South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1922-08-12
TENANT FARMING Is
GREATLY INCREASED
No Early Solution for Farm
Tenancy Problems, Econ
omists Declare.

WASHINGTON. d. c. Aug IL
Tenant farming in the United States
is growing faster than census figures
on the number of farms would in
dictate, according to a statement is
sued by the United States Depart
ment of Agriculture. 1t is pointed
out that the increase in acres rented,
since 1910. has been 90 percent. as
compared with an increase of IA per-
cent for the preceding decade, and
that the increase in value of land
rented has been Ill percent. as
against I35. while the increase in
number Of farms rented has been
but percent, as against 16 for the
10 years 1900 and 1910.
In the light OF this analysis de-
partment economists fail to see any
prospect Of early solution of the
farm tenancy problem in the mere
fact that the rate Of increase in
number of farms rented is falling off.
The tenure of American farm
real estate cannot correctly be
stated merely in terms Of number of
farms said DR.. g. L. Stewart. eco
nOmist in land economics, in discus
sing these figures I'm most sections
farms operated by tenants differ In
size and vilue from those operated
by owners Moreover there are
large areas Of rented land farmed
by so-called. part -Owners'-men
who own farms and rent additional
land This land IS not accounted
for in figures for tenant farms. In
1920 this part-owner tenancy in
vilced $4,000. 600 acres. which added
u the 265.000. 900 acres reported in
tenant farms swells the total of
rented land 20 S54.OOO.OOO.OO0 in
1920.
ION this basis renters operated 81
percent OF the farm lands Of the
United States i'm 1920. representing
A. percent of the improved farm
acreage and a percent of the total
valuation of the land. both improved
and unimproved. What this means
can best be realized when it is
pointed out that tenant farmers
rent land equal 20 the combined
area OF Texas Illinois. Iowa. Arkan-
sas Michigan. Wisconsin and Florida
that the rented improved land alone
equals six times the area of Illinois
and the unimproved land rented
equals more than the entire area OF
France.
In point OF acrea ye OF all land
leased. both Delaware and Illinois
have long since passed the halfway
mark and in improved land rented
the halfway mark has now been
passed 10y Alabama Georgia. Iowa.
Kansas Mississippi oklahoma.
South Carolina. South Dakota. Tex
as and Washington. IN value of
farm real estate rented Illinois. Ok
lahOma Mississippi and South Da-
kota show percentages above 80.
The highest percentage OF tenancy
shown by any state. on the basis OF
improved acreage. is SIS for Ge0rg-
ia. while the highest on the basis OF
valuation Is eos for Illinois"
The vastness OF the area OF farm
lands under lease aud the serious
ness Of the problem Of farm tenancy
are emphasized when IL - pointed
out that II all the half billion dollars
made available 10 borrowers through
the Federal Farm Loan system dur
ing the past . years head been used
10 finance tenants in buying farms
Qnstead OF the pecent actually
thus used). Il would have covered
with arst mortgages less than per
cent OF the $4,000 600 600 worth OF
land now operated by tenants.