The Chesterfield advertiser. [volume] (Chesterfield C.H., S.C.) 1884-1978, 1917-03-08
farm PRODUCTION
! MADE PROFITABLE
Great Strides in This Direction
Made in Recent Years,
Says U. S. Aid.
Meeting Farmer HALF way
uncle Sam, by Aid Of Needed LeaisIa-
ton, is Solving Many Of Prob
lens Of the AgrIcul-
turlsts.

ooih nus Deen meetlng the
FARMERS half way In the effort to i'm
prove the economic condition of the
latter, according to Carl Vrooman, as
sistant secretary of agriculture. In a
review or the most important steps
taken In this direction In the past few
years, Mr. VrOOman points out that for
hlty years the United States depart
ment OF agriculture has been studying
now to Increase production on the
farms, but that it is only very recently
that stress has been laid on study
OF the problem Of making that produc-
tion profitable. In the past, he says,
there has been mistaken theory that
/ everybody is interested in increasing
agricultural production, but that no.
body but the farmer Is interested in
making that production profitable.
That this theory has ut last been rec
ogniZed as fallacious Is indicated by
important legislation enacted In the
last few years. Prominent in this leg
islatiOn was the creation, in 1913, of
the office of markets and rural organ
iZation. The creation of this Office
says Mr. Vrooman, "was an innoya-
tion of epoch-making Significance,
| This office represents the first at.
tempt on the part of the government
to remedy through scientific investiga-
tion the waste and extravaganza in our
present methods of distributing and
diSposing of farm products. Long be-
fore there was any official recognition
of the need for this step, the farmers
themselves realized the necessity for
1T. The Grange movement, the Farm
ers' Alliance movement, and the Pop
ulist movement were all inspired by
the conviction on the part of the pro-
ducers that organization on their part
was essential to Improvement in their
economic condition. The assistant
secretary points out that while many
of the specific remedies demanded by
the leaders of these movements were
lmpractlcnble, their basic demands
were just, and he emphasizes the ne
cesslty of applying to these problems
much the same methods Of scientific
study which have made possible such
extraordinary advances In the produc-
tion of crops.
"Magna Charta Of Farmer"
In addition to the creation of the
office of markets and rural organiZa-
ton, number of laws have been
passed which are characterized aS be-
Ing OF immense economic Importance
to the farmer. Perhaps the most i'm
pOrtant one of these, he says, is "thut
financial magma charta OF the farmer,
the Farm Loan Act" "ThiS," de-
clares the assistant secretary, "is the
first great financial measure ever
passed by congress primarily in the in
terest of the farmer. l have no doubt
that In the future 1t will be strength
encd by amendments with regard to
some Of It's minor details, as was the
federal reserve bill, but In all fair
ness it must be admitted that this bill
will do for the farmer very much what
the Federal Reserve Act is doing for
the business man. 1t will furnish the
farmer with those fundamental ncces-
stiles that he has been asking for, vot-
ing for, and praying for, during the
past half century"
These fundamental necessities are
defined as:
l. Available capital in sufficient
quantities for the farmers legitimate
needs.
.. Loans on longer time and easier
terms OF payment.
3. Lower rates Of interest.
Another measure cited in this con-
nectiOn Is the Bonded Warehouse Act
of August II, 1916. This legislation
was passed in response to n dcmnn&
on the part Of the farmers for
mechanism that would enable them to
borrow money more easily, and ut Il
lower rate of interest, on stored crops.
1t permits farmer to place produce
I'm bonded warehouse and secure n
receipt for It, On this receipt he can
easily borrow money, for 1t represents
gilt-edgcd security The risk which in
the old days the banker took in lending
money, even to farmers with good
credit, Is eliminated by this method
and the rates Of interest therefore low
cred,
New Epoch Has Begun.
The cotton futures act and the Uni
ted States grain standards act are
cited as further examples of recent
progressive agrarinn legislation. "Thc
latter of these" Mr.. VrOOmau says,
sis u step In the direction of national
efficiency and natural economic pre-
paredness." It's effect will be mark
edly beneficial on our foreign COM
merce In grain.
In summing up the effect OF these
and other laws, Mr.. Vrooman says: {:
1T Is clear, l think, that as result
of this splendid program Of construc-
tive legislation, new agricultural