1014. 
TTHEi RURAL NEW-YORKER 
*13 
AGRICULTURAL CREDITS IN NEW YORK. 
On March 2 Governor Martin IT. Glynn of New York 
sent a very strong message on agricultural credits to 
the New York Legislature. Governor Glynn’s argu¬ 
ments are unanswerable, and the Legislature can have 
no reason for refusing promptly to pass the two bills 
which have been introduced. These measures are in no 
way political, but it happens that all three of the large 
political parties have demanded this legislation. In 
their National conventions the Republican, the Demo¬ 
cratic and the Progressive parties all called for an 
improved system of agricultural credits. In New York 
State the Democrats and the Progressives definitely 
urged a better system on such credit for New York, 
while the Republicans stood for a general improvement 
This is evidence that all the people through their polit¬ 
ical parties desire such legislation. Governor Glynn 
proposes to save the farmers of New York millions of 
dollars by a scheme for converting the present mort¬ 
gages into what are known as amortization loans. 
l T nder this form of loan the debt is paid back in install¬ 
ments on the principle employed by the building and 
loan associations. This means that each year, or every 
six months, as desired, the interest and a certain portion 
of the principal are grouped in one payment, so that at 
the end of a certain time the entire debt with its interest 
is wiped out. For example, on a loan for $1,000 at G 
per cent, for 10 years, an American farmer pays each 
year $00. or $000 for the 10 years. lie still owes the 
original $1,000. This means that should he ever pay 
the mortgage at the end of 10 years, it will have cost 
him $1,000 all told. 
If (his farmer could avail himself of the European 
system, he would pay each year $135.86. or during the 
10 years $1,358.00, and would have his debt paid, both 
principal and interest. Thus he would save $241.32 
over our present system, and the farm would belong to 
him. Governor Glynn states that the mortgage indebt¬ 
edness of New York farmers is $100,000,000. A system 
of agricultural credits which would change our present 
form of mortgages into amortization loans for 10 years 
will save our New York farmers $24,000,000. If they 
could be changed into 50-year amortization loans the 
total saving on these New York mortgages would be 
$82,000,000. Governor Glynn shows what this form of 
loan has done for France, Germany and Ireland. It 
has encouraged many a man to obtain a piece of land, 
which he otherwise could not buy. It has also enabled 
many a farmer to obtain the needed capital with which 
to operate his farm, and has turned thousands of tenant 
farmers into freeholders, giving the man the right to 
call a piece of land his own. As Governor Glynn says, 
with great force: 
"The tray to make a people collectively the masters 
of the irorld is to make them individually masters of a 
few feet of earth." 
To bring about this result Governor Glynn proposes 
two plans, which will work together in harmony. One 
is the establishment of a large central bank issuing 
debentures, to be secured by mortgages placed by saving 
and loan associations acting as feeders for the central 
bank. 
- In this system existing associations together with 
savings and loan associations to be organized among 
farmers would be stockholders in the central bank. The 
members of these associations would be allowed the 
privilege of borrowing money on the long time amortiza¬ 
tion plan. 
The other plan authorizes the formation of land banks 
as stock institutions by the subscription of private capi¬ 
tal. I'liis system is advocated by many leading agri¬ 
culturists and financial experts who have devoted much 
time to the study of agricultural credit abroad and to 
our need for it at home. 
The two bills have already been introduced in the 
Legislature. We shall analyze them fully, and give a 
thorough explanation. This is the most important 
financial legislation that has yet been attempted for the 
farmers in New York State. Made into law these sug¬ 
gestions will have a far-reaching effect upon New York 
agriculture, and every farmer, not only those who are 
in need of capital, but those who are well provided with 
it as well, should work together to have these bills 
promptly passed and made into laws. 
FAKE EIRE IMPROVERS. 
I inclose an advertisement. I bought a small pack¬ 
age of the stuff, and inclose you a sample. The direc¬ 
tions say: Dissolve a heaping teaspoonfnl in one-half 
pint of water, and sprinkle over one hod of coal. I 
can’t make the stuff dissolve. What do you know about 
it? c. w. c. 
Boston. Mass. 
The advertisement offered “Leskole,” which is 
said to save one-third to one-half coal and money. 
“Slop Burning Up Money." 
It is claimed that the stuff will eliminate all 
waste, beside doing other wonderful things. We 
had the sample analyzed—with the following re¬ 
port : 
“The substance which you send is common salt 
covered with a coating of carbon of some kind, ap¬ 
parently wood charcoal. When placed in water the 
salt does dissolve, and the carbon remains insoluble, 
of course, making it appear not to have dissolved 
at all. If you will place a small amount in the 
palm of the hand and rub it back and forth with 
your finger, the black will all rub off, leaving the 
white cubic crystals of sodium chloride. Taste this 
white stuff and you will recognize the flavor. These 
white crystals* will dissolve in water readily. The 
analysis was made by an expert chemist, and you 
can rest assured it is correct. 
“There is something to be said in favor of the 
various fakes which have been and are fooling the 
market at the present time. None of them will 
save coal, although there are substances which 
mixed with coal would give more complete com¬ 
bustion. These materials, however, are more ex¬ 
pensive than coal, so cannot be used with economy. 
The value in the substances which are sold lies 
entirely in the directions accompanying the pack¬ 
age. These directions alone are worth as much as 
the directions and the substance put together. They 
always say, “Use less coal,” and that advice is 
good for there is no doubt whatever but that poor 
regulation of drafts and poor stoking result in a 
consumption of fuel in most households, at least 
twice as great as is needed. With the use of this 
particular substance which you say is labelled “Les- 
kole,” the effect would be to put out the fire rather 
than to make it burn up, if any effect whatever was 
observed.” r. p. c. 
Amendments to the Commission Men’s Law. 
A bill has been introduced in the New York Legis¬ 
lature amending the agricultural law in relation to 
the sale of farm produce on commission. The present 
law, enacted by the last Legislature, compels commis¬ 
sion men to obtain a license and to give a bond of 
$3,000 in order to carry on the commission business. 
One year’s operation of the law has shown the need 
of strengthening it in various ways. This year’s 
amendments are designed to cover what was shown 
to be the weakness of the law as passed last year. 
The present law states that no person, firm, exchange, 
association or corporation shall receive, sell or offer 
for sale on commission within this State any kind of 
farm produce without a license. The amendment takes 
out the word “receive” and substitutes “or receive for 
sale,” which it is thought will cover a point brought 
out by this last year’s experience. The bond remains 
the same in amount. The present bill states that its 
aim is to secure an honest accounting. The amend¬ 
ment adds the words “and payment to the consignor 
for goods consigned to such person for sale.” The 
amendment also adds the words “due and owing such 
consignor” in the place of “or received and not hon¬ 
estly accounted for” in the present bill. In the amend¬ 
ment, also, the power of the Commissioner of Agri¬ 
culture is enlarged. The power to investigate is given 
to the Commissioner of Agriculture and also to his 
deputy, counsel or other person duly designated by 
the Commissioner. The old bill gavi the investigator 
the power to examine the accounts of the commission 
man at his place of business. Evidently some of the 
commission men got around that by having so-called 
accounts kept by outsiders. In order to cover this the 
amendment adds that “such investigation or examina¬ 
tion may be made not only at the place of business of 
the commission men “or any other p.rson believed to 
be engaged in the solicitation, receipt f r sale or at¬ 
tempt at sale of farm produce on a commission basis.” 
Under the present law, when a shipper wishes to file 
a complaint, he is obliged to have it certified. The 
amendment changes that to “verified.” Under the 
present law the Commissioner is given certain powers 
in granting and revoking licenses. It was found that 
this gave the Commissioner a narrow latitude in hand¬ 
ling several classes of commission dealers. The amend¬ 
ment, therefore, adds the following to his powers in 
this regard : 
“Where the applicant or commission merchant has 
been adjudicated a bankrupt. 
“Where the applicant or commission merchant is 
insolvent. 
“Where there has been a continued course of deal¬ 
ing of such nature as to satisfy the Commissioner of 
the inability of the applicant or licensee properly to 
conduct the business of commission merchant or of an 
intent to deceive or defraud shippers. 
“Where the licensee has been guilty of fraud or 
deception in obtaining his license. 
“Where the licensee neglects or refuses to file a bond 
with additional or other sureties upon due notice 
being given him to do so by the Commissioner of 
Agriculture when the financial responsibility of the 
sureties upon the bond filed pursuant to Section 2S4 
of this Chapter is impaired or doubtful.” 
One trouble with the present law is the fact that 
the commission merchant is not required to keep com¬ 
pute records of his sale, and there has been no way 
of investigating a number of cases which were brought 
before the Commissioner. The amendment to the Jaw 
seeks to overcome this trouble by compelling the com¬ 
mission man to keep the following records of sales: 
He is required to keep the date of sale and the name 
and address of the person to whom he sold the goods. 
This Mill be the keynote of the whole proposition. 
Instead of keeping the selling, price as the present 
law requires, this amendment demands that he keep a 
record of the price which he receives, and, of course, 
the name and address of the buyer, and he is re¬ 
quired to preserve this record for the period of one 
year, and a copy of it shall be mailed to the shipper 
together with payment in settlement within 48 hours, 
unless otherwise agreed. The amendment also makes 
it an offense for any person, firm or exchange not 
only to receive, sell, or offer for sale on commission 
farm produce without a license, but also definitely 
classes, the dealer who advertises or holds'himself out 
to sell on commission. These amendments, if they 
pass the Legislature and are signed by the Governor, 
will strengthen the present law. They are just and 
fair, and what we need. Every farmer and shipper 
in the State should at once get after his Assemblyman 
and Senator and tell them in no uncertain words that 
he expects them to vote for these amendments. Do it 
at onoe. * ' 
New York State News. 
ROAD REFORMS PROPOSED.—The Assembly 
graft committee it is expected will ask the Legislature 
to prohibit highway contractors from making campaign 
contributions, put all highway department employees 
under civil service and make supplementary agree¬ 
ments in highway contracts impossible except on ap¬ 
proval of the State Comptroller. If such recommenda¬ 
tions are adopted they will go far toward solving 
the graft problem as affecting the highways. An in¬ 
teresting fact came out in the testimony before this 
committee the other day. It is interesting only as 
showing to what lengths some contractors went in 
gouging the State. It was stated that asphalt was 
sold to the State in uncleaned molasses baiTels, and in 
vinegar and whiskey barrels, which often contained 
sugar, burlap, bolts, nuts and other rubbish, all of 
which was thrown into the melting pot and charged 
up to the State at clear asphalt prices. This com¬ 
pany had contracts for highway work in Herkimer 
County, one of which was obtained by paying $2,500 
to another construction company. The G.84 miles of 
road cost the State $74,000. 
FINE FRUIT, LOTS OF IT.—It is stated that a 
carload of Greenings was shipped from Williamson, 
Wayne County, a short time ago which topped the 
market at $7 per barrel. It appears that not all the 
fine fruit comes from the Hood River valley. The 
total shipments from Sodus, same county, the past 
year were 3,000 carloads, this including fruit, produce, 
etc. Cold storage fruit is bringing high prices now. 
PEACH BUDS FRvjZEN.—O ne thing is certain, 
the peach growers of Western New York will not have 
to thin their peaches this season. They will be thin 
enough even if there are any at all. Prof. King and 
Mr. Seth Bush are authority for the statement that 
the crop has been badly injured by zero weather, and 
both agree that from 75 to 90 per cent, of the buds 
have not survived the freeze. Some believe that the 
late warm Fall has had something to do with the 
trouble as the wood did not ripen so that the buds 
could better withstand the extreme cold. While the 
peach crop has not failed, it is said, in thirty years 
not more than once, it is this fact th t still gives some 
encouragement to peach growers. 
CONDEMNED MILK SOLD AGAIN.—The aston¬ 
ishing fact was brought out at the hearing of the milk 
commission in New York last week that milk that had 
been condemned by the city authorities because typhoid 
fever had been traced to it, had been reshipped up-State 
and sold, sometimes to butter and cheese factories. This 
statement was made, if he is correctly reported, by Dr. 
M. B. McMillan, of the City Health Board. 
GIVING AWAY COLORING FOR OLEO.— On 
March 3 the Court of Appeals handed down a decision 
sustaining the right of the State to prohibit the selling 
or giving away any coloring matter with the sale of 
oleomargarine. An appeal had been made from a lower 
court by Peter LI. Van Kampen, a grocer of Brooklyn, 
which court had awarded the State a penalty of $100 
against him. lie was charged with giving a customer 
some coloring matter with the sale of a pound of oleo. 
It was claimed that the giving of a customer such color¬ 
ing matter at the time of the purchase of the oleo was 
really an inducement, or at least a suggestion to him, 
to so color it, or in other words it was an invitation 
to him to violate the law. All judges of the court con¬ 
curred in the opinion, which was written by Judge 
J. W. Hogan. 
DUTCHESS FARM BUREAU.—At the monthly 
meeting of the Dutchess County Farm Bureau, held the 
last day of February, it was decided to formulate a plan 
for co-operative buying and selling, and a committee 
was named to carry out the plan. A gift of $400 was 
reported for the work of the bureau from a resident of 
the county whose name was not given. Prof. Wilkinson 
of Cornell will be in the county from March 9 to 12, 
and will take up any problems the farmers have to sug¬ 
gest to him and help them to solve them. The Bureau 
now has 1G2 members. 
CO-OPERATIVE MARKET ASSOCIATION.— 
There has been organized at Unadilla the first farmers’ 
market association in the State, under the recommenda¬ 
tion of Governor Glynn. It is framed along the lines 
of a corporate company, with shares at $100 each. 
Samuel L. Halbert has been appointed as sales agent. 
The officers of the association are: C. O. Potter, presi¬ 
dent; S. A. Fisher, secretary; Arthur Rowell, treas¬ 
urer. The territory covered by the association takes 
in parts of Otsego, Delaware and Chenango counties. 
DAIRYMAN’S LEAGUE.—President Gerow of the 
Dairyman’s League says that while agreements are coa. 
ing in very satisfactorily they yet lacked, the last ’ 
in February, about 60,000 cows. There are at t .ra¬ 
il,000 stockholders, with 315 branches in the five 8_ .. 
Last September a resolution was adopted ty the F •, 
of Directors that if the League received the endorsement 
of 75 per cent, of the stockholders by February 1, the 
the League would ask for recognition in making the 
price of milk. 
AWARDS FOR CATTLE KILLED.—Senator God¬ 
frey’s bill asking the State to pay interest on money due 
to farmers and others owning diseased cattle which 
were condemned and killed by the 8tate. has passed the 
Senate. It was almost unanimous, the vote being 40 to 
1, Senator Carswell of Brooklyn being the one. 
WEEDING OUT POOR COWS.—The Onondaga 
Farm Bureau is making a determined effort to weed 
out unprofitable cows from the herds in that county. 
Last year about 1.000 cows were placed under test, and 
it is planned to add 2,500 more cows to the list this 
year. 
OTHER BILLS.—A bill introduced in the Assembly 
would amend the labor law to exempt employees in 
dairies, creameries, milk shipping stations, butter and 
cheese factories, etc. The bill relating to trespassing 
by hunters and fishermen, and forbidding them to let 
down bars, open gates or fences upon the lands of an¬ 
other, is also before the Assembly, and still another re¬ 
fers to several appropriations for the School of Agri¬ 
culture at Morrisville. J. w. D. 
The Department of Agriculture has analyzed what 
is called “egg powder” or “egg substitute,” which is 
said to have all the effect of eggs in baking. This 
libel on the hen is nothing but baking powder, filled 
up with ground rice, and colored yellow with pow¬ 
dered turmeric. That’s a clear libel on the hen. Even 
the Hope Farm man’s scrubs would be ashamed to 
lay baking powder and rice, even though that were 
counted to help out their record. 
