Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1916-09-07
WILSON'S SERVICE TO
AMERICAS FARMERS
Remarkable Record Set Forth In
Letter by the President.
NEW LAWS AND NEW OUTLOOK

arm Loan ACT, fedeFal reserve BANK,
Provisions For Warehouse and Mar
ketinl Facilities Are Only a Part Of
Large Program Executed by the Dem.
ocratic Administration.
No administration has eve lone SC
much to advance the agricultural III
terests Of the United States as that OF
President Wilson. The record is set
forth briefly and effectively i'll Il letter
written by the president to Congress
man y. Il. Lever. chairman Of the CON-
mittee on agriculture of Tie house of
representatives. as follows:
The White House. Washington.
Aug. Ii. 1916
My Dear Mr.. Lever-It has given ue
much satisfaction to approve to-day the
bill making appropriations for the &c
partmcnt Of agriculture for the fiscal
year ending June so. 1917, and for 9th
er purposes. because the bill not only
makes very generous provision for the
Improvement Of farm production in the
nation and Tor Investigations and dem
onstrations in the field of the market
ing or farm crops and Of the organiZa-
ton Of rural Life, but also contains
three well conceived measures design
ed to improve market practices and the
storage and financing OF staple crops.
AS the passage of this bill marks the
practical completion of an important
part Of the program for the betterment
of rural life which was mapped out at
the beginning Of the administration.
feel that I cannot let the occasion:
pass without conveying to you and tn
your associates in both houses my ap
probation Of the services rendered to
the nation in strengthening its great
agricultural foundations.
The record. legislative as we'll as adj
ministrative. is a remarkable one. 1t
speaks for itself and needs only to be
set forth:
First.-Appreciation Of the impor-
lance Of agriculture has been shown
through greatly and intelligently in
creased appropriations for its support.
Sccond.-Particular pains have been
taken to foster production by every
promising means, and careful thought
has been given especially to the mat
ter Of increasing the meat supply of
the nation.
Third.-Greatly increased provision
has been made through the enactment
Of the cooperative agricultural extern
sion act for conveying agricultural! In
formation to farmers and for inducing
them to apply It. This piece Of legis-
lation is one Of the most significant
and farrcaching measures for the edu-
cation of adults ever adopted by any
government. It provides for co-opera-
ton between the states and the fed
erai government. This is a highly i'm
p%ortant and significant principle. When
the act is in full operation there will
be expended annually under its terms,
from federal and state sources alone. q
total Of over $S,CO0,OOO in the direct
education of the farmer, and this
amount is being and will be increasing
ly supplemented by contributions from
local sources. It will permit the plac-
ing in each of the 1850 rural counties
of the nation two farm demonstrators
and specialists who will assist the
demonstrators in the more difficult
problems confronting them.
Notwithstanding provision for the
first time has been made for the solu-
ton Of problems in that important half
Of agriculture which concerns distribu-
Communicating, rural finance and ru-
raj organization.
Fifth Provision was made promptly
for the creation of an office Of markets
and rural organization, and the appro-
priatlons for this Office, including those
for enforcing new laws designed to
promote better marketing, have been
increased to $1,2Oo,O00. The more diff
fcult problems Of marketing are being
investigated, and plans are in opera
ton for furnishing assistance to pro-
duccrs of perishablcs through a market
news service. A similar service for
live stock interests will be inaugurated
during the year.
Sixth.-The problem Of securing the
uniform grading Of staple crops, Of
regulating dealings and traffic in them.
Of developing a better system of ware
houses and Of providing more avail.
able collateral for farm loans has been
successfully dealt with.
Seyenth.-Under the cotton futures
act standards for cotton have been es-
tablished, the operations of the flu.
lures exchanges have been put under
supervision, and the sale of cotton has
been placed on a firmer basis.
! Eighth.-The United States grain
standards act will secure uniformity
in the grading Of grain, enable the
farmer to obtain fairer prices for his
product and afford him an incentive to
raise better grades of grain.
Ninth.-The United States warehouse
act will enable the department Of ag-
ricr1t11ra tO lipanca hondod Two rohoy,coo