New Ulm review., 1922-11-29
DANGER ] J | ] + AR M|E|RS E
MAY BE REDUCED
TO SERF STA TUS
Tenancy Increase Is Great
Problem Of Future.
Experts Agree.

There is grave danger Of the Amer
lean farmer of the future returning to
serfdom or to peasant farming
prominent agricultural experts a.
gree after having made an investiga-
tion Of farm conditions throughout
the country.
The greatest problem for the farm
.er Of the future, according to Kenyon
Butterfeld, noted agriculture expert
and president Of the Country Life as
sociation, is the growth Of tenancy on
farms in the United States. The
census of the United States for 1920
found that 40 per cent Of the farms Of
the country were rented, Mr.. Butter
field stated.
Analyses Increase of Renters.
There are three reasons given by
agricultural experts for the increase
Of renters on the, farms Of the coun-
try, the first being the using up Of
public lands. Pra ctically all of the
,homesteads Of the country have been
taken up. Another cause Of the in
crease of tenants on farms is the flow
| Of immigration At present 63 per
cent Of the immigrants settling down
on the farming sections Of the coun-
TRY comes from southern Europe.
The majority of these immigrants are
mot farming people. They are used
to peasant farming where they have
been farmers, and do not care to own
farms, theareport claims.
| Lack of credit for the farmer is Civ
en- as the third reason for the decrease
of farm owners. Figures show that
in Minnesota alone 40 per cent Of the
farms owned are nortgaged. The
average mortgage is for $4,000.
The agricultural department of the
United States made a survey of the
farms of the country and figures sent
out by this department. in it's annual
year book show an unprecedented in
crease ofstenants on the farms. Some
counties of southern Minnesota: have
so per- cent Of their farms rented.
Iowa has AZ per cent of her farmers
listed as tenants, while Illinois shows
40 per cent of the farms in that state
rented and not owned by the farmers
tining the soil.
Describes Agricultural Ladder
To, BECOME an owner the average
farmer has to climb what is known in
agricultural circles as '.the agriculturl
az ladder Mr.. Butterfeld said re-
Gently. ~
This ladder is composed of five
different steps. The first step is the
Ihome worker, or helping the parents
run the farm. From there the pro-.
|spective owner hires out to the neigh
Dor; then, he becomes a tenant or
farm'renter. The next step is as mort
|gage owner, and finally he comes out
[as a full fedged farm owner. But
THE average farmer is between SO and
| 60 years of age when he comes to the
|stage of owning his: own farm
OF 2,112 farm owners in five differ
lent states Illinois, Kansas, Nebras-
ka and Minnesota one-fifth Of them
had to climb the entire ladder before
becoming farm owners; Is per cent
skipped the hiring out class; 80 per
cent missed being tenants and "a per
cent inherited farms.
These figures are taken from gov
Iernment records" Mr.. Butterfeld- de-
|clared, "and it is only a question Of
time before the farmer Of the future
will be renting exclusively, at the pres
ent rate Of growing tendency. This
will mean that individuals will owo
great tracts of land and then rent out
small portions to the tenants,
IN innesotG Daily Star. Il,