74 OUR USE OF THE LAND 



see and follow, for the Soil Conservation Service made a point 

 of doing this work only in those regions where it would serve 

 as an example to convince other farmers of the value of good 

 soil conservation practices. From the point of view of the 

 farmer, the government had assisted him to make immediate 

 improvements on his land which he probably could not have 

 made unassisted for a long time. 



The activities of the government under the Soil Conservation 

 and Agricultural Adjustment Acts might be called 'a perma' 

 nent land use program aiming to establish a permanent balance. 

 Agriculture was in such a bad state, however, that certain 

 temporary projects were started giving immediate and direct 

 assistance. 



EMERGENCY FARM AID MONEY 



What we call the temporary acts can be divided into two 

 classes. The first class was a series of laws to help the farmers 

 out of debt. The second class was concerned chiefly with pro 

 viding the farmer with productive land. 



An investigation of the farm debt must begin with a discus' 

 sion of credit. The credit problem can be solved in two ways. 

 The first way is by lending money at a low rate of interest. 

 Since the administration of Andrew Jackson the federal 

 government has dabbled with various schemes which it was 

 hoped would provide the farmer with the money he needed. 

 During Woodrow Wilson's administration the Federal Land 

 Banks were established. These were banks partly supported by 

 government funds. Their primary purpose was to lend money to 

 the farmer at a low rate of interest and with a long period for 

 gradual repayment. 



Since Wilson's administration the number of these banks 

 has been increased, and it has been made easier for the farmer 

 to borrow from them. However, the farmers needed more 

 than these banks could supply. Consequently the farmers bor' 



