RURAL PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT 151 



deavour to find a basis of agreement on public questions, on which to 

 take joint action towards a solution. At its numerous conferences 

 the joint committee has devoted most of its attention to the question 

 of finance, especially with that aspect of finance which relates to 

 what is known as rural credit. 



Bills are now before some of the provincial legislatures for the 

 purpose of legalizing the formation of rural credit societies and the 

 co-operation of the provincial and municipal governments in giving 

 financial assistance to such societies. 



The British Columbia Act, passed in March, 1915, providing 

 for the incorporation and regulation of agricultural associations and 

 making provision for agricultural credits, is an example of what is 

 being done in this direction. This Act authorized the borrowing of 

 $15,000,000, to be administered by a commission — the debentures 

 to be guaranteed by the government. 



The specific purposes for which loans may be made include the 

 acquiring of land for agricultural purposes; clearing, draining, dyking, 

 water-storage and irrigation works; the erection of farm buildings; 

 the purchase of live and dead stock, machinery and fertilizers; dis- 

 charging liabilities incurred for improvements; and any puroose which, 

 in the opinion of the commission, will increase the productiveness of 

 the land. 



The Hon. Mr. Manson, superintendent of the commission ap- 

 pointed under the Act, recently stated that it was already proving 

 of advantage in securing the improvement of farms and the assist- 

 ance of agricultural production. A total of 1,041 applications for 

 loans, amounting to an average of $1,554 and a total of $2,175,445, 

 had been received up to October 25, 1916. The loans granted up to 

 that date amounted to a total of $234,430,* and were 144 in number. 

 The individual loan given varied from $250 to $8,000 and the average 

 $1,628. 



The Act deals with the formation of agricultural associations, 

 having for their object the holding of exhibitions, the purchase of 

 seeds, plants, etc., or for carrying on any co-operative industry; 

 also for the formation of a Farmers' Central Institute for the whole 

 province, and of incorporated associations for the purposes of the 

 manufacture of dairy and fruit products, dealing in all classes of farm 

 produce, fertilizers, farm implements, the erection of buildings, cold 

 storage plants, etc. The dividend payable in the share capital is 



* In a statement dated February 9th, 1917, it is stated thai about $1,- 

 000,000 has been advanced in British Columbia under the Agricultural I Ireditfl Act. 



13 



