Wheeling majority. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1907-192?, 1912-05-23

a steady increase in the number of
farms operated by tenants for the
last thirty years.
Says the census bulletin concerning
Indiana, 'In 1880 about "a out of
every hundred were operated by ten
ants. Since that. time the proportion
has slowly increased until 80 farms
out of every hundred are SO operated %
In Iowwa this rate has been exceed
ed. Starting at the same point as
Indiana, thirty years ago, 38 per cent
OF the Iowa farms are now operated
by tenants. But again, it is Illinois
that leads the way, tenantry in that
state having increased from 81 per
cent in 1880 to Al per cent today, and
the recent investigation of certain
localities by the Presbyterian Board
of Home Missions shows that consid-
erably more than half of the farms
in the richest section of Illinois are
now operated by tenants.
Some would seek to find comfort
because of the number of mortgaged
farms is not increasing. "A truer in
depreciation of this fact would be that
since mortgaged so often represent.
the purchase price, their absence is
but another proof of that renters are
becoming reconciled to their fate, and
no longer attempt to secure posses
sion of the land.
Rivaling this section in Importance
is the cotton growing South. Census
Bulletins are now available for two OF
the most important states in this ter
ritory- Mississippi and Georgia. The
line of evolution here apparently runs
in quite different direction, yet a
little study shows that it is ending in
the same propertyless stage for the
producers as in the north.
The number of farms is still increas-
ing quite rapidly. In these two states
the number has grown from 444,499 in
1900 to 565,409 in 1910.
The size of the average farm has
fallen from 1T to SO in Georgia, and
from 83 to So in Mississippi during the
last ten years. 1t is just the farms
between 10 and 100 acres which are
increasing more rapidly in number
than any of the other sizes put to-
gether. The most rapid increase is in
those below so acres.
Meanwhile, values remain very
low, being only a little over thirteen
dollars per acre in each of these two
states.
Here, apparently, is series of facts
the exact reverse of those found in
the north. One additional fact re-
comedies them, and that fact is furnish
ed by the two figures showing the IN
crease of tenantry. In Mississippi
the farms cultivated by tenants have
increased from "A per cent in 1880 -
sc per cent in the last census. The
corresponding figures for Georgia dur
ing the same years are 40 per cent
and sc per cent. In other words, two
thirds of the land in both states Il and
little. independent investigation
brings the evidence that this is the
land that raises the dominant staple
crop) is worked by tenants. OF the
remaining one-third 10 per cent IS
mortgaged in Georgia and SO per cent
in Mississippi. In other words, only
about IL per cent of the farms IL
these states are owned entirely free
from encumbrance.
These facts show that concentration
has taken another form here. The
landlord and the cotton dealer have
concentrated ownership in the essen
tials of the industry. They nave
divided the land into little patches lot
the better exploitation ofthe workers.
Whether the introduction of the
mechanical cotton picker and new
methods of cultivation will cause agri-
cultural evolution in the south to fol-
low thel ines indicated in the nortn'
it is too early to say.
The one big fact that stands out
from an examination OF the agricul-
tural situation in then orth and south
is that it is about time to quit talking
about maintaining the small farmer IN
the ownership of his farm. Capital
ism is abolishing that condition in
agriculture as it already has in n
dustry.