The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1924-08-26
Continued from page y


farms free from mortgages declined
from 4S.S per cent to 1862 per cent in
1920.
But here is a matter Of serious con-
Germ to the farmers in LaFollette's
state. In the decade 1910 to 1920 the
proportion of mortgaged farms in the
country as a whole rose from 1872 per
cent to 37.2 per cent. In the same pc
Rod the proportion Of mortgaged
farms in Wisconsin rose from 51.1 per
cent in 1910 to 500 per cent in 1920.
Thus we see that the proportion Of
farms free from mortgages is much
smaller in Wisconsin than in the coun-
try as a whole, and that the proper
ton of mortgaged farms is much
greater in Wisconsin than it is IN the
country as a whole.
Further light on the increasing
hardships of the Wisconsin farmers is
shed by the findings of the 1920 cen
sus as to farm debts. For the United
States as a whole, the proportion of
debt to the value of the farm in
creased from 27.S per cent in 1910 to
29.1 per cent in 1920. But in Wiscon-
sin the ratio Of debt to the value of
the farm increased from S4.S per cent
in 1910 to 37.S per cent in 1920. 1t is
evident that the Wisconsin farmers
are falling into debt more rapidly and
are today in relatively greater debt
than the farmers Of the country as a
whole.
Mortgage Debt Rises.
The total amount of mortgage debt
for Wisconsin farmers rose from
about $3.50, 100000 in 1910 to more
than $3.50, 100000 in 1920.
The farming masses of this great
model commonwealth" are also pay
ing an exorbitant price for these diff
cult conditions in the form Of oppres-
sive taxes. From a tax study made
in twenty-six states for the year 1919
by the department of agriculture, we
find that the part of the net cash rent
from the farms paid out in taxes by
the Wisconsin farmers is higher than
in twenty-four of the twenty-six states
investigated Only one state, Pennsyl-
vania, shows a higher proportion of
the net cash rent being devoured by
taxes than does Wisconsin.
"Since that year taxes have gener-
ally increased, while rents have been
reduced" says the department of ag-
riculture in its summary of the inves-
LEGATION.
Social Conditions Unsatisfactory.
For the last fiscal year industrial
accidents showed a startling increase
in the United States. The American
Association for Labor Legislation re-
Gently made an investigation of this
tendency. It's findings, after hearing
from one-half the compensation
states, indicate that in 1928 the in
crease in industrial accidents in Wis
consin was 27.4 per cent. Wisconsin
had a higher rate of industrial acct
dent increase than eleven other states
investigated All in all, only nineteen
states replied to the queries of the
American Association for Labor Leg
islation.
From the summary Of the provi-
sional birth and mortality figures for
1923, recently issued by the depart
ment Of commerce, we learn that Wis
consin has little to be proud of in this
I field. No less than twenty states
show at least as good record as, and
eighteen Of these show an even better
record than Wisconsin for the last
year in the death rates, in the proper
ton Of deaths per one thousand Of the
population. Wisconsin is one of the
twenty-five states In which death rates
for 1928 were higher than for 1922.
Workers Beat Out Of Studies.
Wisconsin has always boosted OF It's
great educational system. But the
workers have enjoyed very little Of
the advantages Afforded by LaFol-
letts's generosity in this respect
From the instruction in Wisconsin
Schools; Report Of the General Exec
utive Board" 1920 convention of the
State Federation of Labor, we learn
that:
For 1900 university students the
state Of Wisconsin in 1919-1920 spent
S4,OO0,000. For more than 10000 EN-
ployed children between the ages OF IA
and IL the state spent one-eighth as
much"
This extreme disproportion certain
ly does not betray a whole-hearted I'M.
terest on the part OF the LaTollette
machine in the education Of the work
ers.
UnssnItsry Labor Conditions.
Nor are the sanitary conditions Of
employment even up TO the mark set
for them by the various state laws.
SO conservative a paper as the Mil.
waukes Journal IN iS issue OF De