The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1918-12-07
PERSONAL. CREDIT UNIONS.
Are Advocated for the Benefit of the
Farmers.

A system of personal-eredit unions
especially for the benefit of farmers
whose financial circumstances and scale
Of operations make it difficult for them
to secure accommodations through ordi-
nary channels, is recommended in the
annual report Of the secretary of agri
culture.
"The men have especially in mind, +"
says the secretary, "are those whose OPP
erations are on small scale and who
are not, in most cases, intimately in
touch with banking machinery, who
know too little about financial opera
tions and whose cases usually do not re-
ceiye the affirmative attention and sym
patty Of the banker. Such farmers
would be much benefited by member
ship in cooperative credit associations
or unions.
"0f course. there are still other farm
ers whose standards of living and pro-
ductiye ability are low, who usually Gull
tiyate the less satisfactory lands, who
might not be received for the present
into such associations This class pc
culiarly excites interest and sympathy,
but II is difficult to see how Immediately
any concrete financial arrangement will
reach it. The great things that can be
done for this element of our farming
population are the things that agricul-
tural agencies are doing for all classes
but must do for 1t with peculiar zeal.
The approach to the solution of its diff
Guilty Is an educational one, involving
better farming, marketing, schools,
health arrangements, and more sympa-
thetc aid from the merchant and the
banker. If the business men Of the
towns and cities primarily dependent on
the rural districts realize that the sal
walton of their communities depends on
the development of the back country and
will give their organizing ability to
the solution of the problem in support of
the plans of the organized agricultural
agencies responsible for leadership much
Roadway will be made.
'The foundation for effective work in
this direction is the successful promotion
of cooperative association among farm
ers, not only for better finance but also
for better production, distribution, and
higher living conditions These activi-
ties are Of primary Importance. At the
q
same time, it is recognized that such
cooperation can not be forced upon a
! community, but must be growth re-
sulting from the volunteer, intelligent
effort OF the farmers themselves"
The conclusion up to the present, says
the secretary, seems to be that the field
is one primarily for the states to oc-
cupy through sound legislation. Under
laws adopted in five states 1875 personal
credit associations have been organized
but the larger percentage of them have
been formed by wage earners in urban
centers.
"The attempt to develop strictly ru-
raj credit bodies has met with some
what more success in North Carolina
than elsewhere" the report states. ON
this state the work of promoting and
supervising such organizations was
placed in charge of an official in the d.
vision of markets and rural organization
Of the state college Of agriculture. The
law of this state was enacted in 1915,
aud at present Is credit unions, all Of
them rural, are in operation. 1t is note.
worthy that the North Carolina law
makes special provision for educational
and Unconstitutional activities"