The Wilmington morning star., 1940-12-05
WASHINGTON
DAYBOOK
BY JACK STINNETT

WASHINGTON. Dec. 4.-For anyone who
cares two whoops what is happening to United
States farms and farmers, a fascinating piece
of government literature recently rolled off
the federal presses.
1t is called by the unappetizing title of
Technology on the Farm'-but it is just
about as full a survey of farm improvements
and lack of Improvements as the numerous
bureaus of the Department of Agriculture
could put together.
City folk (and I'm just like the next fellow
who doesn't know a harrow from a combined
have fallen into the habit of saying that the
farmer of today, with his electric lights, his
radio, his telephone, the family jalopy, wash
ing machines, hot and cold running water,
indoor plumbing and a generous check from
the government every year is sitting pretty on
top of the haymow.
Now this is like a lot of statements that
somebody who doesn't know what he's talking
about picks up and passes along to other
non-knowers until it gets to be sort of univer-
sal. It's about half truth and half breeze.
At least that's he conclusion you'll have to
come to if the agriculture department survey
on farm technology is all facts.
Much To Be Done
The farmer has come a long way from the
ox-drawn wooden pillow and harvesting sickle
and fail, but what got me in this department
report is how many of these 'modern farm
conveniences and luxuries" seem to be poten-
t~ialities rather than realities so far as the
modern farm hone is concerned.
When the last general survey of farm in
come was made in 1886 land no more
accurate figure will be. available until the
Census Bureau comes through with it's break
down on farm population figures) about one
fourth OF the farm families received direct
relief or had incomes under $500; a little fewer
that a fourth had incomes of 81, 500 or more;
and the remainder, slightly more than a half
had incomes from $500 to 81, 500.
With an average of as. persons to the family
lone more than average in cities or more
than 100000, you can start your budgeting.
Take out for. stuff you have to have to be
a "modern" farmer-a tractor, other improved
tools and machinery, better seed, fertilizer,
etc..and see what's. left for telephones, radio,
weekly Junkets to the village movie, and such.
Without Radios
In a survey made as recently as 1898. it
was estimated that 40 percent of the farm
homes were without radios. The 1880 census
showed that only; "a per cent of all farmers
mad telephones and the, boys at agriculture
mink the percentage has changed little since
then.
Although the electric light condition is spot
TED, there are many sections where the kero:
sene lamp is still a standard fixture. In the
southeast section of the country, the survey
showed that even among the better-off: white
operators with incomes of $1,000 to $1,250,
only 4 per cent had electric lights.
Let's stay in this same comparatively we'll
off income bracket and take a swing through
a few states and see what was reported on
the percentages of farmers having mechanical
refrigerators: California. A; New Jersey. SO;
Washington and Oregon, IL; Colorado, Mon
tana and South Dakota, 7; Michigan and Wis
consin, 6; North and South Carolina, S; Penn:
sylvania. Kansas and Ohio, 4; Georgia and
mississippi, 2; and Illinois and Iowa, 1.
The report shows that in the whole country
only l6 per cent of farm families in the in
J termediate income group ($500 to $1,000 had