Warren sheaf. [volume] (Warren, Marshall County, Minn.) 1880-current, 1919-11-26
ANSWERING QUERIES
HELP FARMERS PROFIT
Fun and Fair Answers when the
Entnnerator Calls Are Likely to
Aid You.

When the census enumeration comes
around to the farm shortly after jan
uary / next year, he will ask some
questions that may sound like prying
into the purely personal affairs Of the
farmer. Now, the farmer, like every
other self-respec Getting man, dislikes hav-
ing his private affairs peeped into and,
unless he thinks about this thing in adj
vance, may have disposition to be I'M
responsive if not actually resistant.
In actual fact, every question that
the enumeration will ask is an essential
question and has direct bearing on the
personal welfare and prosperity Of the
individual farmer as well as upon the
advancement of the agriculture Of the
nation as whole. q
When the Bureau Of the Census de-
cided to take the farm census in Jan
uary instead Of in April, it did SO upon
the advice Of the United States Depart
ment Of Agriculture. The farmer is
less likely to be busy in January than
at the spring planting and breeding
season, and his products and live stock
are in better shape for statistical treat
ment. Also, every new question and
there are number of them-inserted
in the agricultural schedule, was placed
there after consultation with the De
partment of Agriculture and for the
purpose of clearing up some specific
situation in which the Department of
Agriculture is trying to aid tie farmer.
Here are some questions that will be
asked: "Do you own all Of this farm?"
do you rent from others part but not
all of this farm?" do you rent from
others all of this FARM IF you rent
all Of this farm, what do you pay as
rent?' IF you own all or part of this
farm, was there any mortgage debt or
other encumbrance on the land so own
ed on January /, 192O?' what was
the total amount of debt or encum-
brance on land on this farm owned by
you, January 1, 1902"
"What the Sam HILL you may in
quire, "has the Government got to do
with how much money owe on my
land?" Well, two things to which the
Department of Agriculture has been
giving deepest thought during the past
several years. are farm tenancy and
rural credits The past three censuses
have shown an increase in the number
of tenants Alarmists have felt-and
said-that the country is going to the
bow-wows by the landlord route. The
Department Of Agriculture, however,
looked into the matter as well as it was
able, and refused to be alarmed. Where
it was able to make surveys it discover
ed that while the number Of tenants
25 years old was greater in 1910 than
in 1900 or 1890, the number Of tenants
As years old was considerably smaller
in 1910 than in 1900 or 1890.
The inference is that tenancy is a
step toward ownership, that the young
fellow who becomes tenant farmer
when he marries, say, is likely to be a
farm owner before his first child Is
grown-the farm paid for and the
money that used to go to pay off the
mortgage available for sending the
children to college.
Now, to the Department of Agricul-
ture, that looks like thoroughly nor
NAL. healthy, and beneficial process. TO
just the extent that tenancy leads to
farm ownership, it is h good thing Tor
country and for the individual.
But it has not been possible to get a
complete, nationwide survey of the
situation. The Forthcoming census Of
fers the opportunity for doing that. II
every farmer will answer the enumer-
ator's questions fully and fairly the
Department of Agriculture will have
| the data from which to analyze the
situation accurately and to determine
what things can be done to best adyan'
| tage to help the tenant in his aspiration
l to become farm owner.
/ One of the directions that aid may
! take is encouragement Of rural credits
finding all of the ways possible Of
helping the young farmer to get tn
money that he may need to borrow. y
is necessary, therefore, to know VIVA
proportion of farmers who advance
j from tenants to owners have to borrow
money to make the change, and nov
much, in proportion to total value O
the farms bought, they have to borrow ''
i The road toward ownership does 4. no g
necessarily start with tenancy. a grea
many farm owners were first farm
hands, then tenants, then owners witt
mortgage, then owners debt free
The census will show, If the question
are answered fairly, how many years
if any, every man worked for wages
how many years as q tenant; nov hoy
many years he has been an owner. Tn "a
/; Department Of Agriculture will hay
! the basic information it needs to he'll ll
4 men to success in farm ownership.
Here are some other questions tina
will be asked Has this farm q tele
phone?'' lis water piped into the or
-, g. +oo,.,y hn,1so -, nE4as the OneratOr