Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1915-03-16
SCOPE OF WORK
OF COMMISSION
is OUTLINED
WHAT INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS COM
MISSION WILL DO IN TEXAS
q is TOLD OF.
SPECIAL AGENT SAYS NATIONS OF
EUROPE HAVE OUTCOME U. S.
IN LAND POLICIES.
tBv Associated Prcss.)

Dallas. Tcxas. March l6.-Opcning the
hearing on the American land question be-
fore the United States commission ON in
dustrial relations today. Charles W. Hol-
man. special agent for the commission.
outlined the scope of the work, saying:
NATIONS 80 Europe nave out~trippcd
the United States in formulating national
land policies and the time has comc for the
people of this government to realize that
IT. land inheritance j. slipping away. and
that ownership i becoming concentrated
into the hands of 4 limited number Of IN
dlvidual>. Moreover the tendency toward
further concentration i evident on al
sides. At the same time the tenants. who
farm the majority of the Southern farms.
what constitutes over half Of the farms Of
the nation. are being reduced "a the status
of wage laborcr>. rather than their nom
mai condition of land tenants. In other
words. the ma, of laws which have been
drawn up are not applicable 10 the present
status of the ~o-callcd tenant farmers. BE
tween the tenant farmer OF tins type and
the casual iaburcr there i IL" great dir
ference. The casual laborer drift by HIM
self from place Ia place. while the tenant
farmer drifts from farm 10 farm. In the
Southwest the condition has become par
iicnlarly acute. with the rapid increase az
tenant farmers over homc owning farmers.
and an accelerated tendency toward hand
ownership"
Outlining the work ~ the hearing here.
Mr. Holman sand the Industrial relation
ship between the >o-callcd tenant farmer
and hi lanlord l. analogous To that 81
employee and employer. Important points
81 which information will be sought. ~
said. include:
Methods of bringing the rural popula-
ii.p a" an equilibrium.
u Whether concentration of land owner
ship and IL attendant speculative increase
IL valuations = not closely connected with
tire decreased purchasing power 81 the
American laborcr.
Whether The laborcr at America will
lirally 80 back a. the land.
What adjustments may be- made IN the
present land aud tenant relations Ia re-
move friction on rental contracts farm
rs% irti"n, and intimidation. use ot violence.
bu,cutline and control of elections.
What method should he taken to prevent
lard speculation and to prevent ca"rmou~
interest charec~.
How I" improve living conditions for
farmers.
How t. pave the way Tor the organiza-
Il y ~ country liic, such e. the buNin. and
>riln. III farm products. cooperative land
imnk- and personal credit societies.
The commission. Mr.. Holman said. also
will ask tor constructive suggestions about
state aud federal aid Tor tenants who wish
lca~rhold. where the state owns the land
aud The tenants farm Il on 4 lifelong con
tract. a. against the freehold. where the
state lends money L. buy the land ON lon.
time purchasing contracts. will bc thrc>h-
81 out.
Mr.. Holman urged the need lur q system
al hand commissions IL the form uf eco
NOME ruurt~. lie said that amy program
- rural advance would be- greatly disabled
unless 1t be- accompanied 10y constructive
taxation and supplemented with citizen
ship organization.
: The commission also plans 10 discuss the
question 1T adaptihilitN ot the Southern
iarm I" the proposed national system Of
labor exchanges.