO enable the small to get credit at rea-
sonable rate for development OF the land he WIZ
not be given money buy groceries or shoes or TO go
To the movies" But If needs an extra pillow In Or
der to put forty into cotton the union
will MIN the to buy 1t at per cent. 9th
eryise he would the plow from the country
store on credit he would 20 per cent or more
Of interest upon the price
Again. Jones. a poor farmer, has tract OF land
that much good for cotton but he could raise
alfalfa on it. and use q pasture. The trou-
Bile Is that has money to buy hogs, and In this
emergency country sorkeeper cannot help him OUT
while the bank will probably refuse to advance him
money upon unimprOved land In sucn an Instance tne
credit union renders IT'S greatest service All OF the
members know Jones, and they know that ne Is re-
liable Furtherrnore they know all about that strip
az land and realize that his project grow alfalfa
upon IL quite practicable. They viii get the money
for him to buy brood SOW and they will be very
that gets good one, for the saIety OF tns
lean depends upon It,
Now not only viii farmer Jones launched in the
hog business the whole community will know about
It. The Berkshire and her family will be the sub
ject widespread interest and solicitude If Jones
makes success of hog raising, there viii be many
hog farms the next In word. the credit union
cannot fail TO bring together TO give them com-
mon interests disseminate information, to make Of
farming a business carried by communities instead
of by isolated families.
The organization of credit unions is going forward
rapidly North Carolina They have already been
established half counties and the division
of markets under Mr.. Camp is carrying the campaign
all over the state The exceedingly small. The
state charges nothing for its aid in eectng the or
ganization. netarys fee must be paid, and So for
filing the certificate incorporation while set OF
books may be purchased for about sii.
credit union has only one paid ofhcer-the treas.
urer-wno must bonded and receives SIS to $50
year his services He is usually of the farm
The originator of the credit union was German
truth money necessary for the development or
rural districts usually owned the farmers
themselves Ordinarily much of it is wasted, and much
of 1t sent by wealthier landowners to the great
city banks only the country through va
rous channels exorbitant rates Of interest To keep
this money the country, where 1t was made to en-
courage poor farmer to and the rich one to
lend 10 his poor neigbor for productive purposes be-
came the objects Raeisen's existence He went ae
the almost religious zeal travelling over the
country at his own expense enduring all sorts Of hard
shfps The German peasants called him good fatner
Rafffeisen" and is still venerated by them
When he died in 1888 425 of these societies
in existence and they still multiplying ~ Toe rate
of hundreds every year, -, .,.. o.,,.,..,
The spirit Of fraternal good VIII wnieh t.%le.se.
nreched as the basis these organizations the ioea.
OF community enterprise to have hte4ax
around the world United States Is merely ene@e-
est country to take up this form OF orsan1aNion.
Farrers credit unions kind or another are now
france Scotland ireland and Canada. as well as IN
Pour states of the union The promoters OF tnese or
ar,xatione beeve they great part In thsS
sErieultural up-buflding OF the United States