The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1941-06-19
Formers GreotIy
Aided by FCA
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nj vegetables and fruit canned for
the winter. This increased produc..
ton of food did not, of course, add
10 the supply in the commercial
markets. since virtually none OF 1t
was offered for sale. 1t simply
meant a better diet, better health,
and a rising standard of living for
those families.
Debts Adjusted
Often it has been necessary to
work out an adjustment of the fam
ily's old debts, before rehabilitation
could be successful. Local Farm
Debt Adjustment Committees have
been set I'D for this purpose. They
have no legal authority to compel
adjustments, but by bringing the
farmer and his creditors together
for a friendly discussion, they US
ually are able to arrange scale
down of the obligations, reduced IN
terest rates. or extension of the pay
ment period Such adjustments fire.
uuently save the farmer from fore
closure, and at the same time, en-
able the creditors to get substan-
tial payments on what might other
wise have been bad debts.
This service is available to all
farmers. whether or not they are
rehabilition borrowers. Altogether,
debt reductions totaling Sl,10I ,0lS
have been negotiated for the farm
ers in Montana. This represents a
scale-down of 25.5 per cent AS
direct result of these adjustments.
ST. .489 in back taxes has been paid
to local governmental agencies.
In making this special survey. our
field employees reported that there
are 2,729 families in Montana who
are eligible and in need OF re-
Mobilization loans. but have been
unable to get them because of the
limited funds available.
In addition to the rehabilitation
program. Farm Security is carrying
out the Bankhead-Jon Farm Ten
ant Act. which provides limited
number of loans TO competent ten
ants to enable them to buy family
type farms.
Helping Tenant Farmers
During the first three years OF
this program. we made n such loans
in your state. totaling s27l .343. This
wear we expect to make about 20
Bankhead Jones loans in Montana,
amounting to approximately $685.
272 Throughout the country. de-
linuuencies of these loans have
amounted SO far to only &c per cent,
or S23,658, and this has been more
than offset by the fact that other
borrowers have been able to make
advance payments totaling $780,
765, as the result of good crops and
management.
Under the Water Conservation
and Utilization Program. estab-
lished to effect an adjustment be
tween land and human resources
and carried out jointly by the Blu
reau of Reclamation and Farm Sc
curity Administration, two projects
have been approved.
Buffalo Rapids in April 1910.
Saco Divide in February 194l.
On the Buffalo Project. 58,47l
acres of land have been appraised.
Options have been taken by the
United States on 1892 acres of this
land of which 20,782 acres are IT.
irrigable.
On the Saco Divide project, l6,-
ISL acres have been appraised and
negotiations are in progress to ac-
uuire lands for development
There are four resettlement prof.
ects in Montana with 800 families
in residence and a total population
Of 2l51 people. The year before
these families moved to the projects
they produced $4,000 of food for
home consumption and during the
last year have produced $4,000
worth. Despite the fact the land
was raw when these families moved
on the projects they are making
good progress and are we'll on the
l. L.,