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Show ; INDUSTRY HELPS AGRICULTURE N... BUILD UP THE SMALL TOWN Decentralization of Manufacturing Brings Markets for I Products Closer to the Farm Gives Employment 1 and Better Standards of Living to 'v... Rural Communities. 1 , - By T. R. PRESTON - , . ' President, American Bankers Association NO class of people has been more diligent in trying to understand under-stand the agricultural problem than the bankers of this country. The agricultural problem is a real problem and de- t-Mrmnds the best thou8ht f everyone. This -, v, ,v - -? country cannot continue along happy lines ' mm?&r " on'y sect'ona the country prosperous. Prosperity must be passed around if any- - : ' hody i8 long to enjoy it. This question "can- 1 '" ' lt not be 8oIved hy the farmers alone, but the ji 'p?F jl majority opinion is that there is no legislated legisla-ted 1 1 live remedy for agriculture. It is an eco-MX'"V-f' I nomic question pure and simple and must be " CX V."-Lin f worked out accordingly. ' J A few years ago it was contended that -ariculture did not have sufficient credit v--A , facilities. That proposition was often made &Kl a Political question. I do not presume there are many wh W'H question the fact that Y' I I agriculture now has ample credit facilities, i " I Mixing Farms and Factories BHHUBmammmmn It is a fact that no community and no t b. preston state has ever become great purely from agriculture. It is not to the interest of New York and other great centers to see the small communities and the agricultural sections losing their wealth and importance. In the end it will react upon them to their disadvantage. ' There seems to me a real remedy for these small communities and also for agriculture. This remedy, which ii the mixing of Industry with agriculture, agricul-ture, Is now being applied In many localities lo-calities with satisfactory results. Industry and agriculture are better balanced in Ohio, North Carolina and Pennsylvania than in any other states of the Union, and In these states there Is no serious agricultural problem prob-lem and we hear little complaint from the farmers. This mixing of industry ing examples from my own state to prove this proposition, and I mention these because I am more familiar with conditions there than elsewhere.. Twelve years ago Klngsport, Ten nessee, bad a population of about one thousand. Great industries like a large camera company, a big cement plant and a number of other Industries Indus-tries were located tuere partly through the Influence of an outstanding New York business man. In a little more Mixing Industry With Agriculture Means Prosperity for Rural Districts and agriculture Is called by some decentralization de-centralization of Industry. I would not suggest that manufacturing manufac-turing Institutions move from the cities to the small villages, but I do think it would be better for this country coun-try for future industries to be placed In these small villages rather than to be further congested In the great centers. This would in part also be a solution of our labor problem. The bringing of Industries to small villages vil-lages increases the market for agricultural agri-cultural products, gives employment to surplus labor, elevates the standards stand-ards of living, increases public revenue, reve-nue, reduces taxes and vastly increases educational facilities. Two Striking Examples I believe I can give you two strik- than twelve years these have brought the population of that city up to seventeen thousand. Just a few miles away, at Elizabethton, they are building build-ing a great rayon plant, the first unit to cost $5,000,000. The population of that town is now two thousand, but it is estimated that this will be multl plied by five in less than two years. It is stated that the total Investment In manufacturing industry in that community com-munity within a period of five years will probably reach $50,000,000. The balancing of industry and agriculture agri-culture will solve most of our so-called agricultural problems and we will not need such political measures as will in my opinion, do harm if enacted to the very class they pretend to benefit. |