The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1917-01-07
NEW FARM LOAN ACT
WILL PROVE BOON
Commissioner Agriculture Koiner Declares It Will Confer
Lasting Benefit on Farmers of Virginia and South
Great Future In Agriculture Lies In Diversi-
hcaton of Crops

CnmmiSsi ouer George w Koner. of
the Department of Agriculture, has
recently been sending broadcast over
the State literature explaining TO the
farmers the operation Of the Federal
farm loan act, ana he is daily re-
ceiving numerous inquiries from agri-
Culturalists regarding the law. Hun
dreds Of the farmers in the State are
preparing to apply for loans under
the new law. and Commissioner
koiner states that the act is the
greatest boon that farming IN Vir-
GINA and the South has ever receiv-
ed
At the recent meeting of the South
ern Commercial Congress, held in Nor
folk -GeHfHeisaieHet keiner- spoke on
the Democracy Of a New SOUTH IN
which he told OF the many advantages
Of the farm loan act The commits
s1oncr's address was as follows:
No calendar day has ever iliumined
the surface of our country with a
brighter effut4enCe than ddes Tint
which is now standing over our beau
tiful Southland Not in many years
have our farmers been the beneti-
Charles OF the steady advance In the
price Of their products as they have
been during the year that lis now near
its close. Usually when an advance
IN price of farm products does come,
those particular crops have passed
out of the producers possession,
The enactment into law OF certain
far-reaching measures by Congress
during the past three years has given
stabilized confidence to the minds
OF the people in the financial man
agement of the country. They feel
there is no danger OF disastrous
financial panic being thrust upon
them III almost any day The effect
OF the Federal Reserve Bank has pu,
an energy and an impetus into bust.
ness that has increased in force and
smoothness In its activities fully al
effectively as liberal supply of lu-
bricating oil would do when admin
istsred TO dry. squeaky engine.
But the keystone to this arch o,
increasing prosperity will be the op'
portunity that is given to the farm
ers and to those who desire to be
come farmers. to enlarge and to sup
ply with better equipment their ag
ricultural pursuits by the aid of more
needed capital. secured on long time
and at n reasonably low rate Of in
terest, az offered by the provisions
given In the Federal Farm Loan act
When we think OF the far-reachine
erect or TINS wise ana neeu1ul regis
lation. that has been so much desired
and so long delayed, We feel there car
be no doubt OF the fact that the
brightest day has dawned upon our
country.
A ruinous blight that has hindered
a moro rapid advance In the agricul-
tural development in the South has
been the prevailing system OF tenan,
farming. increasing during the last
decade in every Southern State, ex-
cept one. namely. Virginia. There
are some States with sixty per cent
of tenant farmers. and some counties
with more than ninety per cent OF
tenant farmers; and worse yet, fifty
one per cent are one-year tenants
These annual tenants move from
place to place, year after year. They
have no object but to get out of the
soil every dollars worth of products
they can sell tand they are not 10
be blamed). They can have no In
terest in the uplift OF the community
No Interest in the-roada, the schools
or the country church. The soil is
depleted of its plant food faster than
nature can restore 1t. No country can
reach, ar ever has reached, its. nor
NAL state Of prosperity under such q