The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1923-06-06
PEOPLES FORUM
why There Arc Farm Renters

why 1hcre arc Farm HenterS
To the Editor of The Age-Herald:
I have read recently several edi-
torials and letters. giving tho
cause of the increase in the num-
Der of land renters in Alabama,
and to my mind the real cause has
not been mentioned. There never
was a time in the history of the
state when money was so easy to
get. the terms better and so many
farms for sale. The government
will lend through the farm loan
banks, at 8 II per cent, for 80
years. SO per cent. Of the value of
the land and 20 per cent. of the
value of the improvements; and
the remaining SO per cent. of the
value of the land viii be carried
at per cent. interest for 10 years.
Any man with integrity and in
dustry who wants a farm can buy
one at $50 to $50 an acre, the
value to be appraised by three dis
interested citizens and approved
by the government appraiser. The
reason why so many farms are Of
fered for sale is because SO few
farms will pay an interest on the
investment over and above the
taxes. Money invested in Az per
cent. taxable securities will
pay far better than If invested in
so per cent. of the farms in Ala
bama: and the tenant can make
more money renting land than to
own it. What inducement is there
for a man to incur an obligation
that will tie him down for IS
years? If a farmer improves a
farm he is penalized by higher
valuation of his farm with more
taxes to pay. He prefers to rent
land, and at any time, II some
thing better offers, he Is free to
take it; and there are many things
a man can do that will pay more
money than farming, as Is evil
denced by thousands of laborers
leaving the farms for the manu-
featuring centers; and all of our
young men who are being edu-
Gated at our agricultural and high
schools, seeking avocationS other
than farming.
AS an illustration of how farm
ing is regarded by the farmer: A
short time since young man
came to Talladega with the cut
out" open on his tin lizzie. A cop
stopped him and asked If he did
not know that 1t was against the
law to drive through town with
that thing OFF," / was raised on
the farm, how do you expect me
to know anything?" was the re-
ply. The writer went over to Bir-
mingham last week to help or
ganize cooperative marketing
agency for the farmers. A neigh
Dor who had few tons Of cabbage
to ship was told on Morris avenue
that the Birmingham trade used
crate made in Mobile and they
could not sell cabbage unless put
up in the Mobile-made crate. The
farmer did not know this, and yet
for just this sort of information
Alabama paid out approximately
$750.000 to the extension service.
What can the farmer do, who is
ignorant of marketing conditions,
with few dozen eggs for sale. or
four or five tons of cabbage.
twenty or thirty bushels of pota-
duce? The result will be similar
W ehdt VI Tie ldTIHeE Will TIE
cabbage, who consigned his pro-
duce to produce firm; it required
four days for the railroad to haul
the cabbage from Talladega to
Birmingham. a distance of sixty
miles. and when it arrived it was
rejected on account Of beinsr ott-
ten.
The purpose of this letter. Mr..
Editor. is to show the necessity
for well-thought-out system for
the orderly marketing of farm
products so as to eliminate unnec-
essary competition and waste from
overcrowding the market, and
prevent the frequent changes in
price-often violent fluctuations
within a few days. I paid five
cents each for apples while In Bir-
| mingham last week. Why was
this? Because there is Cali
fornia fruit association. have
seen wagonloads of apples rotting
on the ground within twenty five
miles of Birmingham. apples as
good as can be grown in Cali
fornia. that has nothing but sun
shine. sand and enterprise. Cali
fornia fruit growers have to buy
the water they use. Alabama is