Evening star., 1936-09-24
Member Of the Associated Press.
Farm Tenancy.

Farm cnanCy.
without rejecting on the Presidents
sincerity, his letters to Senator Bank
head and Representative Jones of Texas,
ehairmen of the Committees on Aericul-
ture, asking their cooperation in draft
Ing legislation designed to deal with
the farm tenancy program can be set
down as written with a political eye to
vindward. Both of these gentlemen have
pronounced ideas on the subject, both
have dealt with legislative expedients to
deal with it, and there is mass OF
available data at the Department OF
Agriculture bearing on the problem from
the economic and social points OF view.
What the President has done is to put
himself on record during the campaign
that he is not unaware of the need OF
doing something, and Is in favor Of it.
And in doing so he has in manner
recognized the chief agitator OF the
tenancy problem. Norman Thomas,
Socialist candidate for the presidency.
when S6udGOI odllAllCdo A4Au 0AASSa AAAo
bill in February of 1885 to create Farm
Tenant Home Corporation, empowered
to lend rs much as billion dollars at
three and "a half per cent interest, pay
able In sixty years, to enable tenants to
become land owners, Editor Moley's
magazine Today described the measure
as the reply Of moderate but realistic
Southern thought to the threat Of Huey
Long" Other measures, at the same
time, were recognizing the same threat
The relief bill included q provision for
lending money to tenants for farm pur-
chase and the cotton control act, which
perished with the A. A. A., exempted
from It's tax provisions the small cotton
farmers. The Bankhead bill passed the
Senate in June of 1885, but pressure OF
adjournment business prevented its
being brought up in the House.
Senator Long was assassinated the
following September, q fact which may
have had nothing to do with the fate OF
the Bankhead bill. But at any rate the
bill dragged along in the House commit
tee during the past session of Congress,
was rewritten completely. including q
provision to absorb DR.. Tugwell's Re
settlement Administration, and was then
abandoned toward the end OF the ses-
sion. The Long pressure had been re-
moved. During the campaign Mr..
Thomas has been exerting pressure, evi-
IDENTIFY in q more convincing manner, for
recognition of the tenancy problem and
some Of the grave conditions that accom-
pany 1t, especially in Arkansas and Miss
issippi.
The seriousness of the problem is not
being overemphasized. 1t is representa-
tive Of fundamentally dangerous condl-
tion, more apt to grow worse than to
Improve. Between 1880, when public
lands for homesteading were becoming
scarce, and 1880 the percentage of ten
ant-operated farms increased from 256
10 474 for the United States as whole,
and Secretary Wallace estimated last
year that the present percentage Is
about 45, having been increased by the
depression. The reduction of farm ten
ancy should be part and parcel of any
soil conservation program, as more than
% per cent of the farm tenants remain
less than fve years on one farm, and
during their stay the soil is usually
abused and neglected. The social effects
Of farm tenancy have resulted in condi-
tions, some Of which have been exposed by
Mr.. Thomas, little better than slavery
and accompanied by poverty and suffer-
ing worse than slavery. The cotton
acreage reduction made matters worse
ln the South.
whether 1t Is a problem that can be
cured by long time loans for farm pur-
chase is 4 question. The President evi-
dently believes something can be done
along that line His letters indicate no
new approach, but merely outline the
theory Of the Bankhead bill, permitted to
die in committee In the past session of
Congress.