Evening star., 1924-12-20
WILL URGE CREDITS
!. FOR STOCK RA|SERS
Coolidge Agricultural Com
!, mission Views This as
/ Outstanding Emergency.
BY FREDERIC WILLIAM VILE.

By FREDERIC WILLIAM VILE.
Liberal and long-term Governmen nj
credits to the cattlemen OF the West
and Southwest will be recommended
by President Coolidge's Agricultural
Commission when It reassembles in
Washington, January 5. The plight
OF the cattle breeders on the ranges
is regarded by the commission as the
outstanding emergency in the Ameri-
can agricultural situation. Under the
auspices of the Federal Farm Loan
Bureau, the commission will recon-
mend that relief advances at low
rates and repayable on easy condi-
tfons, be forthwith placed at the dis
posal of the cattle industry.
A few days ago President Coolidge
gave Indication Of his interest In that
particular branch of agriculture by
appointing Albert Calvin Williams OF
Texas to the Farm Loan Bureau Mfr.
Williams is the former president of a
live stock loan company at Fort
Worth. and is especially experienced
in making loans on cattle. 1t is
probable that relief measures to be
urged by the Agricultural Commits
sion next month will be largely di-
rented by Mr.. Williams. They will be
worked out beforehand in consulta-
ton with the presidents of the twelve
regional Federal land and intermedi-
ate credit banks at Springfield. Mass;
Baltimore. Columbia, S. C.; Louisville,
New Orleans, st. Louis. St Paul,
Omaha, Wichita, Houston, Berkeley
and Spokane. incidentally. all mat
ters OF finance affecting agriculture
will be considered.
Sole Emergency Measure.
Help for the cattlemen who are
scattered throughout the rural West
h.
corn belts will be the only emer-
gency measure declared by the Pres
ident's commission to be OF vital and
Immediate Importance. All other
branches of agriculture are found to
be taking care of themselves. Where
not already back on a normal or
serni-normal basis. they are working
steadily and satisfactorily toward
that end. The live stock industry as
a whole is today on a souuder foot
ing than at any time since the price
collapse of 1919 and 1920 But the
cattle breeders-the raisers OF the
animals which are the raw material
of the American meat industry-have
had tougher shedding than breeders
OF sheep or pigs. For the past three
years the cattlemen have been sys-
tematically lquidating. Wartime
loans, contracted at high interest, are
largely paid off. But conditions are
still far from satisfactory. promi-
nert representa- of agriculture in
the Senate says that "three-quarters
of the Western cattlemen are broke"
1t is TO meet that dire emergency that
generous financial measures are con-
templated by the Agricultural Com
mission.
No Legislation Needed.
Treasury authorities consulted by
this writer assert that no new legis-
lation should be necessary 10 effect
the proposed relief program for the
cattlemen. There is said 10 be ample
credit and machinery available for
all purposes, although it is admit ed
that the machinery has not been
operated as helpfully or effectively
as It might have been. President
Coolidge more than year ago eX-
pressed the view that better financial
mana cement in the farming regions
was AS vital to agricultural recovery
rs better agricultural methods. He
said, bluntly, that in his opinion bad
banking was about as much to
blame for conditions as bad farm
ing"
After tackling relief for the cat
tIemen, the Agricultural Commission
tions regarding cooperative market
ing. The attention of Congress was
drawn TO this branch of agricultural
reform by the Federal Trade Com
mission at the beginning Of the pres
ent session. The chairman of the
commission, Huston Thompson, sub
mitted a report on cooperation in
foreign countries, based on Mr..
Thompson's exhaustive studies Of it
ris urged the Senate TO arrange at
once for widespread distribution Of
the report throughout the farming
sections.
Made Seven Reco MN en- dations-
The Thompson report, which dealt
with Is European countries, recon-
mended consideration of the following
projects for the further development
OF cooperation in the United States:
l. Farmers cooperative sales So
cieties for marketing produce as
directly as possible from the farm to
The urban household.
.. A simple, elastic and inexpensive
system of rural credit societies of
the deposit and loan type. managed
by the farmers themselves
5. Distribution of electric power in
rural communities through farmers
cooperative societies for the furnish
ing of light, heat and power.
4. Retail consumers cooperative
societies in thickly populated rural
districts.
). Cooperative distribution of
household coal.
S. Distribution OF milk by con-
sumers' cooperative societies in large
cities.
I. Cooperative export associations
FOR marketing of American farm
products abroad