Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1933-09-14


it already is.
Of course. the farmer does not
count a great deal; that is, we use to
think so. But the last couple OF
years it seems that more and more
of us have become aware of the fact
that the farmer does count after all.
We use to wish him down to the
lower regions when he was complain
ing about his lot, but we do not do
so any more. We have begun to real
ize that farming after all is basic
industry; that If it fails other in
dustries go down with it. Some even
hold that farming is "The Basic In
dustry."
Well, even the Government began
last winter to realize that. Congress
started to mend economic machinery
designed to pull the farmer out OF
the hole, and if it had worked as it
should the farmer would now have
been rescued and with him the rest
of the country. But the sad part of
it is that the wheels of the big ma
chinery won't seem to turn around
i
There is the refinancfng of farm
mortgages for instance. Four long
months have passed and nothing has
been accomplished. Distressed farm
ers have sent in applications for re-
lief loans by the thousands, many of
whom have been sacrificing in order
to save up enough to pay the ap-
praisal fees, so they might find out
whether or not they would be en-
abled to save the old homestead and
get out of that state of uncertainty
and worry under which they have
been laboring for several years. And
what are the results? Hardly any.
The applications are piled up in the
land banks waiting for lack of ap-
praisers, it is claimed. Every now
and then there is a semi-official state
ment in the daily press that so and so
many appraisers are in training and
that in a week or two the land banks
will be in shape to take care of all
the business in prompt and regular
way. But it hasn't materialized yet.
The training of these new appraisers
seems never to be finished. At least
very, very little appraising has been
done yet and the farmers are losing
whatever little faith they had in the
thing.
There certainly could be found men
enough in this country that would be
we'll qualified to go out to appraise
land without going through a four
month term at school for special
training, if the Land Bank Commits
sioner would have asked them, and
graciously. Land appraising is not a
new fangle, it has been practiced
hundreds of years.
1t may be that the farmers gen.
orally are so much indebted that re-
financing cannot be accomplished;
but in that case it would be better
to find it out the sooner the better,
so we could begin to find some other
way out of the mire.
Then we have the Regional Agricul-
tural Corporation making barn yard
loans. What has it done to help the
farmer? To my way of thinking it
has done more harm than good.
Nearly all the farmers that have been
granted loans by this corporation had
all their possessions mOrtgaged to
some local bank that was greatly in
need of funds. The Regional then
took over part of that loan, so much
of it that could be we'll secured, took
first mortgage on all the farmers
chattels, and left it to the local bank
to secure the balance as best it could
This resulted in the farmer getting
two mortgages on his stuff instead of
one With no appreciate saving in in
terest. The local bank was always
lenient-too much so for its own
good; it allowed the farmer to keep
enough money from the proceeds Of
sales of his mortgaged property so he
could meet the necessary expenses
for interest, taxes, upkeep and liv-
ing, just so that the security was
not deprecated is to say that
the farmer kept his equipment well
in repair, and did not diminish the
number and quality of his livestock
What does the Regional demand? 1t
demands that he remit every last
penny received from sales to it. No
overalls or new shoes for the kids can
be bought for that money. If he
wishes to kill rooster for his Sum
day dinner, he must apply two weeks
ahead of time for permission. Well
under such circumstances he simply
cannot continue to farm. So who is
helped? The banks. No, not the
banks either. They may have thought
so, but unless the farmers are put on
their feet in the very near future
and values are enhanced there will
come a day of reckoning.
Government officials are trying to
induce the banks to be more liberal
in their loaning policies, and l be-
lieve the banks would gladly comply.
But how can they. All the govern
ment agencies created to help us out
of the depression are stern in their
demands and fail to show any liber-
ality. They are making none but
we'll secured loans, and they demand
their pound of flesh if the money is
not forthcoming. 1t is setting rath-