The Mena weekly star. (Mena, Ark.) 1904-1977, 1918-12-26
ARKANSAS FARMS
NEED MORE MONEY
President Of Federal Land Bank
Wants 10 Put s5O.oO0,OO0 in the
State-E Europe Far Ahead Of
United States.

II am at this time particularly
anxious to interest the bankers and
other big business men in Little
Rock in making it possible for the
Federal Land Bank to put to work on
the good farm lands Of Arkansas at
least $4,000 1000" H. w. Danforth,
president Of the Federal Land Bank
at st. Louis, said last night Mr..
Danforth, in company with Kazutera
Kurihara. a member Of the board Of
investigation for the Hypothec bank
Of Toxic, Japan, arrived in Little
Rock Tuesday from Hot Springs
where MIR. Danforth had addressed
the conference Of the states county
demonstration agents.
Mr.. Danforth said that it was the
consensus of opinion among agricul-
tural experts that the Arkansas
farmer is not producing half of what
he should, and what he viii produce
when he learns to take advantage of
the opportunities offered by the uni
versity ard agricultural agents and
BY the Federal land banks. He said
that if sheep could replace the thou
sands of worthless dogs on Arkansas
farms, the wealth of the state would
be increased many millions of dollars.
Europe far Ahead Of u. s.
For many years the great and
powerful nations Of Europe have rec
ognized their obligations to agricul-
ture,v he said. Denmark during the
last 40 years, through splendid CO.
operation, has emancipated its farm
ers from condition of tenantry and
its resultant poverty, to one of the
richest agricultural nations per cap
tia in the world. At one time so per-
cent of the Danish farmers were ten
ants and received only % cents of
each dollar paid for their produce by
the consumer. Today tenantry has
been reduced to less than 10 per cent
and ten farmer is receiving rs per
cent Of the dollar.
"The farmers of several European
countries are producing on an aver
age of more than twice as much
wheat per acre as American farmers,
and on poorer soil. These countries
have been the pioneers in rural cred
it, one of them having had in success
full operation for over 100 years a
system very similar to our federal
farm loan act.
Opportunities for the Farmer.
1.-THE United States during the last
few years, has shown a tardy recog-
milton of its ever increasing obliga-
tion to agriculture. The activities of
the United States Department of
Agriculture and the splendid work
of the experiment stations, the dis
semination of knowledge through
county institutes has worked won
ders. The Smith-Lever act has been
the last step in placing before the
farmer the latest and best knowledge
pertaining to his business. This
put him in possession of everything
needed to develop agriculture to its
highest state. And last but not least,
a full recognition on the part of large
business. interests of their depen-
dence upon the surplus from the
farms. II is fact that Iowa, which
last year produced twice the farm
products that were produced on Mis-
souri, farms, bought twice as much
farm machinery, lumber and hard
ware
The Federal Land Bank has almost
unlimited funds available for agri-
cultural development. At present
this money is being offered to farm
ers at five and one-half per cent and
the debt can run from to 40 years
and is repaid on the amortization
plan If the note is made to mature
in so years, the payments amount to
six and one-half per cent, five and a
half per cent being interest and the
one per cent being applied to the
principal. At the end Of 50 years
the debt will be fully paid"
Mr.. Danforth said he had seen
many signs of progress in Arkansas,
nd that he believed its wealth can
easily increased so per cent IN
comparatively short time if every
rmer can be induced to do his duty