The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1923-09-17
DAIRY PRODUCTS
AID TO FARMERS
STATE TREASURER SEES IDAHO
COMING BACK WITH A BANG
MUCH LIQUIDATION

! BOise-Idaho farmers and business
men are recovering from the spend
| ing jag of the days just after the
war and the headache of retrenchment
which followed. Figures made public
by Dan F. Banks, state treasurer, ON
the condition of banks, indicate a
healthy condition, lessening of loans
! and an increase OF deposits over 1922.
Interpretation of the figures, made
by Mark Means, commissioner of
agriculture, offers excellent hope for
the immediate business future of the
Idaho farmer.
With a general feeling that merch-
ants in this section are not buying
and that there are some indications
of policy of general retrenchment,
these figures should be particularly
interesting, the officials say, in their
showing of an actual increase of
money in the community and a de-
crease of loans. They are of special
moment in view of the fact that the
time for the farmer to liquidate has
not yet come, under old conditions,
and, because of this, in the opinion
of the commissioner of agriculture.
they show something of the financial
gains to the farmer who has gone
IN for dairying with the constant
money turnover
Farmers throughout Idaho are pay
ing OFF their war jag notes as they
have not been doing up to this year
one bank, in a nearby community.
some months ago told farmer it
would not longer carry his note. He
sold his potatoes, began to cash in
on his dairy products and recently
paid off his note, depositing 5000
velvet " in the bank and is ready
for the future. This instance, Mr..
Means pointed out, could be readily
paralleled in hundreds of instances
over the state.
There will be between eight and
nine million dollars worth of dairy
products cashed in Idaho this year."
said Mr.. Means when you consider
that five years ago the dairy products
IN Idaho amounted to practically moth
ing, you can see what effect dairying
has to produce such figures as Mr..
Banks has given out Even before
the farmers are ready to market their
ordinary crops and take up their
notes, this year, they are taking them
up gradually in off months, largely,
believe, through dairying returns"
The healthy condition of Idaho is
indicated in statements made by
country bankers. Farmers who have
N the last few years been borrowing
rom $1,000 to $1,000 to handle their
crops, this year have borrowed only
rom $3.50 to 5000.
" The answer is, says Mr.. Means,
that the wartime hysteria is ending
n this state The cost of production
S being put down by the farmers
themselves. These men who are bor-
owing so much less than formerly
ire doing it because they are this
'ear doing their own labor rather
han hire it at prices that are pro-
libitive for profit"
Production is following the re-
renchment policy of the Idaho far
ners. The market is following the
Mr.. Means says that the
oregon Short Line expects 10000
'ars of all products to go out of
southern Idaho this fall His own
urvey indicates that all markets for
daho products will be steadier than
n years past.
Explanation of the business stagna-
ION WHICH mas Deen commented on
~ travelling men and others is given
~ Mr.. Banks along the same line of
easoning as Mr.. Means used for the
armer
Merchants are not stagnant," said
treasurer Banks. They are simply
lot overbuying as they did in the
ears of the war and right after.
This gives an appearance of stag
acy while in fact, it is return to
he normal cautious business condi-
ions that built prosperity 1t is one
+ the explanations of the money-in-
he-bank condition of merchants as
hown by the figures of the banks"
Indications for a solid prosperity
or both farmers and business men
his fall are seen in the financial and
rop condition.