The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1918-11-29
FEDERAL LAND BANK
MISSION is TO MAKE
MONEY FOR FARMERS

| MONEf FUh fAhMEho
As an institution that, through aid
1 ing the farmer to get larger yields
from the soil. adds to the national and
individual wealth, the Federal Land
Bank is one of the greatest henefac-
tors of the age. That is the deliberate
viewtof Herman w. Danforth, pres
ident of the bank at St. Louis, who
\ has closely followed the result of its
activities for more than a year. Fur
thermore, in all this the bank has not
added to its own wealth, for that is no
part of the governments plan in es-
tablishing and exercising general su-
pervision over the institution. 1t is
solely and absolutely a farmers bank.
Those who direct it's affairs are paid
only a reasonable salary, and the sur
plus earnings from its low interest
loans to land owners are distributed
among the borrowers as dividends.
"The fact that the Land Bank is
not engaged in making money for it
self, but for the single purpose OF
making the farmers more independ-
ent and increasing their value to the
country and to themselves, is one of
the things which the average farmer
is slow to accept as fact" Mr.. Dan
forth said. "For this he is not to be
criticised, for it is something entirely
different from that with which he has
had to deal in the past. Before the
coming of the Land Bank he had DIFF
ficulty, as a rule, in getting money
on terms which he could meet. Fof-
ced to borrow, high interest charge
were the basis of the loan, and fore
and comparatively short period were
closure of the mortage given often
followed. Few found themselves
/. abel to bring their lands up to high
est Yield, through modern equip
ment and fertilizer, and to properly
guard against unnecessary loss in
live stock, houses and other direc-
tons.
Basis of the Land Bank
4 agriculture is the basis Of ma
: tional wealth. Products of the soil
e form the bulk Of our export trade.
/. They are wanted in every civilized
n country, and bring gold in return.
- In this war jeriod these producths are
a the hope of civilization against the
o craze of conquest of the Germans.
g We are feeding not only the fighting
forces of the United States abroad
l. and in training camps at home, but
e those of the nations with whom this
# country is fighting against ml!ltar-
: ism, and also the women, children and
l. aged men in those countries whom
t. the comon enemy is expressing and
% making pitiably destitute.
Al. r. L.
"a farmer at his best was brought out
by the war it was realized by the gov
ernemnt that the country was suf-
fering under the conditions which
>. tended to make farmeing unprofitabel
and people from farms TO cities and
he towns. Those at the head of the gov
IS eminent knew that the main difficul.
3 ty arose for mthe lack Of financial
U. system that would meet the farmers
:. needs in 4 way to encourage him t.
ID develop his land to the highest point
y uGpId saM II '5d5Vl 2! U!Etu!HW put
r business proposition and settled d;
G" such with the Federal Land Bank.
~ In its every detain the Land Banl
W is conducted tn line with the aim ant
~ purpose of the government to carry
- Tie fullest measure Of direct benefit
~ to the farming indUst@v, This policy
- starts with the organization Of tht
>, HANKS and the sale Of bou@s TO ge
- funds to LEND Z. tAe Uotscs there i
- Carisal stock al $1,000 much o.
~ nj # which the go,eIlMany provide
:, in me instances, h-t this IS meHc.
tn -et the bank going ll.j eventually
+, ltuuad tn tho national t"&csur,
= ..y... 'T-. nal ''H7-e PC H. Erl-r he fiet