Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1915-11-26

'SASsS, floatinv
lanoless class is wandering abon,
over vast areas Of farming con.. a'
shifting their homes from vesr !. I.
year. 70
IN 20 states which produce NJ.
of the perishable products tbo . lost
ana the cotton of America, there a.
100000 tenant farmers -
In the last 10 years in both r..
and Oklahoma the percentage 80 :
crease in tenant farmers over ~
crease in land owning farmer.
been two to one. In the stoto.
Alabama, Arkansas, Tenro
Georgia, Louisiana, Texas Misa,s
sippi, South Carolina, North c.
lima, Missouri Kentucky Tnaions
Nebraska, Michigan, Wisconsin MA.
nesota and California, there h..
been an actual increase since 1000
of 994,361 tenants, while homo a..
ing farmers have increased 49,.
606,755.
In the states of Illinois rowo
Kansas, New York, Ohio and Pom
sylvania tenant farmers have 4
creased by 121, 167, while the n,m
Der of homo owning farmers has aot
ually decreased by 62,915.
The figures are alarming, and pra.
sent grave problem when we con
slider that out of the 2,354,676 ten.
ant farmers in the United States IN
1910, 2,18S,5S6 were found in tho
20 richest states. The last federal
census shows that the percentage
of tenant farmers had increased
from 25.6 in 1880 to 81 DER cant
In the light of this information ab-
sentee landlordism appears a menac-
ing problem of nationwide signig-
canoe How to make it possible for
the renter to acquire and pay out ON
the farms of the country must sure.
ly' become a matter for the consid.
Grafton of statesmen; for 1t ia
question which can not be deter
mined without the aid of legislation,
How immediate is the need of legs.
lation the tenant farmers know,
What complications arise are often
felt by the whole people.
The shifting tenant is great
menace to the formation of sue
cessful marketing society. The
cards of fate also are stacked
against his becoming a home owner
under present arrangements for
short time purchase at high interest
rates. Yet the tendency continues
toward a more complete dom ination
by absentee landlords.
How to check this unwholesome
tendency and how to start corrective
forces, will be discussed along with
other kindred problems by those
who take part in the Third National
Conference on Marketing and Farm
Credits to be held at the Hotel
Sherman, Chicago, November 20 to
December 2. At the conference eco
nomists, farmers and bankers repre-
senting every section of the United
States will join in an effort to frame
rural credits legislation intended to
encourage renters in acquiring
farms.
Fortunately, the United States has
the experience of European coun-
tries to guide it. Indeed, at the com
ing Chicago conference the story Of
what cooperation has done for Ire
land is to be told by Sir Horace
Plunkett, Dublin, Ireland, founder
and president of the Irish Agricul-
tural Organization society. David
Lubin, American delegate to the In
ternational Institute Of Agriculture,
Rome, Italy, will describe CONT
mental conditions and constructive
programs. DR.. John Lee Coulter,
dean of the College of Agriculture
University of West Virginia, former
expert in charge of the United
States agricultural census, will han
die this problem of the landless man
in its general American aspects. Az
this meeting also / expect to MAKE
my first public report of my invessf
cation of the administration OF lano
purchase systems in Ireland, Seor
land and England.
In majority of cases, the tenans
farmer Is the leftover man Oh prog
ress. His business ability and MS II,
telligence are not so great as ina
of his more prosperous nelgnpO'
who owns a farm. But his iesS0'
capital and inferior borro"ine
power are greater hindrances-
The tenant of the south hFes :
an implanted, unsanitary, miserapi'