| Show I I The Farmer and War Bonds r I b by Mr A. A S. S Goss Master o of the National Grange a w TE E FREQUENTLY hear farmers farm- farm WE W ers raise the question as to whether or not they should buy War Var Bonds as long as they are in debt The answer to this question should depend in large measure upon the nature of the debt and whether or not it is current If part of it is past due and the borrower expects to experience difficulty in meeting past due payments the he probably should bring his debt into t current position before investing r in Bonds If however his payments payments payments pay pay- ments are current there seems to tobe tobe tobe be no reason why farmers should not buy as many Bonds as they are able Most individual investors invest invest- ors in government Bonds are carrying carrying carrying car car- i debt in one form or another another another an an- other at rates higher than the Bonds will yield This is as it should be if the purchaser is in an earning position which permits the accumulation of some surplus forwe forwe for forwe we all owe it to our government to do our utmost in the financing of the war even though the transaction transaction transaction trans trans- action may result in our paying payin some extra interest on outstanding ing debts I When a farmer owes money he heI heis heis I is always concerned as to whether 1 crops will sell at prices which will enable him to repay his debt When prices are arc high it is good business and conservative finance I to reduce the debt as rapidly as asI possible because when prices are low ow it takes more crops and more I efforts to make the payments We Ve should not forget however however however how how- ever that a government Bond will pay payoff off an equal amount of dollars of debt no matter whether prices are high or whether prices are low It is therefore a sound and conservative conservative conservative con con- practice to buy government government gov JOV- Bonds and lay them aside to make payments on existing debts when they fall due In fact quite aside from front the patriotic appeal it is good business to buy Bonds rather than make pre payments on debt because the time may come when the ready cash Is needed and the money tied up in pre payments cannot be re- re turned If IC this money is in invested invested In in- vested in Bonds it can be converted con con- converted into cash to meet any needs which may arise If everyone followed the policy of buying no War Bonds until their debts were paid few Bonds would be sold to the public We Ve have an obligation to help finance this war which is vastly more important than the income we may receive on the investment of money in War Var Bonds Farmers are finding it impossible ble to maintain their machinery and buildings in a satisfactory state of repair They are fording finding 1 j that they cannot replace worn out 1 equipment except at excessively j high cost 1 It would seem to be sound and conservative business practice to lay aside money to make the repairs and replace replace replace re re- place worn-out worn equipment I when material and machines are again available No safer r place can be found to lay aside money for such purposes than thanin thanin thanin in government Bonds Every time we buy a Bond we weare weare I Iare are not only assisting in financing j i the war but wa wo are also ilio doing our ourbit ourbit bit to prevent that most dreaded I economic disaster called inflation If each one of us would invest as much as we could In government Bonds the danger of inflation would be greatly reduced U. U S. S Treasury |
