The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1924-04-19

The growth of tenancy in the
United States may be illustrated by
some figures. On the basis of num-
Der of farms, tenancy increased 44.5
per cent in the United States between
1880 and 1910. The percentage Of
farms operated by tenants was 25.6
in 1880, 2S.4 in 1890, 35.3 in 1900, 81
in 1910, and in 1920 out Of every 100
farms in the United States, 3S were
operated by tenants. The whole num-
Der of farms operated by tenants in
1900 was 2,O24.964 as compared with
2,454.SO4.
The per cent of farms operated by
tenants increased in all but two
Southern States-Florida and Ala
bama; it increased in all states west
of the Mississippi, except Nevada,
Oklahoma and Missouri. Oklahoma
tho a new state, has half Of its farms
operated by tenants. AS a rule, ten
ancy is highest in the Southern and
Western states, where in the last 10
years it increased most rapidly. Ten
ants now operate over one-fourth of
the farms in half Of our states. over
40 per cent of farms in Is states, and
over one-half the farms in eight
states. In brief, out of every 10 of
the farms in the United States are
operated by landless farmers.
General Living Conditions.
The tenant farmers are divided into
five classes:
~ Share tenants, who furnish
their own equipment and animals
and pay certain share of the prod
uct, as one-half, one-third or one
fourth, to the landlord for the use
of the farm.
(2) "Croppers"-share tenants, who
furnish their work animals. This
class prevails in the South.
(3) Another class of share tenants
who pay a share Of the products
for part of the land rented by them
and cash for other part"
(4) cash tenants"-who usually
pay cash rental.
90 Staining Renter"-those who
pay stated amount Of farm products
for the use of the farms.
No nationwide investigation Of the
living conditions of tenant farmers
has ever been made, but from the
scattered studies made by different
scholars we may deduce that the eco
nomic condition of the tenants is ex-
tremely bad and that in many places
he is far from being free. AS a rule,
the tenant is badly housed, iIl-nour-
ished, uneducated and hopeless. Year
after year, he continues to exc out a
bare living; in his despair he moves
from place to place in the hope that
something will turn up. Without the
labor Of the entire family, he is help
less. As a result, his wife is prema-
turely broken down and his children
remain uneducated and without the
hope of any condition better than
that of their parents"
A great number of the tenants are
hopelessly in debt and are charged
exorbitant rates of interest. 'fOver
10 per cent or the tenants borrow
from some source and about rs per
cent borrow regularly from year to
year."
Leases and Rents.
The leases, concluded between the
tenant and his landlord, are in many
cases in the form of oral contracts.
They run for one year and make no
provision for compensation to the
tenant for improvements which may
be made upon the property. Further
more, the tenants are in many cases
the victims of oppression on the part
Of the landlords. This oppression
takes the form of dictation of char
acter and amount of crops, evictions
due notice and discrimination
because Of personal and political con-
victions." This is especially true in
the South and on the estates run by