NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS. The Jewish Agriculturists' Aid Society of America. (Pp.137-138.)

The activity of this organization has assumed noteworthy proportions. During 1902, fifty-six families, consisting of 302 individuals, were assisted to establish themselves on farms in the States of Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Iowa, Wisconsin, Minnesota, North and South Dakota, and in the Territory of Oklahoma. Thirty-four of these families have filed homestead claims on free government land, each taking 160 acres of land. Ten families purchased as many farms in the States of Michigan, Indiana, Wisconsin, and Minnesota. These farms vary in size from 40 to 120 acres; the aggregate amount paid for these farms was $13,780. Twelve families located on rented farms in the States of Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Iowa, and Minnesota. The renters are working an aggregate of 1,210 acres, and the aggregate rent of these twelve farms is $4,160 annually.

Loans to the amount of $19,365.82 have been made by the Society during the year 1902, and the title loans outstanding January 1, 1903, were $27,182.12. The aggregate amount repaid during the year 1902, by the Society's proteges on loans made to them by the Society was $5,806.86.

During the first six months of the present year, the Society assisted 67 families to take up farming as their vocation. Fifty-three of these families have filed homestead claims of 160 acres each in the States of North and South Dakota, and in Missouri. Five have purchased farms in the States of Indiana, Michigan, and Wisconsin, and nine have rented farms in Illinois, Indiana, and Iowa. Loans to the amount of $25,415 have been made by the Society during this period of time to its proteges.

In all, the Society had, on July 1, 1903, assisted 228 families to establish themselves as agriculturists. The Society's proteges are located not only in Northwestern States, but as far South as Florida, and as far West as Nevada. The largest number, 95 families, is located in the Dakotas. Michigan comes next with 41 families; Illinois and Wisconsin, with 19 each; Minnesota, 16; Indiana, 15; Iowa, 12. Four families are located in Missouri; Nevada and Oklahoma have each three families; and one family is located in Florida.

More than 15,000 acres of government land have been taken up as homesteads; title has been acquired upon 5,760 acres of these lands by 36 settlers. The estates of these Jewish farmers, including their live-stock, which counts up 3into the hundreds, or horn cattle and horses, and their implements, represent a value of more than $100,000.

The Society raises its funds for making loans to its proteges by means of "Loan Certificates," which the Society issues in denominations of $10 and upwards. Certificates are redeemable after ten years from date of issue or before that time at the option of the Society, and bear interest at the rate of 3% per annum, payable January 1. The money realized from the sale of these certificates constitutes the "Loan Fund" of the Society. This fund is used for no purpose other than making loans to Jewish farmers. The current expenses of the Society are covered from a general fund contributed by members of the organization and by the Associated Charities of Chicago.

The officers and directors of the Society are: President, Adolph Loeb; Vice-President, Dr. Emil G. Hirsch; Secretary, Hugo Pam; Treasurer, Edward Rose; Corresponding Secretary, A. R. Levy, 1180 Douglas Bldg., Chicago, Ill.; Directors: Louis Becker, Israel Cowen, Leopold Gans, Henry N. Hart, Adolph Moses, Dr. M. Phaelzer, Rev. J. Rappaport, Julius Rosenwald, Emanuel F. Selz, Morris Weil, all of Chicago, Illinois.