The Wilmington morning star., 1940-07-14
Farm Security Agency Building
Up Defenses On Home Front

from 1916 to $1,056, a gain of 80
per cent.
This gain, according to the sur
vey, consists chiefly in livestock,
better farming equipment, and in
creased inventories of canned
fruits and vegetables and other
items of food and feed.
For families ov~erburdened with
debt the Farm Security admins
tration provides a means by which
their old debts a be adjusted to
their capacity to pay. By means OF
a local farm debt adjustment COM
mittee, which meets with the deb
tor and his creditors for discus
sion of their mustual problems, it
is often possible to reach an agree
ment for extending the time of
payment, reducing interest rates,
scaling down the debt or refinanc-
ing part of it.
In this way, court costs r
avoided, the farmer is saved from
foreclosure, and the creditors get
substantial on what otherwise
might have been uncollectable
debts. This debt service is avail
able to all farmers, regardless of
whether they be FSA borrowers.
Applications for this assistance r
made to county FSA supervisors.
To date debt reductions totaling
$81, 500 have been negotiated for
1856 farmers in these ten southeast
ern counties, total debts having
been reduced from $404, 989 to
1928, 1893. AS a result of these re-
cutions some $10,291 in back taxes
have been paid to county tax col
lectors.
In addition to the regular re.
Mobilization program referred to
above, the Farm Security admin
istration is also carrying out a
gradually expanding tenant-pl1r-
chase program to help tenants
share choppers, and farm lahorers
to become owners.
Funds were first made available
under the Bankhead-Jones Farm
Tenant Act for the fiscal year Of
1888. Because of limited funds,
loans to buy farms were made in
only a few counties in 1888 and
1889. In 1910 these loans e r e
made available in every county in
the state.
Robson and Onslow were among
the counties designated for tenant
purchase loans in 1888, Columbus
was added in 1889, and other south
eastern counties were added in
1910.
In the southeastern counties
these tenant-purchase loans have
been made to As tenants, totaling
$213, 145, broken down as follows:
Bladen, l, 1898; Columbus, 8,
$45, 527; Cumberland, 2, Sill, 756;
Fender, l., So, 1852; Onslow, 10, $685.
3s7; Duplin, II, $50, 073; Sampson.
4. $21, 1876; and Robson, S, $50, SOC.
For Improvements
Under the tenant purchase pro-
gram, money is lent to by a FAM
ily-size farm, to build or repair
houses and to make other necess-
airy improvements, such as ter
racing, drainage, wells for water
supply, and fencing for permanent
pastures. The full value Of the
farm and improvements may be
borrowed.
This makes it possible for a hard
working reliable tenant unable to
buy a farm with other credit help,
to become an owner. A county
committee of three farmers picks
the applicants most likely to sue.
coed as farm owners and appraises
the farms the successful applicants
want to buy.
The borrower agrees to follow
good farm practices and the loans
are based on sound plans, figured
on the earning capacity of the far
mer and his farm. The farmer has
40 years to pay for the farm at
three per cent interest.
Another approach which the
Farm Security administration
makes toward solution of farm to-
nancy problems is that of helping
to work out better leasing arrange
ments between tenants and owners.
With about half the farmers as
tenants and with tenancy increas-
ing every year, money is not yet
available to help all tenants be-
come farm owners. But the FSA
is attempting to eliminate some of
the worst evils of the present ten
ancy system. 4
In cooperation with the extension