Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-05-19
USUR|OUS BANKERS
FACE PROSECUTION
Council of Defense Will Publish
Those Who Hold Up
Farmer.
BYRD ISSUES STATEMENT
Planning to Loan Money at Low
Rates for Agricultural
Expansion. II

only will be dealt with under a law
providing heavy penalties for viola
tion, but their names Will bc published
in the newspapers 50 AZ to warn the
people against them and to clear the
skirts Of other banks carrying on a
legitimate business
This is the Cist OF statement issued
yesterday by Richard Evclyn Eyrd
chairman OF tho executive committee OF
tho Virginia Council of Defense. TO
whom have come numerous complain,s
from various parts OF the state OF
banking institutions which have gone
beyond the legal rate Of per cent in
fixing the amount of interest charged
farmers who needed funds to pitch AN
unusually large crop.
The Council OF Defense believes The
impending shor,lgc Of foodS;uns 10 he
the most serious OF al problems tacint.
the state in it's efforts TO prepare for
the war emergency. An army is pro
vidcd for by national law. Slackcrs
who hesitate to serve 1T the front will
hc dealt with by the strong arm OF
the government Hut ths lending of
money TO tho farm r who is trying To
feed tho ar:hy and who is sorcly in
need OF monetary Assistance is in the
nature of voluntary service into
which the council will not ALLOW the
element Of grc.J TO enter
BiRD SENDS LETTER
TO FAHMERS or STATE:
Tho text OF Mr.. Eyrd's letter TO the
bankers OF the State is as follows:
I'm my opinion. what the farmer
needs is not advice to plant more. bu;
the means by which ne will he enabled
I" plant ard cultivate more.
"lic nceds money aud hclp If he
plants more. he need, more Inone;- and
more help. This help the Council OF
Defense viii try 10 organize II has
come TO me that farmers who are in
need OF small sums of money for buy
ing an unusual amount Of seeds arc
charged by some banks ~ the State an
usurious rate Of interest This is both
unpatriotic anL illegal. Where this is
true the names OF the offending banks
should he known 80 as 10 clear the
skirts Of the banks who DO Il lc-i;i-
mate business.
Il would be glad in my capacity OF
chairman OF the executive committee
Of the state Council of Defense IL hu,.
The names of ali banks who at this
time attempt 10 exact uSury from
farmers.
tSiEncdD "RlCHARD EVELYN BYRD"
committee of tho council. COM
posed Of James O. Winston. Colonel /:
t. White. Ircsidcnt l.. Il; Johnson OF
the Norfolk and Western RAILWAY. and
Homer l.. FcrSuscr.. will set TO work
within a few days TO perfect q plan
under which the das crving farmer will
be enabled to borrow money from
banks without the necessity Of putting
up collateral. The banks which agree
10 the plan will form CO. operative
union, and will share proportionatciy
whatever OF loss there may he.
COLONEL HUXLEY TELLS
FARMERS TO REDOUBLE EETOnTS
Colonel w. NJ. Hunley. secretary TO
the council. yesterday issued TO the
farmers of the State a statement. Civ
ing the belief OF the body he represents
that there can, undc.' no circumstances.
be an orcrproduction OF crops and
urging rcdoublcd efforts ON the farms
Its text is as follows
With the present army in tho field
and an additional 100000 mclr prob
ably called out in September. the
United states under the most favorable
conditions, rs bound To have a food
shortage THIS winter. AS H. 4. Van
dcrc"ok has pointed out. some articles
of food will disappear from our menu.
and We may as we'll face the fact and
adjust ourselves to it,
There will undoubtedly hc Il big
shortage in meats. We shall bc com
PEELED to turn to various substitutes.
There are several varieties which arc
as yet little known, though they have
been described and recommended from
government sources repeatedly. and
the supply is limitless They will go
on the menu Of the country.
In the army, the staple meat issues
have been beef and bacon. This Will
be changed before many months. be-
cause beef and bacon i'm sufficient guam
titles arc not in sight. and more at
tcntion is being paid to the raising of
beans and potatoes throughout the
country than to an augmented beef
supply.
There sailed recently from New
York large vessel laden with meat
for the allied armies. and the entire
hold was filled. not with beef quarters,
as in the past. but with hearts and
livcrs. That shows the shortage which
exists to-day
NO POSSIBILITY OF
0VEEPRODUCTION OR sLIMP
The following items of food short
age. compiled from Information Gath
cred from various sources. are interest
ing from the viewpoint Of the farmer
who fears an ovcrproduction and con
sequcnt slump in foodstun prices the
coming year. The 1917 wheat crop Of
tho United States was 5l,74i,O00
bushels less than the 1916 crop. and
2i3,9i7 bushels less than the 1915
crop. This years wheat crop i'm Argen-
tina and New Zealand Is only 20 per
cent of last years crop. The corn crop
OF tho leading corn producing countries
of the world. was 439,000,000 bushels
less in 1916 than in 1915. The stock OF
lard on hand In tho United States
CONTINUED on Fourth Page.)