Evening star., 1937-02-17
TENANCYPROGRAM
IS GIVEN APPROVAL.
Congress Leaders to Push
Consideration of Low
Interest Loans.
By tie Associated Press.

80 49, <soSSSAo sC0 kiCco.
Democratic farm leaders in Congress,
expressing general approval of the
Presidents long-term recommendations
to aid tenant farmers, agreed today to
hasten consideration Of low interest
loans for the purchase of land.
Chairman Jones said the House
Agriculture Committee would hear sug-
geStions tomorrow from Secretary Wal
lace or another member of the Presi-
dents Tenancy Commission and then
would draft measure.
The committee has been studying q
proposal by Jones and Senator Bank
head, Democrat, of Alabama, to set
aside $500, ,000, 900 for loans to tenants,
sharecroppers and farm laborers de-
string to buy farms.
This probably will be the basis of the
hnal bill, the Texan said.
A Senate subcommittee headed by
Senator Pope, Democrat, Of Idaho, will
begin hearings within 10 days on the
commissions seven-point program to
help 2,865,000 tenants become inde-
pendent.
These recommendations, submitted
to Congress yesterday by Mr.. Roose-
welt, call for confiscatory tax on quick
profits from land speculation. a 40-yeAr
payment plan for tenants buying land
with title withheld for 20 years. and
retirement of between two and five
million acres Of poor crop land each
year.
A farm security administration
would be set up in the Agriculture
Department to direct the projects.
Jones said the Presidents message
was a good one, but suggested broad
ening the recommendations.
II believe the tenant should be
given title as soon as he can pay for
a farm" Jones said. I'VE could use
the money to help other tenants be-
come landowners"
Jones expressed the belief the tenant
should be consulted in purchase of
land and that local committees should
help administer the program. Under
the Bankhead-Jones bill, no tenant
could receive assistance unless ap-
proved by such committee.
John H. Bosch. president Of the
National Farm Holiday Association,
said at Minneapolis the program was
a move in the right direction.
Francis johnson, president Of the
Iowa Farm Bureau Federation, ex-
pressed similar view, but added:
"The steps don't get at the funda-
mental cause Of the increasing spread
Of undesirable farm tenure"
Nebraskan's Proposal.
johnson and H. G. Keeney, presi-
dent of the Nebraska Farmers Union,
called for placing farm income in bal
ance with other groups.
r. w. Brown and DR.. o. o. Wolf,
heads of the Missouri and Kansas
Farm Bureaus, respectively. voiced ap-
proval Of the general principles.
Congressman studying the tenancy
report found it criticized some of the
traditional theories of land ownership
and rental, particularly the contention
that a man can do what he pleases
with his land.
"The soil is a national resource on
which our total civilization has q
stake" said the report. "Its proper use
and conservation requires modifca-
ton Of our present system of land ten
ure."
Federal land ownership policies, un-
der which millions of acres of farm
land have passed from the Government
to private owners, it declared, have
proved ineffective as a means of keep
ing the land in the ownerships of those
who work it.
Although immediate action was
urged by State and Federal govern
ments, the report said the program had
to deal with abuses that have developed
for two centuries.
I'VE cannot correct them overnight,
but we can begin" it said.