Jasper County Democrat, Volume 22, Number 7, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 23 April 1919 — FARMERS AND VICTORY LOAN [ARTICLE]

FARMERS AND VICTORY LOAN

(By G. I. Christie, assistant secretary of agriculture) Will farmers buy Victory loan bonds? What the farmers will do In buying the coming Victory loan bonds may be judged from what the farmers have done in connection with the several movements inaugurated during the war. The farmers of the United States, in response to a call for men for the army and navy, gave more than. 1,000,000 boys. In addition to this, the farmiers gave 1,500,000 trained farm workers to the essential war industries, such as ship building, munition manufacture, etc. After giving up this large body of workers, the farmers then produced (in 1918) 35,000,000 acres more crops than ever produced in any previous year. They gave a surplus supply of food, which has fed the hungry people of Europe and helped win the great victory for democracy and liberty. It is also interesting to note that the agricultural counties in Indiana were the first to go “over the top’’ in the sale of Liberty bonds in the past loan. Fanners are interested when approached and requested to buy bonds, in knowing something of the future demands for agricultural products that they may decide something as to their income and just how extensively they may buy Victory bonds. A study of the European situation indicated that

there will be need for every pound of food that can be produced on American farms this year, and that farmers will be given a fair price for their products. When the armistice was signed it was thought that the armies would be demobilized and that the . people of Germany, , Austria Hungary and the other countries of the central empire would return and take up work in large numbers on the land. There was every reason to believe' that the peasants would cultivate the soil and produce a large share of the needed food for this coming year. In this respect there has been, much disappointment. Due to the unsettled conditions and unstable government, the people have been slow to take up any regular occupation. In some of these districts, where there have been many large land holdings, the people are demanding that these be broken up into smaller tracts and distributed. .Many thousands of peasants are leaving the mountain country, where they have been producing livestock, and are coming now down into the valley country, where they hope to get a share of the rich agricultural lands. The peasants on these lands are slow to plant and cultivate, thinking that they may lose their labor and their crops, if the land is given to others. The result of this disturbance is that food production will be materially decreased. .In other territory, due to a lack of transportation and seed, crop production will be very much reduced. Conditions everywhere are sudh that there is little hope to have a normal production. With the disturbance in the country, it is found that the people are now flocking in large numbers to the city. In 1914, the city of Budapest had a population of about 800,000 while the population today is more than 2,000,000. The city of Vienna in the past few months has increased in population more than 1,000,000. During nor'mal times the city of Vienna received 900,000 litres of milk daily. At this time this has been reduced to 90,000 litres of milk, which is given by cards only to babies and Invalids. The first American flour is reported to have reached Germany within the past few days. This flour has been sold in halfpound lots for 2.15 marks. This would be at the rate of about 51c a pound. Other foodstuffs are selling at unusually high prices, all of which indicates that the supply of food is far from meeting the demand. The alleged surplus in India and Australia does not exist. Instead of India having 200,000,000 bnshels of wkeat for export that country must have a like amount to fight off famine. Much of the Australian surplus rotted or was destroyed by rats on the wharves in huge piles into which it had been thrown after the elevators had been filled. Since spring and seed time is fast passing, it would seem that large amounts of American food must find their way to these European countries. Farmers should be directly interested also in the Victory loan sor v the reason that they are receiving large and direct benefit. The recent congress appropriated! SIOO,-

000.<*00 to buy food for th« hungry people of EuApe. This has taken a large eupply of the surplus foodstuffs, and has made a strong market for agricultural products. Recently England placed an order for 200,000,000 bushels of wheat with this country for the reason that credit could be obtained. This credit was made possible by the money furnished the government through the sale of Liberty bonds. It is readily seen that the sale of these large supplies of wheat and meat is making a place and assuring a larger market for the largo wheat crop now in prospect, and for the large production of wheat and dairy products which is bound to come <from the farms this year. Each year farmers borrow money for ■ buildings, machinery, seeds, fertilizer, equipment and other necessaries. in making these loans it is usually necessary to give security In the way of joint notes, chattel mortgage or other satisfactory collateral. When a fanner has Liberty bonds he can take these to the bank, secure a loan, carry out the operations for which the money is secured and in due time make bis payment to the hank. All this lime the bonds have been drawing interest, and the difference he has paid for the loan Is very small. Liberty bonds represent the best possible security, as their borrowing capacity surpasses any other kind of collateral on earth. Farmers are among the most patriotic of American people. They are supporting and serving the government in every big move. By investing in Victory bonds they are rendering a patriotic service and at the same time helping themselves to do their own work In a better way.