Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1916-02-29
FEWER TENANT FARMERS LEAV-
ING STATE THIS YEAR THAN
IN FORMER YEARS.
SPECULATION INCREASING
TENANCY TO IOWA
Making Purchases of Farms For
Themseives-Size Of Farms Also
Show lncrease-Land Held For Rise
Rather Than For Profits of Crops.
Special to Times-Republican.

Special to Times-Republican.
Des Moines. Feb. 29.-March I is
moving time on the farm again. All
reports indicate that there is not near
. ly SO much emigration out OF Iowa as
a few years; ago. Land speculation in
Iowa and elsewhere has evidently died
down some.
investigations made by o. o. LLOYD.
of Ames, show that farm tenancy in
Iowa has been increasing. Both the
Iowa agricultural experiment station
and the United States department of
agriculture co-operatcd in these in
vestigations. During the spring OF
1914 Mr.. Lloyd visited ia tenant
farms in Iowa and secured a great
amount Of data from both landlord and
tenant.
He declares there are many causes
why tenancy is increasing in Iowa but
the principal one is speculation. AT
least this is what he found in his 1913
investigations. In 1910 the census fg-
ures show that the per cent of farm
tenancy in Iowa was 37.s.
Farm Land Prices.
Iowa farm land advanced lis per cent
from 1900 to 1910" points out Mr.
Lloyd IN bulletin he issued last
December showing the result of his in
vestigations. Land more than doubled
in market price. Owners continue TO
hold land for the increase in price re-
CARELESS of the low rental value. II
has been q common thing for land TO
pay less than 3 per cent or the invest
ment and within a years line advance
20 per cent in price. An exceptional
case is known on a farm changing
hands five times during the year
Altho the rent was less than per cent
on the first sale price of Se5, and no
improvements were made during the
year, the last sale price OF the land was |
1S5 Per acre.
"A rise in the price Of LANG and an
increase in the size Of the farm bust |
ness are two causes for an increase
In tenant farms. When land rises IT. |
price 80 rapidly that the rent does not |
nearly pay a NOR: gage rate of interest !
Is a question whether a tenant |
1ould attempt to buy land and pay !
. largo rate or remain tenant un- |
the two rates are more nearly |
sal
Information concerning the amount |
arm tenancy was first collected by |
census in 1880 At that time "a |
cent, or less than one-fourth of |
the Iowa farms were rented. In 1910. |
37.s per cent or nearly two out Of /
every five, were rented farms. While !
farms managed by owners and man
ayers decreased in size and number
from 1900 to 1910 tenant farms in
creased IN size sixteen acres and in
80 per cent
"Speculatton has not only Influenced ,
the increase in tenancy by aretfcially
raising the price Of land but its effect !
is evident also IN increasing the size OF !
the farm. 1t Is difficult to determine !:
what part Of the increase in the size !
Of the farm is due to pure speculation |
and what part Is due to using labor !
and capital more proftably on larger !
farms. AS both causes have increased !
the size OF the farms they have post
poned the day Of ownership until the
tenant could save sufficient capital 20
make part payment on the land