South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1918-12-07
CREDIT UNIONS
BEING ADVOCATED
Annual Report of SeC'y HOuS-
ton Says They Would
Assist Farmers.

A system Of personal-credit
unions. especially for the benefit of
farmers whose financial circum-
stances and scale OF operations
make it difficult FOR them to secure
accommodations through ordinary
channels is recommended I'm the
annual report Of the secretary o.
agriculture
THE men 7 have especially in
mind. SAYS the secretary. are
those whose operations are on
small scale and who are not. in most
eases. Intimately I'm touch with
banking machinery. who know too
little about financial operations and
rs hose cases usually do not receive
the affirmative attention and sympa
thy OF the banker such farmers
would Doe much benefited by a mem
hership in cooperative credit assoc
cations or unions
"Of course. there are stiIl other
farmers whose standards OF living
and productive ability are low, who
usually cultivate the less satisfac-
tory lands. who mieht not be re-
ceived for the present into such as
sociations. This class peculiarly ex-
cites interest and sympathy. but IL IS
dimcuIt 10 see how Immediately any
concrete financial ARRANGEMENT viii
reach H. The great things that can
be done for this element Of our
farming population are the THINGS
that agricultural agencies are doing
for all classes. but must 10 il with
peculiar zeal The approach of the
solution of it's dimculty is an educa-
tional one. involving better farming.
marketing. schools health arrange
ments. and more sympathetic aid
from the merchant and the banker.
n the business men of the towns and
cities primarily dependent on the
rural districts realize that the saliva
Jion OF their communities depends
or the development of the back
country and viii give their orEaniz-
problem in support OF the plans OF
the organized agricultural agcenies
responsible for leadership much
Roadway Will lie made.
The foundation for effective
work i'm this direction is the sue
Cessful promotion OF cooperative as
sociations among farmers. not only
f0r better finance but also for bet
ter production, distribution. and
higher living conditions. These ac-
tivities are OF primary Importance.
At the same time il is recognized
that such coOpe alton can not be
forced upon a community. but must
be a growth resulting from the vol
unteer intelligent effort of the
farmers themselves"
The conclusion up to the present.
saws the secretary, seems 10 be that
the field is one primarily for the
states 10 occupy through sound leg
station Under laws adopted in I'VE
states 20 perso1aI-Credit aSsocia-
tions have been organized. but tho
larger percentage OF them have been
formed by wage earners in urban
ccnters.
The attempt 70 develop strictlv
rural credit bodies has met with
somewhat more success i'm North
Carolina than elsewhere" the re-
FORT states "In this state the work
nf promoting and supervising such
orEa nizatious was placed in charge
of an Oficla, In the Division of Mar
kets ard Rural Organization of the
state COLLEGE Of Agriculture The
law OF this state was enacted in
1915. and at present rs credit
unions. all OF them rural. are i'm
operation. IL is noteworthy that the
North Carolina law makes special
provision for educational and
demOnstrationH activities"