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About The Athena press. (Athena, Umatilla County, Or.) 18??-1942 | View Entire Issue (Sept. 6, 1929)
THE PRESS, ATHENA, OREGON, SEPTEMBER 6, 1929 THE BANK'S PART IN THE FARM PROBLEM t H. Lane Young By H. LANE YOUNG Member American Bankera Aesocla - tlon Agricultural Commission ONE of the most discussed and least understood questions regarding the farmer's problems is the part the bank bas played, or is to play, 1n financing the farmer. The basis of co-operation between the two, however, is a very simple one. Both sides are subject to criti cism for the con dition that exists today. The major share of the blame rests on those banks that have failed through disregarding funda mental principles in loaning other people's money, that have encouraged the farmer to expect bank loans with out first putting his business on the earning basis which "would Justify a bank to lend him money. One of the underlying reasons for the failure of so many country banks bas been the existence of too many banks. .With the limited business of the commmunlty divided among too many banks It was Impossible for them to make enough money to Justify the employment of officers with the proper ability to manage the bank success fully. Then the scramble for business was so hard that good Judgment and foresight were forgotten in granting loans, with the resultant failure of the weaker institutions. In the future, banks are not going to loan the money of their depositors without the kind of security that can be immediately realized upon in case the loan is not paid, or unless the ap plicant presents a sound and success ful record of business operation whether that business be manufactur ing, merchandising, or farming. . Farming-Banking Interdependent This Is a perfectly obvious attitude, because country banking cannot be successfully and profitably carried on unless farming is successfully and profitably operated the two busi nesses are dependent upon each other. There is no longer any question that the time has arrived for these inter dependent businesses to reach a com mon ground of understanding of the requirements that both must meet for their mutual welfare. There is no doubt but what the fu ture prosperity of the farmer and the basis of cooperation between banker and farmer is the intelligent diversi fication of crops. It is necessary, how ever, to have the right conception of diversification. The mistake that many farmers have made In attempting to diversify has been to Invest too much money, time and land in a new and untried crop Bometlmes a hazardous crop, or one for which no immediate market has been developed, resulting in a loss of the initial effort and discourage ment of future efforts on a more con servative basis. Disregarding the primary and essen tial principle of farming namely, in creasing earnings by decreasing the cost of production through the prac tice of building up soil by crop rota tion and Intensive cultivation, is re sponsible for a largo share of the farmers' trouble today. As An Agriculturalist Sees Farm Board's Job The new Agricultural Marketing Act approaches farm relief from a materi ally different point of view from that of former bills before Congress in re cent years, says Dean II. L. Russell of Wisconsin University College of Agri culture In the American Bankers As sociation Journal. "It contains a new idea, fraught with the greatest possibilities the organi zation of a Federal Farm Hoard," he nays. "It has been possible for farm cooperatives to borrow from Federal, aided institutions before, and at a ma terially lower rate than city business men bad to pay for working capital, but this is the first sot-up made by the government in which a commis sion has been carefully chosen to give undivided attention to an effort to solve the problems of a farm group. "It is hard to conceive of a higher degree of responsibility than must be assumed by this commission. No board over created by congressional action has been clothed with as wide plenary powers. It is authorized not only to advise but to execute, to plan and put its plans into etfoctive action, to buy and hold, to dump, to dip into the Federal treasury to accomplish its ends with what would be almost un limited resources to any private com mercial concern. The board's only Job is to succeed, and no govern mental agency- even during the war time emergency had a wider latitude. "Many will think the farm relief program will be universally applicable to the individual land owner or oper nlor. Such procedure is far from the case. Aid is to be extended through cooperative organizations by making it possible for such groups to obtain caiia advances to bold crops so as to permit ot more orderly marketing. "While the primary relation is with cooperatives, the individual or unor nanlzed .farmer will also profit by the activities ot bis organized fellows. If a stabilized program ot merchandising li able to elimlnatt the surpluses that exert such depressing influence OS prices the general price relation should be Improved. If this occurs the individual farmer should also benefit "It is here the government Is pro. posing a novel attempt in economics. Through stabilization corporations for each commodity it is proposed to make possible the handling ot the surplus so as to lessen its disturbing Influence on prices. With non-perishable products such a program is, ot course, conceivably possible, but one wonders what would happen it . sta bilization corporation had to handle a perishable crop In great quantities. "Is It going to be possible for a sta bilization corporation to stabilize? It would be one thing if it had merely to stabilize the American situation, but often that situation Is complicated with world conditions. Perhaps the very tact that such a stabilization cor poration Is In position to function may have a steadying effect on the market. "Markets respond to psychological stimuli as do Individuals. The very fact that the government has now def. lnitely stepped Into the breach witli all ot its resources available to make the new plan work will exert un doubtedly a strong stabilizing effect. "It would be presumptuous to fore cast what the ultimate effect of the new act will be. It can, however, be definitely stated that In the present plan much ot the philosophy that had been so drastically criticized as eco. aomlcally unsound has been elimi nated. The existing plan is worth trying. It will undoubtedly cost the Federal treasury no Inconsiderable amounts of money, but If it produces the hoped-for result It will have been, well worth while." Take American Ideas and "Coin" to France, It is curious that both in the south east and southwest of France there have long been what the French neigh bors call American villa towns. But those who live in them are not our Americans at nil. One of these towns Barcelonnette, on the motor rood from Nice to the French Alps nnd Lake Geneva has been given all the privileges of a tourist station by government decree. It has some 3,000 inhabitants, with streets laid out regularly and the out skirts built up in what are known as American houses square and white and with green blinds. Those who live in them are purely French emigrants of a full century ago, or their children, who have come back from Mexico nnd our Mexican frontier after making a fortune. It is said that the least successful returned with $10,000, and some with $100,000 nnd even more. They built up their little neighborhoods to resemble what tlioy had for themselves in the New world. One from Texas built a verl tnliio chntenu. but society must hove lii'on too strong for hlra in France, imhI he took his family back to free America. Perhaps tils grandchildren iiiv among our own Americans who now own 1,500 villas on the Klviera. Kxchnnge. Pray With Child, Is Advice Given Mother Of course, the real way is not t tench children to pray at oil, but whether privately or in the famllj group, to pray with them. Here ii a mother who still la trying to gel nn adolescent boy to bow at her kne ouch evening and say his prayers. Sh suspects that something is the matter j She can see that his dutiful deslr to please her Is under increasing strain. Strangely enough, It never has oc curred to her that both physically ii ml mentally her method is wrong and that if she wants her boy to pray, from the beginning she should have been on her knees beside him praying with him. - , She should see also that very soon Klie must take her hands off that in thmite matter altogether and let him pray as he will, trusting not so much to anything she has told htm as to the fact that he knows by observa tion the value of prayer to persons whom he himself has loved and ad mired. Religion Is something that only sec ondarily can be taught It must pri marily be absorbed, and then the teaching can persuasively set .forth the meaning of the life that the child finds himself both observing and catch ing in the home. Hurry Emerson In the World's Work. "Days of Real Soort" in Rural Community To mnny who have never lived in the country the life of the fanner seems to be on emllpvs round of l.ibor, with little, if any, pleasure to break the monotony. However, like many, opinions formed by one-lmlf of the world in regard to how the other half lives, this point of view Is errone ous. True, the farmer's toll Is Ineesfunt throughout the year. It has ever been thus. On the other hand, there always has been much to relieve It of which the city-bred people know little or nothing. It also contained In the oldn days certain picturesque elements lacking in the country life of today. There was a color and sparkle which the more or less sophisticated rural life of the present time knows not. Think of the sleighing purties, the husking bees, the apple-paring bees, the quilting parties and the singing school, to say nothing of the "rais ings." Some ot llicse Involved labor, of course, but the socinl element over shadowed "the work element ; and . a "raising" was an eagerly anticipated event Boston Globe. Water Connoisseur Managers of. archeological expedi tions into the Orient find that the wa ter boy Is one of the most important personages about the diggings and one who must be taken care of. Without this institution the laborers would re fuse to work, says a member of a re cent expedition Into Turkey. The Turk and the Greek and all other peo ples of the Levant drink four or five times the amount of water that we oc cidentals drink. And, what Is more, they insist on Its being pure. They have a fine tnste In water vintages. Turks have been known who could distinguish between water from a stream which had Mowed through an oak forest and tluit which had flowed through a forest of firs. They also drink from one spring nnd refuse another. Distance of Horizon The actual distance of the horizon depends upon the height above sea level of the eyes of the observer. The horizon Is always ns far away as one can see. The higher one goes up from a given point the greater Hie distance of the horizon. The observer looking out over the land or sen from a high place can see more of the earth's round surface before the curve of the surface takes things beyond the range of vision. If one stands on a cliff 100 feet high at the seashore nnd looks to ward a point where a ship Is coming toward the shore, the ship enn be seen much sooner thnn If standing nt sea level. In exact words, one sees ac tually more of the earth's surface the higher up one is because, with the in crease of elevation, one's position In relation to the curvature of the earth's surface changes. Rather Different No one in the village showed much concern at the news that Booker was dead, for he had earned a reputation as one who could not be trusted. But a few months after his funeral Rooker was responsible for a big sensation. "Have you heard about the deface ment of Rooker's tombstone?" asked one villager of another as the two met In the main street It appeared to be the one topic of conversation In the place. But the second villager, had not heard about It "What's happened?" he inquired. "Some one has added the word friends' to his epitaph." t "What was his epitaph?" The first villager grinned. "'He did his best.'" he said. In Bridal Attire The rectory of a certain church Is the scene of an unusual number of weddings due perhaps to the popular ity ot the rector and the beautiful service he reads, which impresses the couple being married with the solemn nlty ot the vows being taken. On a recent occasion the minister saw an amused look on the face of the bridesmaid, one almost bordering on a titter. He did not know the cause of it until the service ended when, on looking around, he saw his baby granddaughter Ann arrayed In a hat and other requisites of the bridal party. Indianapolis News. THE ATHENA MARKET We carry the best Meat That Money Buys Kippered Sainton, all Kinds of Salt Fish. Fresh Fish. Oysters, UraDS, warns, tvraui in oeasuii. A. W. LOGSDON I Main Street Athena, Oregon. Marie Antoinette Made i - Blue Flower Popular : One ot the most popular patterns for china during the last years of the Eighteenth century was a little in dividual sprig of blue cornflower, sometimes used In combination with a green leaf and sometimes without This pattern was so much used at 'the Chantilly potteries that when copied by the English potteries it was known as the "Chantilly Sprig." Later the name was shortened to "Sprigged 'China. However, the design was 'first made at Sevres and owed its origin to Marie Antoinette. ' This young queen of France took a great interest in the porcelain works at Sevres and frequently visited the Sevres factory, where a great deal of Porcelain was made at her order for her rustic farm of Trianon. ; Marie Antoinette's favorite color was blue; and one day while visiting the Sevre works she mentioned that Sevres had produced nothing but roses, tulips, and Jonquils and no blue flowers. Hoping to please the royal lady Hettinger gave orders to have painted on the dishes the little blue corn flower that she loved so much. In stantly on its appearance the tiny blue sprig became the rage. Chan tilly took it up and all the large pot teries In England followed suit Kan sas City Times. Oxen Play Important Part in Korean Life The Korean people are most Indus trious workers of the soil, and from time immemorial oxen have borne the brunt of the battle. Methods of cul tivatlon preclude the use of mechani cal devices and, as the native horse Is too small for farm labor, the farm er's main beast of burden is his ox or cow. These animals plow his fields, haul his heavy loads and turn his mill The lost service which Korean cat tle render their masters is to be slaughtered for food or for hides. Since the expulsion of Buddhism by the II dynasty In the Fourteenth and Fifteenth centuries, the people have been accustomed to the use of meat us an article of diet particularly on all ceremonial occasions. As most of the farmers live . In small Isolated communities, the cattle market be comes his "social center," combining his club, newspaper and debating society. Intelligent Locust The locusts are the only living be ings that "have made the world safe for democracy." They are the only one who have actually learned the se cret of co operation. They have abso lutely no overhead charges. They do. not have to support a king, nor pay a horde of professional politicians and government officials to manage them, while they themselves do the work By some masterly system of "get-to gether" they perfect an excellent or ganization without lendershlp, and without Internal dissension. .That is more than any collection of human beings has ever been able to accom plish. . Bell & Gray Phone 593 Two Auto Truck Drays Always At Your Service City and Country Hauling ICE LOOK THIS OKI Dwelling, barn -out buildings, 4 acres good, , ?1500 80 acres bottom, fenced, no build ings, Idaho, ...... 4000 Business building, ample living quarters adjacent, all 750 600 turkeys at $2.00 each by the bunch, . Good home and 85 acres priced down. 320 acres best quality farm land. B.B RICHARDS, mm Who Wants an Imitation? WOULD you call on your local mer chant and ask. him for ''imitation' sugar, or raisins, or coffee? Would you ask him to sell you a pair of shoes r made of something "just as good" as ' leather? Or a suit of clothes "made for" a man, whether or not it fits you? ..' Get the Genuine International Repairs When you need re pairs for your I H C Farm Equipment, buy the genuine re pairs. See that this u .trade-mark appears on each piece. Genuine I H C repairs are made from the original patterns all others are copied from copies. Genuine I H C repairs are made of the same material, have the same finish, fit as accurately, and wear just as long a3 similar parts purchased with tne original implement or machine. We are the Authorized IHC Dealers There is one certain and infallible way to secure genuine IHC repairs- buy them from us. And remember that International service, rendered by us, can only be 1 00 per cent right when International machines are equipped with , genuine International repairs. ROGERS & GOODMAN A Mercantile Trust Athena, Oregon INSURANCE PLUS Every motor vehicle should be pro tected by Public Liability and Pro perty Damage insurance. Cost very little and is worth many times the cost. Every owner should carry Landlords, Owners and Tenants Lia bility insurance, only $7.50 and may save your home. This is an age of ambulance chasers and damage suits. You owe it to yourself and to society. Neglect may wreck your fortune; it is wasting nt the bung hole and sav ing at the spigot. Liability protects you, life insurance protects your fam ily. We write it and service our policies throughout the policy year. Insurance plus service.- B. B. RICHARDS. COAST RED CEDAR. FENCE. POSTS Direct from Producer' to Consumer Buy Collectively Address, N. Bolvig, Box 327, Orting, Washington Jensens .''I'" Blacksmith Shop Repair Work PriceswReasonab!e Athena, Oregon MIA lil PI and 8MB STAIN e. t. Booth Successor to "Pink" Third Street - - - Athena Why suffer with tired, aching feet? Regardless of their condition, I can - . help you E. M. MOREMEN Foot Correctionist 22 W. Main St. Walla Walla iBBTiNG The Gun Man ' I make a specialty of SPRAY-Painting Barns Houses Elevators Mills v or anything that you might have to paint. CALL me for an estimate J. P. McCarroil ' 404 Bellevne PJjpne 3017 Collect Walla Walla, Wash. Twin City Cleaners The firm that does your work as you want it done, at the Consistent with expert workmanship. We call for and deliver on Monday, Thursday and Saturday. ; We are represented in Athena by Perm Harris Phone 583 T. E. Smith, Prop. Freewater, Oregon Lowest Reduction In Electric Light Rates The following reduction in Electric light rates will be in effect on and after March 15, 1929: . Residential Rates First 30 KWH hours used, per month....l0c per KWH Excess over 30 KWH used, per month....3c per KWH The above rates apply when bills are paid in full within 10 days from date of bill. Otherwise, the rate will be increased by 10 per cent on each item. - -. Commercial Rates First 100 KWH used per month,.:.- 10c per KWH Next .200......... - 7c per K WH Next 300. :.: 6c per KWH Next 400............................ ;.-oc per KWH Next 1000.... .. ..4c per KWH Excess over 2000.... ........ScperKWH The above rates Apply when biils re paid in full wHMk 10 days from date of bill. Otherwise, the rate will be increased by 10 per cent on each item. , Preston-Shaffer Milling Company PAi"4Vf-i.prFTFTrTi . Announcement THE FIRST NATIONAL BANK OF ATHENA, OREGON, Announces that it has com-pieted the organ ization of a Trust Department and is qualified to act as Executor, Administra tor, guardian, or in any other fiduciary capac ity Just think what 37 years of successful banking experience would mean to the executor or ad ministrator of your estate. Ask us for Information