The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1924-04-26
BY LOUIS zoosocK.

4 tural scholars that tenancy is only
the first step on the agricultural lad
der"-in other words, the first step
toward farm ownership-is absolutely
without any foundation. An investi-
cation by the Department of Agricul-
ture for the period January, 1920, to
March, 1923, for $4,000 farmers in is
states showed that S.5 per cent lost
their farms thru foreclosure or bank
ruptcy and "thatu15 per cent were in
fact bankrupt, but still held their
farms; that "the percentage of farm
owners who lost their farms varied
from per cent in the North Central
States to nearly 20 per cent in the
Mountain States" Another report
showed very clearly how difficult it is
for an agricultural laborer to acquire
farm out of his earnings. In 26
farm management surveys made in
different parts of the United States
it was shown that if the agricultural
workers tried to buy farm of aver
age value there would be nothing left
to live on in Is out of 26 communi-
ties surveyed. 'In other words, even
making no allowance for living ex-
penses there would be less than
enough to make the annual payments
on interest and principal, the deficit
ranging from S28 to as much as 1922.
In eight of the remaining commune
ties, after meeting the annual pay
ments for interest and principal, there
would be less than $500 for annual
living expenses. Only in three COM
munities was the remainder for liv-
ing expenses above $780,"
The farmers. under pressure of
financial capital, are forced more and
more into the status of landless agri-
cultural workers; it has become next
to impossible for an agricultural
worker to acquire farm; this will
especially become clear when we de-
scribe the actual living conditions Of
the farmer-laborer
Extent of Farm Labor and Character
of Work.
In 1920 there were over 100000
agricultural wage earners. Since that
date the number has considerably in
creased.
The type of work performed by
these workers can be classified into
regular and seasonal labor.
The development of machine agri-
cultural production; the heightened
land values, caused thru the specula-
ton of fnanciers, tend to prevent la
borers from becoming land owners
and to fix them as a distinct economic
and social class. The "hired man" is
now an established institution on the
farms of the United States. The con-
ditions of work of the hired" regu-
lar laborers are deplorable. They are
characterized by long hours, poor
housing and lack of social recogni-
ton. The hired men are expected to
do with their might what their hands
find to do" The type of more or less
regular labor work either by the
month or year; they are boarded in
separate boarding houses provided for
them by the employers. Another
class of farm workers lives either in
self-owned or rented houses and hires
out for wages by the day or month.
In the South, where the Negro is the
larger source of farm labor. racial
lines are observed and the Negroes
are separately housed and fed.
In many places the hired men suffer
under poor living conditions and
harsh treatment. This is especially
true in those places where the fac
tory system of agriculture appeared.
On the huge estates operated by man
ayers, the wages are often exception
ally low. The large estates embrace
whole towns and counties and are a
law unto themselves; they are dicta-
tors of the lives, liberties and happi-
ness of their employees, because they
control the schools, churches and To-
cal governments, as well as the