The Hawaiian gazette., 1916-01-25
RODERICK .. MArHEsOE. EDITOR
Tenant Farming
and Cash Rentals

VT hiS oH uehatiE faIminglln the United
4 States has brSught forth wave ii public
discussion on this subject especially among the
banking interests. Cash renting Il has been point
ed out, does not enlist, the landowners interest
in better buildings and equipment and crop rent,
or profit sharing does not provide sufficient free
dom to permit the tenant TO feed his crops, hold
them, or make other disposition Of them than
immediate cash sale ,'r,4
No money is EHtadeitkeepp W gJaieo&les work,
and those who make the most money especially
in farming, are those who receive an income from
more than one source at periods through the years
The old single crop farming system, at least in
temperate zone agriculture is wasteful of capital
Agriculture requires long credits while investors
who put their money into lands and live on the
rentals prefer short credits and short interest pay
ment periods. %sEE5l1.
Many who have studied their problem believe
there must be rearrangements in agricultural
credits and that change for the better will only
come when landlord and tenant look at the prob
lem Of crop production more from the partner
ship basis. u AIR. #lu
The leasehold system must be made more elastic
The landowner must consider the problem with
view to obtaining greater returns for his tenant
as well as for himself The man who does the
hand work must have houses fences, water sup
ply and tools to work with other than simply the
land itself The head work. the burden Of re-
sponsibility, should be assumed more by the land
owner Ee la ..t.t 49,
The scores Of failures among Small farmers"
in Hawaii who have branched out into new lines
in an endeayor to work out new industries may
be charged in large measure to the lack of appre-
citation of this problem on the part of the land
owners. b. s y., r.
The cash rental system has been developed
investment banking lines, and the ruling attitude
has been, If you succeed, well and good If you
do not make a 60 Of it, and that is your lookout
we can raise the rent to the next tenant on the
basis OF your, improvements" VI I'D. -.
Even with the sugar industry rolling in trl-
usual profits because of world conditions not of
our making, and the immediate need for new in
,dustries indefinitely postponed, the fundamental
necessity remains 1t is the business OF each gen
Grafton to make the best use of all its opportuni-
ties Good times from sugar alone will not last
forever also, the small man who has no direct
interest in sugar production, who owns no sugar
stocks and who has Inherited no broad acres has
the God-gven right to try other things t. "
This problem is stirring public discussion in
all parts Of the United States The situation is
really more acute in Hawaii than is realized by
the great land-owning estates and the day is ap.
preaching when the subject must be considered
and acted upon. Close partnership between land
owner and agricultural tenant is apparently the
straightest way out of bad situation. At this
time many thinkers are questioning the right of
any landlord to use agricultural land as invest
ment banking capital or treat the problem purely
from the point of view of cash rental system
which places the whole burden of success on the
shoulders of the cultivator .s>, q ea, ,!@f'.' !
The principle is recognized as applicable to city
business. Owners of city property build stores;
warehouses, residences and factories for tenants
The merchant sells goods in premises which do
not belong to him and succeeds because he is able
TO specialize and devote all his energies to that
one thing. The care and repair Of the building
is the business Of the landlord. ~ l43AE
Many are now advocating the extension of this
system to agricultural holdings. The man who
owns the land but does not himself cultivate it
should supply his tenants with more than the land
and make study OF the requirements of his ten
ants just as the city landlord does of his e.
Many new or small agricultural enterprises fail
because too much capital is invested in buildings
on leased land, others because too little The
small farmer has to stand the blame, very often.
where the small merchant would not be held re-
sponsibe for failure due TO his landlords neglect
Hence there must be greater consideration shown
the farmers needs by the landowner and crop
production undertaken under partnership or CO.
operative methods. ""
The reports of the death of Villa appears to
have been exaggerated He has only gone on his