The McDowell times. [volume] (Keystone, W. Va.) 1904-1941, 1940-08-16


views that he turned off the radio
and snapped, That's outrageous.
I'm saying nothing about that young
man IN my talk tonight, but shall
make it my business to do so on
another occasion"
TENANT FARMERS
Despite all the good intentions of
Henry Wallace regarding the share
cropper and tenant farmer, the in
side fact is that both have been in
creasing in numbers and decreas-
ing in security, year by year. For
anybody who wants to write an
other Grapes of WRATH" there is
more abundant material than ever.
It In not being shouted from the
housetops, but between 1880 and
1885, the number Of farm tenants
increased at the rate of 10000 q
year to reach the staggering total
Of 2,865 900. The 1910 census, when
the figures are out, is expected to
show a still higher figure.
Privately agriculture department
officials admit that they are just
about licked, and have almost aban-
doned their drive to reduce ten
antry.
There are three reasons for the
increase in tenant farming:
l. Increased mechanization. Best
index Of this is the mounting sale
OF tractors. archaeological unem-
ployment, which long ago hit the
factory, has now come to the farm.
2. Reduced acreage. To prevent
price-depressing SURPRISES, AAA
contracts with farmers to plant less.
This means fewer tenants are need
ed TO plant, tend and harvest the
crops. Meantime, the rested land
next year gives higher yield, neces-
states further reduction of acre
age.
3. In spite of AAA efforts, how
ever, tenants and sharecroppers are
not getting proportional benefits of
AAA payments. The money goes to
the landlords, many of whom are
insurance companies and absentee
owners. AAA officials, headed by
Gully Cobb, have insisted they can't
make an issue of this or they will
lose landlords compliance.
Sharecropper Security.
Economists in the department are
now making q drive for security for
tenants. This represents a radical
shift Of direction. For until recent
ly, the drive was to convert tenants
to owners, with government aid.
Instead, realizing that many ten
ants are incapable Of owning and
operating a farm, AAA planners are
not trying to decrease the number
Of tenants but to increase their in
come and security. It Is pointed out
that tenantry In England is much
higher than in the United States
Gao per cent against AZ but that
the English farm tenants have a
degree Of protection unknown here.
First step in this direction is to
formalize and legalize the relation
between farmer and tenant by
bringing In simple, uniform lease
TO bind the relation between them.
Over 30 per cent of all tenants
and sharecroppers have only YER
bal agreements with their landlords.
Conferences in the agriculture de-
partment are preparing for such a
drive. Preliminary material has
been drawn up, under Economist
Dover p. Trent. The country will
soon hear about the flexible farm
lease"
Approximately a million tenant
families 5000, 900 persons) move
every year. Benefit payments,
poured out by the billions, never
touch them. They are the big un-
solved problem of the New Deals
agricultural reform.
MERRY-GO-ROUND
Rep. Joe Martin, new G.. o. p.
national chairman, has added to his
staff Dave ingalls,, campaign man
ager Of Sen. Bob Taft.
The famed Indiana Two Per Cent
club Is virtually broke and practical
" defunct. Harshest blow was the
new Hatch act. This is costing the
club hundreds of dues" paying
members.
g. o. p. TROUBLES
The campaign organizing difficult
ties of the faction-scarred Demo