Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1923-06-26

In the paradeful display of facts
and figures, just placed before you,
is a succinct presentation of the
true inwardness of farm manage
ment in Georgia. 1t is worthy OF
close study by all our people. l am
sure that the figures, which are his
toric in the matter of results of the
highest importance, will arrest your
attention for they have not hereto
fore been grouped ir the compare
tive form above given.
Constructive Work Is Demand
Existing conditions have brought
us face to face with set of entire
ly new problems. They involve LABOR,
they relate to farm management,
they carry suggestions full of radical
changes which must be made with
out unnecessary delay. The tax
problem, compared with the prob
lens alluded to, is as easy of solu
ton as falling off log" in a mill
pond in which latter boys are SWIM
ming or otherwise disporting in
the cooling water.
A few years ago, two or more
New England states We're seriously
exercised over a problem present
ed by the discovery of an unusual
ly large number of abandoned farms
in the several states. We SHAH
find ourselves confronted by a sim
liar state of affairs. The uneXpect-
ed and unsought change in our
tenant system will bring to our at
tention an extraordinarily large
number of unoccupied and uncult1-
waited acres of valuable farming
land. Such state of affairs can not
be indifferently considered. Scum.
thinking, wise planning and judi
cious management will be impera'
tive. You see, no man can live
unto himself! Duties of the most eX-
acting nature soon will await us
because of the probable state of af,
fairs to which reference has just
been made.
Farms Under Mortgage
Now we come to a very interest
ing subject-interesting for the rea
son that it is vitality important. 1t
is not true that to place a mort
gage on an owned and occupied
home, in the country or in a city,
is to invite loss of home-probably
bankruptcy. To any man, gifted
with business foresight, and pos
sessed of energy and force of char
acter, a mortgage, under well con-
sidered conditions. will prove, as it
has many times proved, to be to
him a very tower of strength. A
mortgage is a straight business
proposition, aid must be handled IN
d business-like manner.
Here is a table based on facts
which / carefully assembled and
put in line for your information.
Let me tell you something worth
while as to mortgages in Georg1R:
Barring the latter seventies and. the
early eighties, there we're exceed
ingly few mortgages foreclosed up
to and inclusive of 1920. That is
a fine record. 1t is a high cOmpli
ment to the good faith and hon
esty of the borrowers. During 1921
and 1922, there was, ex necessitate
rel, a, decidedly unfavorable change
in the record, shown as follows:
Year Whole No. No OPP No. Re-
Farms Grated by ported as
Owners M'tgaged
1910 29l'o27 98,26S 1921
Year Amt. of Rate of Average
M'tgage Int. Val. Farm
1920 1851, 385 7.3 $500
1910 1O.98S,4O9 = 80. 2,712
OF the total number of farms OPP
Grated by owners Q,t32,032) sos, 779
were mortgaged, That is 22.7 per
cent, The amount of the total
mortgages was $5OS,41O,24O which
was 22.7 per cent of the value of
land and building of the incumbered
property. The general average in
terest rate was per cent. In rank,
Georgia holds a conservative posi-
ton.
Farms operated by owners, in
ten cotton states, mortGaged, 1920,
are shown here: