The spectator., 1920-12-07
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE MAKES PUBLIC FIGURES FROM
 THREE TYPICAL AREAS.
TAKEN OVER SEVERAL YEARS
Agents Found the Farmers Incomes Were Considerably Larger of Late, but Increase Is More Apparent Than Real
By JAMES p. hORNADAY.

and fHe years in third, have been assembled by the Department of Agri- culture. These figures show CD that comparatively few of the farmers in the groups studied have been making large profits during the recent years of comparatively high prices; CD that their average return on investment n- creased from about 4 per cent in 1918 10 Der cent in 1918, and (3) that most of them are making less than SoOO cash year over and above the things the farm furnishes toward the family living. which, however, consti- ute very important factor.
 Specialists of the office of farm man. agement and farm economies. who have conducted these inveStiga tions, say that while the results will not justify making flat generalizations as to What farm profits are for the coun- try as whole, they believe they should have weight in the considera- tion of the general problem, as in dicative of the trend of farm returns in representative farming sections. The three groups of farms studied are located in Washington county, Ohio. (25 farms, hill country, ' years), Clin- ton county, Indiana, GOO farms, corn belt, ' years), and Dane county. Wis consin eco farms, dairy region. 5 years).
 Representatives of the department visited these farms year after year. taking records covering the faSm busi- ness under the following heads: Dis tributior of farm area, crop yields. amount of work stock and of other livestock. amount of labor used. amount and distribution of farm cap ital, amount and distribution of re- ceipts and expenses. value of the fam fly living obtained from the farm. amounts of the more important prod ucts sold, and prices received.
 Farm Incomes Computed.
 From the figures thus obtained. the farm income (receipts less expenses). and the labor income (farm income less Der cent on investment). have been computed for each farm and for each group of farms. The average farm income of the 25 farmers visited in Washington county, Ohio. for the seven years 1912-lS, was $G10; the labo~ income S216; the return on in- vestment, 4G per cent In addition 10 the farm income. the farmers had food, fuel and house rent, estimated to be worth on the average S35o per year. For 1J12 the farm income of these farms averaged S146, and for 1918 the av":age vas S1l9. These farms are In hilly section where tho soil is not especially fertile.
 The 100 farmers Ill Clinton county. Indiana. being on better land than the Ohio farmers, made a corresponding comes averaged Sl,s56 for the seven years. 1910 and l9131S, and their labor incomes, $55S Return on capital was 37. and tood. fuel. and house rent furnished by the farm. Si25. The av- ernge farm income of these farms in- creased from $l.2S2 in 1910 to S297S in l01S
 The farm income of the GO Wiscon- sin farms averaged Sl.293 for the five years. l9l3-1S. the labor Income, S4OS and return on investment-de- termned by dcducting from the farm income the value of the farmers labor +.7 per cent. The average farm in- come ranged from S1,079 In 1913 to $1.090. Tn 1918.
 lator Income Not Large.
 Of the loJ farmers in the three nreas. none made a labor income of $1 900 for every year of the study. hut IS In the lndiaEa area and in the Wisconsin area made labor incomes averaging over S1 .oO per year for the period. Four tnrmers C per cent of the entire numhcr) made over $500 labor income every year. Averaging labor income and loss over the whole time, l3 pr cent of the farmers failed to make aay labor Income at all. Ten Der cent fallc1 even to make s per cent interest oa investment in any year of tho stcdy.
 Dc,mrt,nen. specialists point out that though 1arin llrolntS Tn most cases showed marked increase dur ing tie years 1ol6-1S, as compared with incomes for 1o12-15, these in- creases are more apparent than real in view ot the decrease in the pur- chr -ing power of the dollar. The turn over Tor the recent years was larger than for tho earlier years. bu, the re- turns were relatively little larger. if mcasurvd in terms of the things the money wcui&) buy
 ChIldrvn's Bureau Report
 '"rwcnty.one years ago the re- laticn of the father to his child paYtooR Of the nature of prop erty right. The courts could enforce th!s right. but on the other hand they wers often powerless t0 enforce the duty of the father to bis child" says the federal children's bureau. Since .S0e, t Is pointed out. every state fin the Onion has passed juvenile court