The Glenwood post., 1916-03-18
CHEAP MONEY SEEN
"AF!AR OFF +"
(By Sol. A. sprague.)

the farming population that it seems
certain that something will be done,
and that it will be done soon.
Every agricultural paper is talking
about rural credits and plenty of cheap
money for the farmer to take up all
his>paper that is drawing usurous IT.
terest and to supply his farm with
live stock.
The cry of ''Back to the Land" is
getting loud and persistent. The Sec
retary of the interior is believer in
the doctrine that all the people of the
nation should share in the expense Of
subduing the wilds of the west by re
ducing the parched and barren lands
to productive fields.
All such agitation has bearing on
the payment by residents on govern
ment projects for the cost of those
projects.
The new doctrine is stated by the
several writers in many different ways.
The doctrine will undoubtedly soon be
crystallized into a set phrase, but to
sdate no short concise sentence has
been found to state it.
One writer states it thus: "The
conversion of wild forbidding land into
fruitful farms benefits all of the peo-
pie Of the nation for all time to come;
therefore all the people of the nation
should bear their just proportion of
the EXPENSE
Another writer says: "As the sue
.cessful tillage of the soil is largely
the source of all wealth, the prosperity
of all the people of the nation is de-
pendent upon the reclaiming and til
lage of the soil. Therefore all the
people should bear their just proper
.tion of the initial expense according
to benefits derived"
A Westerner says: "The farmers
of the East got free land and free wa
ter; the good Lord furnishes it from
Sabove. Therefore the Westerners
should get free land and free water"
Another one says: "The prosperity
of the nation depends on the prosperi-
ty of the farmers. Therefore it is
business proposition for all of the peo-
pie of the nation to see that the farm
.ers of the nation are Immediately
placed in prosperous condition.
And still another statement: "Make
the farmer prosperous and automatic
ally spread prosperity throughout thu
nation"
Are all Of these propositions true?
If SO there is no reason why the ma
ti6nal government should not issue It's
bonds and get sufficient amount of
money to furnish every farmer with
free water and lend him money with
out interest to purchase live stock.
Some plan that will make the farm
.ers on reclamation projects happy and
satisfied is what the secretary of the
interior and his assistants are now
formulating.
According to the law that ''largo
bodies move slowly" the new doctrine
will be adopted no sooner than the
people of the nation can be convinced
of its economic soundness. How long
Not will take no one knows, but some
idea can be formed from the following
short articles, written by 1. D. o'Don-
nell, supervisor of irriga zion on gov
>..ment projects and published in the
Reclamation Record, government
journal printed for and distributed
among the water users on reclamation
projects:
"The rural-credits movement now
appears to be marking time, awaiting
the action Of congress on proposed
farm loan legislation. Any innova-
tions put into operative legislation by
congress would have effect on such
legislation now pending in the various
states and also on the policies of the
corporate and private lending agencies
in this country.
"It should be understood that any
bill which might get through congress
at this time would Of necessity be q
compromise bill. In fact, bill is now
before congress which is admittedly
co6bromise between men whose views
on this subject differ.
ssThe bill referred to would provide
farm-mortgage credit system under
the cptrol of federal land-bank
board to be appointed by the president
and approved by the senate. The
country would be divided into IL dis
tricts, each with regional land bank
aa.;.. q aani4al stuck nf &5flil.ll to