REPORT OP THF SECRETARY OP AGRICULTURE. 45 



workers have rendered, and will continue to render, valuable assist- 

 ance. The operations of the Farm Loan Board, especially in pro- 

 moting the creation of its farm-loan associations, should be influen- 

 tial and highly beneficial. 



What further can be done by the Federal Government directly to 

 stimulate personal-credit unions it is difficult to outline. This mat- 

 ter has received consideration at the hands of many experts and was 

 thoroughly canvassed by a joint committee of Congress. The con- 

 clusion, up to the present, seems to be that the field is one primarily 

 for the States to occupy through sound legislation. During the last 

 five years State laws, more or less adapted to the purpose, have been 

 enacted in Massachusetts, New York, Rhode Island, Wisconsin, 

 Texas, North Carolina, South Carolina, Utah, and Oregon. Under 

 these about 125 associations have been organized, 'but the larger 

 percentage of them have been formed by wage earners in urban 

 centers. The attempt to develop strictly rural credit bodies has 

 met with somewhat more success in North Carolina than else- 

 where. In this State the work of promoting and supervising such 

 organizations was placed in charge of an official in the Division of 

 Markets and Rural Organization of the State College of Agricul- 

 ture. The law of this State was enacted in 1915, and at present 

 18 credit unions, all of them rural, are in operation. It is note- 

 worthy that the North Carolina law makes special provision for 

 educational and demonstrational activities. 



In 1917 the Bureau of Markets prepared a tentative form of a 

 model State personal credits law. This was published in its Service 

 and Regulatory Announcements. In it were embodied the best views 

 on the subject, but it was submitted merely as a tentative plan. 



The Department, with its existing forces and available funds, will 

 continue to foster the cooperative movement and to keep in close 

 touch with the Federal Farm Loan Board. 



m 



LAND SETTLEMENT. 



Interest in land for homes and farms increases in the Nation as 

 the population grows. It has become more marked as the area of 

 public land suitable and available for agriculture has diminished. 

 It is intensified at the present time by reason of the suggestion and 

 desire that returned soldiers and others who may wish to secure 

 farms shall have an opportunity to do so under suitable conditions 



