The Camden chronicle. (Camden, S.C.) 1888-1981, April 17, 1914, Image 3
Substantial Farmer to Whoa. Buceeee Co-operation Contribute. Largely.
Go-Operative Farm
Products Marketing
How It Is Done in Europe and May Be Done
in America to the Profit of Both
Farmer and Consumer
By MATTHEW 8. DUDGEON.
? " tttTWV
(Copyright. 191<, WeiUm Newspaper Union.)
WHEN FARMERS ARE BANKERS.
I oynes, County Limerick, Ireland.?
We have Jupt been in the presence of
the best board of bankera that we ever
?uw. They are all what the Wall
street clerk would call "rubes;" they
are hay-Heeds." They are farmers?
who. as you know, must not be con
fused with agriculturists. When we'
think of American banks and bankers
we think of the buildings which have
the finest fronts in town and of the
men who also put up the finest fronts.
We think of shrewd tellers who never
tell anything; of cashiers who are
constantly upon the point of refusing
?cash to thpse who need it most- of
boards of directors who sit in softly
carpeted rooms on upholstered chairs
around polished ' Circassian walnut
?tables. ? The Irish bankers we have
just seen wore mud-bespattered
elothtes. They sat in a pine floored
room on rough chairs, around a rough
able upon which a smoking, smelling
kerosene lamp cast a dim light that
was almost a shadow.
Business Before History
In our search for all that is good in
rural organization, we landed last
.night in Limerick. Limerick is a
mighty interesting city, founded by
i I1'"'!" a thousand years ago; a
<?> which Cro m well 's forces coufd not
>nter until the plague and^avvatjon
com2?Te6 the defGnde^ *ho
could not be conquered fcy the sword;
?' c-ity which, in 1690 withstood a
?lege by King William, who was baf
because the women of the city
S,ti:,th^e men' ^ity whence
aim the wild geeBe who flew from
an r? m SpalD and other 80?them
lands Ko they might indulge their war
ta8tp? which could no longer be
exercised in Ireland.
hisIorJT. "?^ ,m?re ^BO'tant than
h'storic Limerick is the modern vil
locltl Tu Wkh ,ts eg& marketing
tion \n t I /aLm Credlt aasocia
Hftcmnn hoyil^a we came this
:i(, ml.p n a dr,v,ng rain over
which rt > v? flne Irl8h roadways
?of c i f&> 8 avy rainfall can only
,? sUght slipperiness. Wo
die ' r the guidance of A. M. RJd
operntiv^H^f and ,nfiPector of co
Irish* A&rin8' emPloyed by the
rietv ? n k i T1 Organization so
tactftii iri ^riRht' ea*er- energetic,
Bturiv irishman who, after long
fnerL yearS of hard work ^ co
knotf* r 80C,etie8 throughout Europe,
Hno^n co-operation from A to Z.
Farmers Who Are Bankers.
At seven o'clock on this rainy night
the loan 8,X ?f, tl?e 8even ambers of
village tGe a88embled In the
"age clubhouse. Here are si*
*-ho*kn kln<"y Ir,'h gentlemen
Son ? ow their business thoroughly.
Ihrnn h t,hem haVe ^Iven miles
ing withn? n Bnd Wlnd" AH are 8erv*
of i ]i?ti 1 pay* ^ne ,H the manager
teacher prevl<>uslyt a school
men another l? an intelligent ex
'ary- ^n! Royal Irish constabu
laroo r " f ?perates successfully a
W c^e?rm: ?ne 19 * ">"W O'
but M , ?no ,B a sharp, tongued
_.h . heart, good natured farmer
* believer In discreet
htr cono?*'ea under apparent
ene 1. a clerk in a mer
'? ? T*> eecretair
working '5??' teacher with a good
methofa6 "Mounting and.
Th?, How They Work.
over nl|n"thlCtKr ^.ad pr'!vlou"1>' looked
had n. i booka and accounts and
"hlcJr nl,^'1'01'8,1"1* tran8actlons
"?q?enJSWc "?d ?f "fl
Some nf ih- cai,,n? for comment.
"lustrations dT.i, "
loan* ma* he character, of the
we," a" of the method
l>.?'r?tWe ^Lem,P .?w They ""> "?
frr. of the attitude of the
lohi n?n ?W*rd tbfl borrower.
in uhirh f d u*en 'our years
Th" bwks Z87J To,n 01 12 wunds.
>M ,^ ?howed that Immediately
?iK,,Vr ,?.rfcr?l<m' of ,h" ftr? loan
To !""" h?d been made to him.
Wenied " ' ,he ,r<:ond loan
n borrower
ioa.-",d ?on
rulcR tk" 6 and contrary to the
ever t J. ,hC.?raTUe ,howed- bow
>*ylnr th. alownasa la re
Then the interesting fact appeared
that the second loan was given to en
able the borrower to send a bright,
fourteen-year-old Bon to school, for
the purpose of better qualifying him
as a wage earner. The plan had sue- j
ceeded. The boy had been at school i
eight, months, had done well, had se- |
cured a position, and was now so sit- 1
uated that l>e could assist, and was
assisting, In the repayment of the
loan. The inspector, on understand
ing the purpose of the second loan,
Indorsed It as a perfectly legitimate
one, and sanctioned the actlop of the
committee.
Marrying Money. .
As to another case, one of the mem
bers said: "He's all right; he is go
Ing-to be married, and it's a fine girl
he gets and a bit of money, about 76
pounds she'll bring him, too, and that
will help to pull him through and
make the payments."
Of another delinquent a member
said: "A sister was a long time ail
ing, id after a lohg sickness she
died, poor child. He's a fine boy, hon
est as the day Is long. He's a decent
fellow. We can't crowd him. He's
had a hard time. He's doing all he
can, and will pay as sure as the sun
Tires:"
Buying Pigs.
Of another case the inspector said:
"Here's a guard on the train who bor
rowed money from us for the pur
chase of pigs. He hasn't time to tend
hogs, has he?" Hack came the reply:
. "Sure, any of us that has a wife and
a home can keep pigs if he wants to. |
It's as easy to keep pigs as It is to
keep a home at all." It appeared,
however, that no pigs had been
bought by the train guard; that a rel
ative had^.bought pigs, presumably
with the money borrowed. There was
no danger at all as to the repayment
of the loan, the sureties being good.
Fraud had been practiced, however,
and the committee were not at all
complacent about their part In the
matter, feeling they had been too easy
in making the loan. This particular
brakeman would have a poor chance
If he ever asked for another loan. And
so the committee proceeded, sympa
thetically considering each individu
al case, deciding each upon its own
merits, irrespective of what are con
sidered in America to be general]
banking rules. It must be borne in
mind that the cases referred to were
a few delinquents among a very large
number which were promptly settled.
What Money Is Used For.
Many of the loans had been for
the purchase of seeds and manures in
the previous spring. Some of the
members had purchased pigs; 8?"*?"
times a oow was secured. One had
bought a horse, one had built a cow
shed On the whole the rule that
loans could be made only 'or pro
ductive and economic use was well ot>
flGrv6d? * / - I
"It's hard to crowd the boys," said
one of the members. "Ah, that'B the
trouble with us Irish," replied the in
spector. "But good business means
good business, although It is hard t
be harsh at all." South ?f Ireland
temperaments were not altogether,
convinced that harshness was wla
dom, and the answer came back: IMd
you ever know of harshness tp be any
good at all?"
Some Harshness Necessary.
\ The inspector, wno. in our previous
conversation with htm. had seemed
the most easy tempered young man,
developed a. considerable 8?v?rit*
when appearing before the committee.
He kept insisting that the d^inquent
debtors must be dealt wlthmcr*
harshly and in a more business- 1 Ike
way.' In several cases he advised im
mediate legal proceedings U[^B*
something was done. He told them
that unless good business
prevailed a nqw committee must be
appointed or that the society would
get into trouble and would be closed
out. The attitude .vfas more or less
for effect upon the committee. The
man raised in this Bectlon of^rrtand
Is so son-heart ea that he cannot be
harsh In hla own matters, and It is
indeed difficult for him to, be JffljiWM
like when bmrtness41ke methods in
rolve harshness. The committee took
the situation seriously to heart, how
iJv JtHBESSB
ever, and the words of the luspeetor
bad their effect for ?hey promised that
more business like methods would pre
vtt.il in the future.
Good Business Methods.
1 The Inspector had not ouly full
knowledge of co-operative coucerns.
hut wait evidently In addition a skilled
accountant, and pointed out why tin*
j books must be kept uccordlng to tb?
I uniform system of accounts recoin
| mended by the Irish Agricultural Or
i gaulzatlon society. ? A must searching
annual audit of accounts Is also re*
I quired performed by either an ofll?
clai public auditor appointed under
the Friendly Hocleties uct or by per
/ sons selected by the members at the
aunual meeting. Everywhere, as here,
I we have found that'' good business
| and accounting methods are em
j ployed und that careful audits are in
; eisted upon and considered necessary
I to the success of these societies. If
j there is any lack of these qualifica
tions in the farmers who are the bank
j era, the lack is supplied by the I. A.
i O. 8. through their inspectors and au
1 ditors.
Farmers Can Be Good Bankers.
We came somewhat doubting whetb*
er a farmer could be a banker. We
go away convinced that the farmer,
if assisted by good supervision and
I inspection, can be at once a good
[ business man and a kindly neighbor.
! Here in this Poynes society Is a com
mittee of business men who are will*
: ing to come together to consider loans,
of the most trivial amounts and to
meet periodically and discuss meth
I ods of bringing more money into the
little community to be loaned out to
, those needing it. They are ready to
go over all the petty troubles find
, trials and misfortunes of tlie unfor
tunate borrower, to discuss wayB and
.means of helping the weaker brother
| pay his debt. These men are In fact
i bearing the burdens of an entire
| community so far as the stnall busi
ness difficulties are concerned. All
| are most anxious to see every farmer
able to buy good seed, good manures,
good stock and to improve the posi
tion of himself and family, yet equally
anxious to protect the funds of the
bank.
It Is a question whethter the board
of directors of any big financial house
who sit in richly upholstered chairs
around Circassian walnut tables ever
more efficiently discharged the du
ties of bank directors than hava
group of mud-be&pattered farmers sit
ting In, cheap wooden chairs around
this pine table.
One Man One Vote.
This co-operative banking associa
tion at Poynes is under the absolute
control of the. farmers hereabouts.
This control 1b not centered in a few
rich members who have furnished the
capital. Each member has one vote,
irrespective of his investment. There
is no massing of votes In the hands
of those who have the most money in
the concern. Here men . carry the
voting power, not money. The co-op
erative idea Is essentially democratic.
Experience shows that no other sys
tem succeeds. For one man to pos
BeBB twice as much power as his
neighbor renders an association no
longer truly co-operative. Before this
principle was recognized, when one
or two members might outvote 100
members, more than one co-operative
effort went to pieces.
The average farmer member is poor.
He has never handled money. He
may never have made a loan. He
knows nothing of banking forms, of
bank bookkeeping, of the legal rights
of borrowers or of lenders. He is an
easy-going, good-hearted Irishman.
Men of this type control and make up
the loan committee, which must pass
on loans, enforce collections and de
cide on all minor questions relating
to the policy of the organization. How
can such members be good bankers?
In America it takes shrewd, well
trained business men to make a bank
succeed. They know more of bank
accounting than do accountants. They
know as much of banking law as do
lawyers. They have by long study
of their subject become familiar jvith
every phase of it. How then can these
happy-go-lucky Irish farmers become
successful financiers?
The answer, or the biggest part of
the answer, is that the Irish Agricul
tural Organization society hatf ? If
beneficent supervision over them and
furnishes them with the aualiflcatloM
which they lack.
Interview With Doctor McCarthy.
Notwithstanding all that co-opera*
tive credit has done for Ireland, It
still has a lack, says Doctor McCarthy.
The Bmall tenant farmer has had am
ple provisions made for him by the
government for the purchase of hi?
home. Small farmeis, through credit
assocations, have ample opportunities
of obtaining small loans, for produc
tive purposes. What Ireland moBt
needs now, however, is a system of
loans by which the owners of the larg
er estates may secure funds - with
which to make their estate productive
and profitable. The owners of the big
estates are all in need of monejr. They
i are as poor, in a sense, as the poorest
t tenant farmers. The worst farming
f In all Ireland is sometimes found' upon
the largest estates. These farmers
find it difficult to obtain a large loan.
| at a low rate of Interest, <>n long time,
v with privileges of amortisation pay
ments, such as will enable them to' use
money for the gradual upbuilding of
; the productiveness of tfc* " bum . H It
i were possible henfc to borrow money
upon mortgages of this description as
it la in Germsny, in France, in' Italy
,.{snd even in Russia, the rural portions
-of Ireland mm.li pMftg
rapidly. America can safely adopt
the Irish system of, short time por^n
al loans, but we tfrwld U>Ve lu*
tlon something V.?n ; ? ? C
iTchaften bftnfci ( .. .?r
loans.
Farm Lands For Sale
352 acres of land known as the Creed property, eight
miles North of Camden; 200 acres open land, some timber
and plenty of wood on place; one half mile from good
school; one five room dwelling, barns, one store building
and ten tenant houses. Price on application. Terms: one
third cash, balance to suit purchaser.
Small farm, property of H. M. Fincher, one mile East
of Camden; one new $1200.00 dwelling and barns; land
in high state of cultivation; 10 acres of this land produced
seven 500 weight bales of cotton and 144 bushels of corn.
Price $3000.00. Terms '<> cash, balance at 7 per cent, on
easy terms. ?
C. P. DuBose & Company
Real Estate
City Property and Farm , Lands
I
Energies of Household Pest.
Amoru. ,!.e enemieB oi tlie house fly,
including fungus diseases, protozoa,
nematodes, mites, spiders, the house
centipede, parasitic insects, birds, and
fly-catching iats, Mr H. E. Ewing of
Corvallis, Ore., describes in Entomo
logical News a strange parasite which
attaches itself to the ventral body wall
of the fly. It belongs ?to the gamasid
family, and as it feeds it hangs on in
a manner nicely calculated not to
throw the fly out of balance in flying.
Bank Stock
For Sale
I am offering for sale, within:
30 days. Five Thousand
($5,000) Dollars worth of
stock of the Loan & Savings
Bank, of Camden, S. C.
L. L. CLYBURN
DeKALB. S. C.
BANK STOCK
WANTED
I hereby offer Five Thous
and Five Hundred Dollars
($5,500.00) for the Five
Thousand Dollars of Loan
&"Savings Bank Stock, (50
shares) advertised by L. L.<
Clyburn. that 'tjr to say,
t^n per cent- above par.
Henry savage
CAMDEN, S. C.
Funerals Directed
V'V- ^ ' ? ' ' ' ? - - ? ? ? -
We supply the best of burial goods, con
duct funerals and relieve families and
friends of many unpleasant duties ince
dent to death. We are always prepared
to serve those who need our' service.
B. R. McCREIGHT, CAMDEN, S. C.
Profit By The Experience
of Others
c .? . : .t . v
Increase your yield by using the Fertilizers that gives best
results. We are agents for Congaree Fertilizer Company. The
many satisfied customers will attest to the merits of the fer
tilizers that we handle. We have told you in our former ad-"
vertlsements wherein the superiority of these goods lie. .
Full stock on hand of Ammoniated goods, Acid Phosphate,
Kainit, Potash and Nitrate of Soda. See us before placing your
order.
Now is the time to plant your Garden. We have Just re
ceived a large shipment of Seed Potatoes:
IRISH COBBLERS, EARLY ROSE and BLISS SEED POTA
TOES. . FULL STOCK OF GARDEN TOOLS.
We want your business and can make you close prices. Why?
hocaune we buy in large quantities, Wholesale aUd Retail Gro
ceries and Heavy Goods. ?.
Inspect our stock of farm Implements, Disc Harrows, Subsoil
Plows, Guano Distributors, Steel Beam Plows, Cotton and Corn
Planters. We are agents for the Win. J. Oliver Plow Co; X ~~
full stock of Buggies, Wagons, Mules, Horses, and -in fact any
thing that a farmer needs. ;? ? -
? Agent* for Arab Horee Feed, Larrow Cow Feed, also have
Just received a car load of Cotton Seed Hulls, car Oats, Car
Corn and Car of Piedmont Flour. Get prices and save money.
SPRINGS 8c SHANNON
Camden, S. C. *