Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1916-01-17

of American Falls, well known banker
who has entered the Republican guber-
material race, before the Idaho Swine
Growers association during it's annual
convention here last week, attracted
unusual attention due to the logic of
his remarks, the manner in which he
pointed out the agricultural and stock
interests could work without antagon-
ism, his suggestion of civil service for
the livestock sanitary and other boards,
and his plan to convert capital consist
ing of $50, O00 900 to 100000 900 tied up
in unproductive. unimproved lands. in
TO interest bearing securities secured
by improved lands.
The address of Mr.. Davis is in full as
follows.
Every developing community de-
ponds largely upon the banker for as
sistance, whether its industries be
farming, stockgrowing, mining or MAN.
ufacturing. Bankers should be as lib
eral as good business methods will per-
init, but they can not do impossible nor
unbusiness like things. Some people
may at times think that bankers are
tight listed and lacking in the milk of
human kindness when in fact they are
only taking reasonable business precau-
tons to conserve their customers de-
posits. When look into the past and
review some of my experiences with
many who were making their first start
in life, or establishing themselves in
now homes, l cannot escape the convic-
ton that l must have had a lot of con-
iidence in human nature. The Ameri-
can Falls country. where l have been
engaged in banking and farming for
the past 10 years, was settled mostly by
poor people, many having only suffi-
cient means to pay their homestead fill
ing fees. This calls to mind one in
stance where a family came to Ameri-
can Falls from Kansas. The husband
and fathers introduction to me was a
request for loan OF $42.S0 with which
to finish paying the freight on his car
OF household goods. machinery and a
little livestock. He had a wife and six
children but no money. l asked him
how on earth he expected to live in a
country like this, where there was no
work to be had, without means to see
him through the winter. He replied
that he had figured on having enough
to land him on his homestead. having
paid his freight in advance, but an err
ror had been made in the rate and he
referred to. He told me he had two tons
Of flour in the car and four barrels OF
cured meat He was three years in
paying off the note. but l have the sat
isfaction of knowing that today he has
a well improved farm with good home
and is doing fairly well.
Problems of Financing.
Another instance was the arrival oil
three husky German lads, who, after
filing on three homesteads, had about
SIS left between them. They coulo
speak little English, but notwithstand-
ing this and the fact that they were
without means, they were not discour-
aged. They worked for their neighbors
many of whom who were practically
without money themselves but hat
teams and a few farming implements
exchanging labor for the use Of teams
and implements on their own home
steads, and in this way developed thei
own farms. Last year these boys har
vested about 10000 bushels of grain
and they are now considered first class
risks.
THE problem OF financing such com
munity, where in one year more thar
100000 acres of land were taken a
good sprinlIling Of people almost who'll.
without means, or who would be befor
their lands were productive, is no small
item. Lumber for buildings, seed, inn
plements. horses and sometimes evei
groceries have to be supplied with Dor
rowed money. In the earlier years 0
our development one of our four i'm
plement houses placed an order 70
three cars of implements for it's year
stock. 1t shipped in 10 straight cars be
fore the season closed, and was ofte
forced to pay local freight on less thai
car lots TO supply the demand, and W
loaned the money for the cash paymen
on many of these implements. the deal
nr taking a contract note for the bal
ance to make himself safe The first O
last June we had 1877 automobiles in tn
county and 100 combined harvester:
This did not include the combine
ordered for 1915, which numbered 81
For this year 40 orders for combine
have been placed with one factory.
1.-The financing of development Xix
this is a tremendous task. No countr
bank can supply more than small par
of the money needed. Losses and lon
deferred payments under such circum
stances are inevitable. These factor