The state republican. (Jefferson City, Mo.) 1871-1896, 1896-02-27
RENT IN KANSAS.


tural class of Kansas is the exaction Of
cash rent by nonresident owners Of
farms. This is direct result of the
boom of 1886 and 1887, when unscru-
pulons promoters" went out there
from New England and organized for
the purpose of robbing their moneyed
friends back east. Investment COM
panies" were organized, towns were
doomed and craze of speculation
started in every body's mind. Many
millions of eastern capital were
brought into the state. In the course
Of time the "bonds" representing the
money were foreclosed and the prop
erty passed into the hands of non-resi
identa
In this way it came that thousands
or fafIiss, ens,e laid ont as towns, be-
came the property of non-residents.
Unable to SELL these property holders
arranged through agents to rent their
lands on the usual terms of one third
of the crop. They readily found ten
ants, but the expense of watching the
landlords interest, coupled with the
dishonesty of the agent usually con-
sumed the profits. 1t generally turned
out that the tenant had raised his two
thirds, but had neglected the landlords
one-third To add to the troubles of
these unfortunate landlords, their ten
ants, having nothing of their own at
stake, voted liberal taxes for the erec-
tion of school houses and for the con-
struction of bridges. So between the
expense of collecting the rent and the
added burden of taxes the nonresident
landlords frequently found balance
against them which they had to make
good in cash at the end of the year.
Then the landlords adopted the plan
of exacting cash in advance for the use
of the land, stipulating in the lease in
addition that all forms of taxes should
be paid by the tenant. The latter pro-
vision was introduced in this country
by Lord Scully, who owns many
thousands of acres in Kansas. Scully's
provision had the effect of stopping
public improvements, as he intended it
should. Then the alien-land act was
passed by the legislature, but Scully
overcame its provision by becoming
citizen of the United States.
Politicians, no doubt, will be able to
devise plan to relieve tenants of the
taxes and to compel their payment by
the landlord but how to overcome the
other evil of cash rent is problem
that nobody has been able to solve. II
landlords would agree, even on the
basis of cash rent, to share with the
tenants the chances of crop failures,
the burden would not be so great for
the tiller of the soil to bear. But it
has been the experiment of the nom
residents that, taking chance, means
little or no rent, and so they fix their
rent at interest, taxes and repairs of
permanent improvements and demand
it spot cash in advane AS the major
ity of the farmers of Kansas are rent
ers, class Of men who "live from
hand to MOUTH and have nothing
ahead at the end of the years work,
they are kept in debt, with their imple-
ments and stock mortgaged at heavy
interest charges to meet the demands of
landlords for their cash rent on March
/.
This question of rent has come into
newspaper discussion and it is not un
likely that it will get into the plat
forms of the political parties this year.
The populists say that it is the begin
ming of serious consideration by all
classes, regardless of party affiliation,
of the whole question concerning the
ownership of land.