The Dayton forum. [volume] (Dayton, Ohio) 1913-1949, 1939-07-28

Southern custom of exploiting Me-
gro farmers, attempted nowadays
under various disguises, has received
terrific setback, through the ad-
ministration Of the Agricultural Ad-
justment administration of the De-
partment of Agriculture, and be-
cause prosecution faced white plant
ers and farmers who attempted to
defraud their Negro tenants and
sharecroppers, hundreds Of thou
sands Of dollars have been paid
these defrauded Negro workers in
the past year.
Taking a few examples at ran
dom, the state Of Alabama, Missis-
sippi and Georgia, the following
cases indicate the common practise
on which the Department of Agri-
culture cracked down.
In one county in Alabama, the
landlords failed to show the inter-
ested tenants on practically all farms
which were operated by tenant
farmers since the beginning Of the
Cotton Acreage Reduction program
in 1884. A representative spent
several months last summer and fall
in this county assisting the state and
county authorities in reworking all
applications and contracts in con-
nection with the agricultural adjust
ment program from 1884 thru 1887.
ssTt was found that 1861 tenants,
sharecropners had not received their
proportionate share Of the payments
which had been made to farms on
which they operated. Of this num-
ber, $500 were Negroes.
$15O,OOO in One Alabama County
approximately $150,00O has been
collected and distributed among the
various interested tenants to whom
these payments should have been
made originally. 1t is possible that
there will be eases Of fraud, con-
spiracv or forgery, which will have
t, BE handled by the office Of the
SOLICITOR
II county in Mississippi is the next
example of what was done to the
Negro sharecroppers and farmers.
with the assistance Of the
county committee and the Mississlp-
ri state office, $10,272.19 was re-
covered from the landlord and paid
to approximately 200 Negro tenants
who should have received these pay
ments when he contracts aud appll-
cations were audited and paid, but
who lad not been properly shown
on these documents. After this IN
vestigation was completed, this pro
fucsr. who had been chairman of the
county committee for several years
severed his connection with this
committee
White and Negro Renters Suffer
In Georgia, several cases were re
Iorted and gone into.
"In this county, 81 complaint
were investigated and lit was fount
that 80 were irregular and involved
AZ many landlords and I19 tenants
81 per cent Of whom were Negroes
S1.868.47 was collected and distrib
uted to the tenants.
"In county number two, 95 case
were investigated and SO found +
be irregular, which involved as man,
landlords and 372 tenants, 30 pc
cant or more of whom were essifnat
cd to be Negroes; S3,261,23 was col
lected and distributed to the tenants
sIn county number three, 8
cnses have been investigated; .
taaants were involved, Of Whlc
three were white and So coloret
The amount Of cash distributed :
these tenants was s2,520.6o. Their
are still rs complaints OF tenant
On file. which involve 40 landlords. t.
aIn county number four, Il case
have heen investigated, So tenant
being involved, the majority
whom are Negroes. TO date, tnei
has been distributed to these tel
ants, $s4e.32 in connection with !
Irregularities. There are 40 con
plants on file to be investigated, i
volving 73 landlords. &.
eIn county number flve, como
lions were unusually bad The Q