Evening star., 1936-12-13
FARM ARISTOCRACYHEL
GREAT NEED OF NATION
Families Owning Own Land for Genera
tions Anchorage to Best Govern.
mental Traditions, Observer SAYS.
BY MARK SULLIVAN.

NOON we are going to hear much
about farm ownership and
farm tenancy. The distinction
~ Is between farms Of which the
owner lives on the farm and operates
it himself, and, on the other hand,
farms which are operated by tenants,
with the owner living elsewhere and
having the role Of landlord. OF the
latter, tenant farming, there has come
to be too much.
Out Of all the farms in the United
States, more than 40 per cent are op-
erAted by tenants, with ownership in
the hands Of a landlord, usually an
absentee landlord. The percentage,
according to the census Of 1880, was
424. Since then there have been
cross currents due to the depression.
Some persons who had become "fed
up" with the insecurity Of life in the
city took some money, if they had
any left, and bought farms for the
sake Of greater security and peace. On
the other hand, there has been some
increase in the passage Of farms from
LllC VI OWllClS AhOO SAAE AA1AAAS
of tenants. Many farms that had
mortgages ON them were put through
foreclosure, because Of Lack Of pay
ment of interest or principal. with the
former lender on the mortgage be-
coming the new owner and the former
owner becoming tenant. What is
the net of these counter movements
would be difficult to ascertain exactly,
but it Is safe to say that the propor-
ton Of farms operated by tenants Is
at this time materially over 40 per
cent. I notice that Prof. Tugwell's
Office estimates it as AZ per cent.
This condition has troubled many
thoughtful persons for several years.
In the recent presidential campaign
both President Roosevelt and Gov.
Landon took notice Of it. Both said
it was bad. Both said something
ought to be done about it. Mr.. Roose-
welt has now started to do something.
He has appointed q committee to
study the condition and recommend
ways to better it. The committee is
headed by Secretary Of Agriculture
Henry A. Wallace and consists Of SO
persns-farm leaders, teachers in
agricultural colleges, welfare workers
and church leaders. The committee
is instructed by Mr.. Roosevelt to re-
port not later than February l. This
means that Mr.. Roosevelt hopes to get
legislation in the coming session of
Congress. Undoubtedly he will, for
the disposition to do something Is
practically universal.
Resettlement Experiment.
Already a kind of experimental be-
ginning has been made. It was made
by the Resettlement Administration
under Administrator Rexford G. Tug
well, recently resigned. Prof. Tugwell
and his organization have bought
76,925 acres of land and turned it
over to GIT tenants, to cultivate As
their own.
In the experiment so far the Re-
settlement Administration has discov-
cred or surmised difficulty. Appar-
emily not all farm tenants have the
qualities Of character and personality
to make farm owners. Consequently
the Resettlement Administration first
leases the land to the tenant for 9
five-year period, a kind Of trial term.
II during this period the tenant man
ages his farm to the satisfaction of
the Government agents, he can then
enter into a purchase agreement. TO
make a purchase agreement the pro-
spective farm owner must make down
payment Of IS per cent Of the cost.
The remaining IS per cent he can pay
in installments over a period Of 40
years. with interest at 3 per cent.