The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1937-01-14
FARM TENANCY IN THE SOUTH


it relates to agriculture in the southern
States, The Texas Weekly makes the per-
tinent observation that mere transfer OF
land titles will not change the fundamen-
tai conditions" r,
This is something for the Utopian dream
ers to think about, if they have any capac-
ity for practical thinking. Most OF those
persons who are yelling the loudest about
tenancy conditions in the South think no
further than this, that the federal govern
msnt can settle the whole problem for all
time to come by making gift OF farm
land to every tenant Practical citizens
who apply common sense rules to the prob
lem know that much more than this is IN
yolved in the southern problem of farm
tenancy. One of the fundamental things
involved is human nature; and human ma
ture cannot be changed by the free gift OF
land titles to tenants-neither can human
nature be changed by government sys-
tenn of selling land to tenants for payments
spread over a lifetime. ...... ..
Another and basic condition which
stands in the way of a simple solution OF
cotton belt farm tenancy problems was re-
Gently stated by X. A. Gaverno of Missouri,
a citizen who is laboring to improve ten
ancy conditions in the South. MIR. Caverno
said: call the money that comes into the
South in a year won't make decent civil
lization, no matter how you distribute 1t.
Secretary Wallace in an article in The
New York Times makes the blunt state
ment that the condition of tenant farmers
in the cotton belt is not altogether OF their
own making and says that ut is not the
fault of the landlords and wealthy people
of, the South
All of which means, if it be that we
have here a correct appraisal OF condl-
tions, that the problem of farm tenancy in
the South is not alone the problem of land
ownership but it is also, fundamentally,
problem of farm production and distribu-
ton. There can be no lasting Improvement
of economic conditions in the cotton belt
by simply passing the title of the land
from the present owners to the tenant pop
ulation, either as a gift or on low and easy
lohg time payments. Cotton belt farmers
must produce more and sell their produc-
ton for more money in order to improve
their financial condition.
Therefore, the policy of producing less
to sell for about the same sum total of cash
they have been receiving will not improve
their condition.
The lasting improvement of farm con-
ditians in the South, and the ultimate So
luton of the tenant problem, is unalterably
linked to diversified, or subsistence, farm
ins. These ends cannot be obtained by one
p-cotton-production Domestic and
fofeign markets do not afford-never Will
afford-a demand for a sufficient amount
of. cotton at sufficiently high prices to al.
ford southern farmers economic lndepen'
dence and financial prosperity.
Farm tenancy has made major contrl'
button to the conditions in which the agrl'
cultural South is found today. Widespread
farm ownership by those who cultivate the
soil is one of the most desirable and neces'
sary goals to be achieved in the improve
ment of rural conditions in the cotton
belt. The problem must be approached AND
managed in practical way. A large pro
portion of the farm tenants of the cotton
belt would never make a success if Uncle
Sam presented them with the gift of land
stock and everything necessary for farm
ing operations. Many of these tenants
would never pay for farm if they bougi