The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1934-08-30
Baney And |!
Whit Named
On Committee
Appointed by Gov. Cooney
To Have Part in I'm
p0rtant Work.
DUTIES INCLUDE FARM
DEBT ADJUSTMENT

onerlf Frank Baney of Libby ane
John E. Whit, Eureka, were appointed
this week by Governor F. H. Coone,
to serve on the farm debt advisor,
committee of Lincoln county, r. w
| Smithberger, chairman of the loca
conciliatory body said today.
Prior to these appointments Mr.
Smithberger had been the only member
of the Lincoln county group, Timothy
Miller, the other of the two original
appointees, being unable to serve.
First organization of counties in
northwest Montana was effected july
80 at Kalispell at a meeting Of Flat
head, Lake and Lincoln county COM
mitteemen. Mr.. Smithberger attended
this meeting which was addressed bv
Merritt Greene of Washington, repre-
sentative of the farm credit admins
tratipn; Berkeley A. Davis and c. c.
Rowan OF the Spokane Federal Land
bank, and 7. ]. O'Connor, assistant Co
ordinator of the state farm debt adj
visory committee
The Lincoln county group will hold
second meeting in Libby Saturday
morning, September /, at 10 o'clock.
Mr.. Smithberger stated. At that time
regular dates for meetings will be
designated and other details Of organ
ization completed.
Farm debtors or creditors who are
seeking solutions to cases wherein in
debtedness has occasioned distress are
invited to present their cases to the
committee, or one of its members, at
anv time, the chairman declared. AL
though few applications have been
received, he continued, the number OF
requests for Cancellation of debt trou-
bies in Lincoln county is not expected
to approach the proportions Of the
work handled by committees in the
more agricultural counties Of the state.
After case has been presented and
all information gained from the prin-
cipals, it becomes the duty of the cum
mittee to act as friendly conciliator
between debtor and creditor. In other
states and recently in Montana, it has
been found that oftentimes, by such
action, the farmers home may be saved
and the creditors investment protected
by the mutually-satisfacte agree
ment which are suggested by the COM
mittees.
Montana, according to information
recently distributed by the state farm
debt advisory committee, is the forty
third state TO sponsor conciliatory
program in cases OF farm debt distress.
The movement began early in May
when conference of representative
stockmen, farmers, bankers and bust
ness men was called by Governor
Cooney. AT that time Alvin T. Ander-
son, farm credit administration official
Of Washington, .. c., outlined plan
Of Cancellation machinery which has
been worked out successfully in other
states
The function OF the county commit |
tee, sometimes judged prematurely and
enormously by parties unacquainted
with the debt advisory movement, is
not to state how the distressed cases
are to be settled. The committees pur-
pose, instead, is to assist in getting the |
creditor and debtor together for a I
friendly conference.
The committee selected for each /
county have as their members reputa-
BILE citizens, aware Of local conditions
and holding the best interests of their
neighbors foremost. Nearly always it is
possible for such group to counsel
wisely and suggest procedure which is
beneficial to the debtor and !