Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1919-11-07
GET READY FOR THE
CENSUS TAKER;; HERE
ARE FEW QUESTIONS
FARMERS. AS WELL AS CITY
FOLKS, ARE ASKED TO AC-
QUAINT THEMSELVES VITA
THESE ESSENTIAL QUERIES.

When the census enumerator comes
around 10 the fam shortly after Jan.
next year he viii ask some que 3tions
that may sound IKE Frying into the
purely personal affairs OF the La Sale
toulty armer. Now, the La sale
County farmer, ike every other sell
speeding man, dislikes having his pr
vate affairs peeped into and unless he
thinks about this thing in advance
may have IA disposition 10 be unre-
sponsive il not actually resistant.
In aclual TACT, every question that
the elumcrator viii ask IL an essential
one has a direct bearing on the Le;t
sonal welfare and prosperity OF the
individual farmer, as well as upon the
advance ment o. TIE erlculture q. the
nation as whole
When the censu. bureau decided
instead OF April. did 50 upon the
advice OF the lini ii States depart.
lLent OF agrlcultllt The farmer is
less likely to be vary busy Ia Jan.
uary than at the spa ing planting and
breeding season, and ais products ana
live stock are in better shape Tor sta
listical treatment, Also, every new
question there are a number OF
them--inserted in the agriculture!
schedule was placed there after con
sultation with the department of ae.
riculture and tor the purpose CT clear
ing up some specific situation in
which the depar; ment is trying to aid
the farmer
Here are some questions that will
be asked:
do you own this farm
Do you rent frCm others part but
not all this farm"
If you rent all Of this farm. wha'
do you pay as rent?'
IF you own all or part OF this farm,
was there any mortgage debt or other
incumbrance on land on this farm
owned by you Jan |, 1902
What was the total amount OF debt
or encumbrance on land on this farm
owned by you Jan L. 1902
Pertinent-Not lmpe rtinent.
What the Sam Hill" you may in
quire. has the government got TO do
wi h how much money owe on my
land?"
Well, two of the things to which
the department OF agriculture has
been giving deepest thoughts during
the past several years are farm ten
ancy and rural credits. The past three
censuses have shown an increase in
the number OF tenants. Aiarmlsts nave
felt, and said, that the country is
going to the bCwwows by the land
lord route The department of agri-
culture however, locked into the ma.
ter as well as it was able. and refused
to be alarmed When il was able to
make surveys it discovered that while
the number Of tenants 81 years old
was greater in 1910 than in 1900 or
1880, the number of tenants A. years
cid was considerably smaller in 1910
than in l92C and 1890,
The inference is then tenancy is a
step toward ownership. that the young
fellow who becomes tenant farmer
when he mdrries, say, Is likely to be
a farm owner before his first child Is
.rown-the farm paid for and the
money that used to 20 to pay of the
mortgage available fer sending the
children to college.
Nov, to the department of agrcul
ture that looks like a thoroughly nor.
NAL. healthy and beneficial process
TO just the extent that tenancy IL ads
to farm ownership, il is a good thing
iCr the country and for the individ ual
Full Answers Essential.
But ii has not been possible to get
a complete, nation wide survey of the
situation. The forthcoming census
offers the opportunity for doing that.
IL every farmer vii answer The enum.
e!ator's questions fully and fairly the
department OF agriculture will have
the data irCm which to analyze the sit.
uation accurately and to dete .mine
what things can be done to best ad-
vantage to help the tenant in his
aspiration to become a farm owner.
One Of the directions that aid may
take is encouragement of rural cred
| its-tinding all OF the ways possible
Of helping the young farmer to get
the money that he may need to boz.
row. II is necessary, therefore, to
know what proportion of farmers who
advance from tenants to owners have
borrowed money to make the change
| and how much in proportion to tota,
value of the farms bought they hav3
10 borrow.
The road toward ownership does
not necessarily start with tenancy. A
SIeat many farm tenants were frs.
farm hands, then tenants, then owners
with a mortgage. then owners debt
free. The census will show. II the
many years. II any, every farmer work
ell fer wages how many years he has
/ been an owner. The department of
agriculture will have the basis infor.
nation it needs to help men to sue
cess in farm ownership.
Other important Queries.
Here are some other questions that
will be asked:
Has this farm a telephOne"'
''ls water piped into the operators
house,
( Has the operators house gas or
electric Lights
Now, that locks like an effort tc
= tiud out whether or not the farm fam
lily has the modern home comforts -
and 1t Is just that. but ii means so!ue
Thing more than mere inquistivenCss
Several months ago, when the bureau
OF farm management was in proc ,ss
Of reorganization. the secretary of az
ricul.ure called conference of head,
IS ,ah -. A.,