The Kadoka press and Kadoka reporter. [volume] (Kadoka, S.D.) 1910-1923, 1915-09-10
Get A Farm OF
Your Own

lands in the improved portions OF
the state are still continuing to
pass into the hands of men who do
not live on them or work them.
This condition has existed in every
state and it is safe to predict that
it will continue to exist until all the
public lands and cheap lands of this
country have become exhausted and
then we will have system OF land
lordism the same as European
countries. Compared with five
years or ten years ago the proper
tionate population of land owners
In our rural districts has netted a
big decrease, and the renter is sup
planting the owner as producer.
Taking the counties Of Beadle,
Brookings and Brown, which are
fair samples of a section of the
state where lands have not yet
REACHED an extremely high price the
showing of renters and owners is
as follows: Beadle county 100
owners, 26o cash renters and 1901
share renters. Brookings county
III6 owners, al cash renters and
SII share renters. Brown county
lI5I4 owners, 265 cash renters and
1904 share renters. In the case of
Brookings there is not such a dif-
ference between owner and renters
with small margin in favor of the
owners. This can be attributed to
large extent from the fact that
the lard was proved up and home
steaded to great degree by Scan
dinavian population, who have re-
manned as workers and owners. In
the homestead section of the state
Butte county shows 1896 owners,
4S cash renters and AZ share renters
while the great big county of Ly-
man shows I545 owners, 538 cash
renters and ia share renters. This
makes only a trife over 1000
actual farmers in that immense ter
ritory. Fall River county has 833
owners, I45 cash renters and 8
share renters.
These census figures, If given
any attention, are a standing and
startling notice especially to the
young man of today that ownership
OF land is one of the first things
that an individual should seek to
Ipossess. Land is the source of all
wealth and profit as even manlt-
facturers and mines must depend
upon the agricultural product to
maintain human existence. 1t is
therefore interesting to note that
every time the census is taken in
this country, no matter what state,
the number of land owners living
on farms shows decrease while
the number Of renters shows an
alarming increase. 1t is therefore
necessary for the man who occupies
farm to have the best possible
education or experience in order to
make that farm pay to the end that
he becomes continued owner or
the poSSesSor OF the same from
landlord. This subject is really
one Of the most important factors
in our American life. The great
est menace that can confront any
country is to have its people be-
| come renters and subject to the
will of the wealthy class. There
ought to be some means whereby
men of good capabilities could be-
come the owners of all our lands.
1t is true that some landlords are a
benefit by aiding and helping their
renters, but it is likewise true that
in many instances the land owner
| becomes an oppressor by exacting
from the renter and worker every
cent that it is possible to take.
J Men who do not occupy property
that they own have not the civic
pride, as rule, that the property
owner has. There are exceptions
to this rule but in the main it is a
fact. Consequently there becomes
a growing disinterestedness in pub
lie welfare when our ownership pop
: ulation becomes the minority in