White Bluffs spokesman. [volume] (White Bluffs, Wash.) 1907-1938, 1934-04-26
Economist Explains
Subsistence Farms
By Rex e. willard,
Agricultural Economist, State College
Of Warrington

Recent activities of the federal gov
eminent with respect to subsistence
homesteads has brought forth much
comment and some misunderstanding.
Congressional action made possible the
use of $25,OO0,O00 in connection with
this enterprise and the administration
of this fund was placed in the Depart
ment of Interior, Division of Subsis-
tence Homesteads, with Mr.. M. L. Will
son, formerly of Montana, In charge
of the division.
At the request of the Division OF
Subsistence Homesteads the writer
was asked to assist in the selection OF
sites and to assist in the drawing up
of the applications for two projects
to be located in the state of Washing
ton. Through the cooperation OF the
State Emergency Relief Commission
this was done and an application was
prepared covering the establishment Of
go farms in the vicinity of Longview.
This project has been submitted
through the State Emergency Relief
Commission and has been approved by
the Secretary of the Interior This is
the first project of it's kind to be es-
! tablished west of the Mississippi river.
The second project of slightly diff
ferent character is in progress of de-
velopment These will be chiefly OF i'm
portance in the local communities.
These subsistence homestead projects
are in no sense wholesale settlement
programs. They are in the nature OF
experimental or demonstration activ-
tiles with the purpose of determining
whether or not this method of meeting
part of the unemployment and linn
tied employment situation is satisfac-
tory. Literally hundreds of applications
have been received from individuals
and groups who have something to sell
Such applications are usually of little
merit, being frequently little more thar
the fashioned land promotion plan
A The purpose of the Subsistence
Homestead program Of the government
is to assist stranded people in sucl
a way that they may become self-sup
porting. There are considerable mum
bers of rural families who are now OF
relief and who appear to be in a con
dition where they cannot rehabilltat'
themselves without some guidance ant
assistance. The purpose of the Subsis
tence Homestead division is not to sub
sidize projects and individuals bu
rather to furnish necessary credit o
financial backing, strictly as loan, TO
the purpose of making possible tn
production or the earning of a consid
cradle part of the living expenses o
these families.
3 At the present time there is no OPP
portunity for individuals to receiv
consideration beyond those above ind1
4 Gated Under the proposed set-up c
!, the F'ERA it is possible that some pro
n vision may be made giving some assis
r lance in this direction. In the state
r Washington there are, at the presef
time, several thousand part-time farm
o ers who have now or who have ma
y industrial employment. During the Oh
e tressing period we have just bee
it through people that have been so sltl
: ated have generally been in a mol
II secure position than almost any oth'
, industrial group. These families hay
' succeeded in producing an amount
le food supply that would have cost the
a, from 500 to $500 per year, and tn
" has been done very largely with leisu
l. time or time that would not have bee
h otherwise used for productive purpose
! One of the objectives OF the Subsl
tence Homestead program is to bril-
about decentralization of our dense
populated industrial centers Wherev
this is possible. If industries can
II moved from the denser areas or II nj
industries can be established IN t.
IN country so that better DISTRIBUTE
I'd of the population can be brought aoo'
J., the possibilities for the improveme
m of the industrial and stranded grou
to seems assured.
at
Id Under the proposed program OF su
ks sistence homesteads it is not expect
that there will be any immediate