THE FOOD CRISIS AND AMERICANISM 53 



What does this one per cent, of extra and absolutely 

 unnecessary rate mean?, It means that the farmers 

 pay at least $2,000,000 per annum additional interest. 

 As the Land Bank loans mature in from five to twenty 

 years an average of about twelve and a half years 

 these borrowers during that time must pay $25,- 

 000,000 for the privilege, or as a penalty, of having 

 this business conducted by political appointees, instead 

 of by responsible men with long years of experience 

 in that particular line of business. One's head swims 

 when he attempts to compute the amount of this un- 

 necessary burden, when, as they anticipate, the Fed- 

 eral Land Banks shall have placed upon its books 

 $4,000,000,000 in farm mortgages. How much will 

 this $40,000,000 per annum and the millions to follow 

 increase food production, or aid in the " Betterment 

 of Agriculture " ? But this is a fair sample of the 

 so-called " Farm Legislation." 



