The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1911-12-05
THE. PERMANENT TENANT
PROBLEM.

An effort is being made IN some
sections Of this state to solve the
farm labor problem. The plan IL to
secure permanent tenants Who Will
he provided with a house, a small
portion Of land-about ten acres
for cultivation. an opportunity to
keep a COW. some pigs and a few
chickens. and to be employed the
year round. Evidently this Is the
only means by which North Dakota
farmers ran save themselves from
the high prices Of farm labor which.
under conditions as they have exist
ed. have eaten a large hole In the
income Of the farm. But there are
several collateral considerations.
The man who is provided with a
home for his family with an oppor.
tunity to save SO that he may in
time own one himself. is worth more
to the man who employees him than
cne who comes only for a few
months when wages are high. and
who means I get the most money
for the least energy and seek other
fields. This is largely the class of
help available in harvest and thresh-
ing time. There are notable excep.
ttcns-honest men who come to earn
honest dollars-but they are in a
hopeless minority.
The plan proposed means a con-
siderable outlay to the farmer. but
1t will be an investment on which he
will realize an income from the first.
because the man who is provided
with a home and the items which it
ls proposed shall go with 1t. a at
ford to work for smaller wages than
he could were he forced to pay for
those things. The farmer would get
a rent from his investment in the
lower cost Of his labor. and the la
horer would be just as we'll off by
renting from the farmer as from
some one else. He would ven be
farther ahead because his family
would have an opportunity Of realiz-
ing the income from the land at his
disposal and at the same time have
healthful employment. With house
rent free ten acres of land in North
Dakota devoted to small crops. with
the products of a CON and a flock
OF chickens and q couple Of pigs for
meat will go Il long ways toward
supplying the table Of a family dur
ing the entire year. The wages Of
the man would be largely savings for
investment in a home of his own.
The ten acres turned over to the ten
ant would nave little effect on the
average farm. The farmer could
hunch up a little on his other land
and make it do enough to more than
Y the loss from the ten acres.
Before the new plan Of tenantry
can be made possible. II Will be nee
essary. however. to change the meth
DDS Of farming from the one crop
plan to such a diversiication that
there will he employment at event
producing industries during the en-
tire ear. instead Of as now. during
three or four summer months. The
greatest obstacle to dairying in this
state in the past has been that help
could not be procured during the
winter to do the milking and perform
the other work necessarily attached
to this industry. The permanent
tenant plan would solve this problem.
The tenant would hardly object to do
ing this kind of work if 1t were a part
OF a days duty. The objection has
been that such things were chores on
the average farm TO. be done before
the days work begins and after il
ends.
More stock can be kept on the
farm if help is available during the
winter months to care for it.. This
stock would consume much Of the
crops that are essential to the clean
ing and restoration Of the soil. Corn
and clover in his state can be coined
!nto dollars by stock feeding. The
n claims the land and the other
returns TO it the soil elements that
been overdrawn by = c~ontinu-
Gus one crop system. This stock
would. add I o the certain income of
the farmer. would eliminate the pos
stbility OF lean years which must
even be an element In one-crop farm.
Ing. and increase the value Of the
land by making one acre produce
what three or four do under any 9TH
er than a diversified system. The
year around tenant could earn a large
portion of his winter months salary By
loading and driving the manure
spreader.
Another often overlooked but new.
ertheless important advantage Of the
permanent tenant system would be
the relief il would afford the farm
er's wife. She gets little considera-
tton in the plans for improving farm
conditions. but she is an essential ele.
ment in the agricultural problem,
During the rush season she is forced
I" cook Cor all the help on the farm.
She has little help because kitchen
help On the farm is difficult to OBJ.
tain in this country. II the tenant.
resided in their OWE homes on tn.
farm they would probably board a,
home and thus the wife's oil would
e distributed to. several and the
burdens correspondingly lishtened.
RHYNw-Hw A~y- ~------