Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1913-12-01
NFFDS or AGRICULTURE
OF STATE or IOWA
Governor George W. Clarke Investigate
Farm Suggest Methods
rsy- John cownle. rusene seeor ana +. .. steen.l

[BY.-
Governor George W. Clarke recently
appointed committee to investigate the
needs OF agriculture in Iowa. The mem
Sers Of the committee were John
townie, OF Des Moines; Eugene Sc.
or, Of Forest City. and e. D. Steen'
Of West Liberty. "A comprehensive
study Of conditions and needs was
made by these men and their report
has Just been forwarded to the gov
ernor. The report follows:
Tho governor OF the state sof lows
hae,rAsked this committee to outline
briefly some Of the agricultural needs
OF the state, which needs we herewith
set forth along lines Of production
distribution. cooperation marketing
and credits.
Best Land on Globe.
Tho 100000 acres Of land Of >the
state taken asa whole - . body OF
more uniformly good land than can
be found anywhere else on tho globe
It reaches within 200 miles OF the
greatest grain and livestock market
Of the world. ttoyoastern and its west
ern boundaries are two mighty rivers
UAAAAAASAADV SSAAAA@soS
Of navigation. It 4scrossedMbyA num-
Der of the trunle lines OF very 4m-
portants railway systems. lts, soil. rain.
fall ana climate, ara such that. since
its settlement by white people. no
serious crop failure has been expezd-
enced. These Same conditions opor-
ate tos make It, possible for most prod
uctssof the temperate zone to be pro-
duced here lin abundance. Iowa 80 the
very center Of the corn belt and ex-
GELS In the,,production Of that cereal.
Its people, arc Industrious. law-abidinS
and Intelligent. and will compare Ia
vorabay with people OF any other part
Of the world.
Notwithstanding these manysadvan.
tages, tho agriculture Of tho state has
needs ofavery far-reaching' character. !
Land Tenancy.
The most Obvious OF these needseis
the recastins Of the present system
Of land tenancy. At present 10 per
cent of the farms Of the state are occu-
pied by tenants. Most Of the leases
run for but ono year: a few are for
three years, and some for five years.
This system Of short-term tenancy IL
bad for the landlord. worse for tho
tcnant, and worst for tho land.
The general practice of farm tenan-
cy takes but very little into account
the all-important factor Of retaining or
improving the fertility Of the land. No
structures too severe can be employed
to condemn the very general practice
Of depicting soil fertility. The great
est offender 10 the landlord It 81
within his power to bring about a
change. The tenant IS compelled, be-
cause Of high,rent and the short-term
lease. to wiring from the land all pos
sible returns. He cares but little for
returning any fertility back to the
soil, because next year, doubtless. he
will move elsewhere. 1uch Q System
OF tenancy rogs the land. deprives the
landlord Of possible returns, and de-
stroys ii tho tendnt the interest he
should have in the soil. the buildings
and other improvements. It makes
him careless as to the claims OF
the SCHOOL, the church and gen
eral neighborhood welfare. In short,
1t makes Of him. against his will. per-
maps. a citizen who can not discharge
his high duties as q member OF the
commonwealth.
We need laws. both federal and
state, that will compel consideration
OF the land in all leases. making 1t
the chief factor Of importance, to be
followed later by the claims Of the
tenant and the landlord. We need
laws providing for compen-
sat!on to tenants for improvement both
Of the soil and Of buildings. And then
we need laws and general practice
providing q sane, rational and intelli-
gent system Of land tenure. which
must place first in importance the
claims Of the land.
Another very serious need OF the
farmers Of the state Of Iowa is to learn
more generally the advantages Of CO.
operation. They are indeed, reaping
the benefits of cooperation in some in
stances. namely. in mutual insurance.
CO. operative creameries and co-opera-
tive elevators. But the great body of
farmers of the state are strangers
even to these. except the first. The
western farmers grew up in isolation
on tho different farms, each family
seeking to produce as many Of its ne
cessities as was possible. Self depnd-
ence was almost the predominant and
all important virtue. When other lines
OF activity developed mutually. co.
operation, and finally concentration,
then the farmer still held to his tndi-.
vidual efforts-and therefore has fall
en- behind IN tho race.
The advantages Of cooperation and
in all business activities
are certain and bring sure reward. The
farmer must master them and appro-
pirate them to his business or else he
will degenerate toward peasantry.
Nothing 10 more certain than this. But
his training and habit cf thought has
been IN the opposite direction. Hence
It will be i slow and difficult task to
have him take advantage; OF this truth.
The great need Ii for farmers to meet
often, in social. business and public
to acquafnt themselves more
with public procedure Of every kind. TO
develop On themselves moro apprecia-
ton of their ownsprivileges and power,
and then apply modern principles Of
and concentration to the
Of their business.
Marketing. ~
The, reports Of the department OF
agriculture show that the farmer re-
ceives less than half Of the price Of his
products which the consumer pays.
The reason for this Is that the farmer
- al LIA%Nw