Evening star., 1940-05-02
Migrants
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Mi grants
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AS 900 a year-and the increase is
fastest in those very areas which
already are poorest and most over
crowded."
Offers Corrective Program.
The Secretary offered a correc-
tive program to stop the human
erosion" involved in "the spec
tacle of many thousands of fam
lilies roaming from State to State in
search of precarious seasonal work
which is warning to the Nation"
while Federal agencies have
been taking measures to help the
migrants already on the road, their
main efforts have been devoted to
checking migration at its source
For every dollar which the Farm
Security Administration has used
to aid migrants in California, for
example, it has used $40 for the re-
habilitation of needy farm families
in the five States from which most
OF the Pacific Coast migrants orig
inally came - Oklahoma, Texas,
Kansas, Arkansas and Missouri.
Throughout the Nation it has
used nearly $480,O00, 900 in the last
five years to help loW-income farm
families get new foothold in their
home communities. A little more
than $l00,000,000 of this sum has
been paid out in direct relief grants
to provide minimum of food and
clothing for the victims of drought
floods and other catastrophes, until
they could make a new crop anc
begin to support themselves.
The rest has been used for re-
Mobilization loans, to enable needy
farm families to buy the tools, live
stock and seed necessary to make 9
living. 1t is a tribute to the hon.
esty and industry of these families
none OF which could get credit from
any other Source-that an estimated
30 per cent of these loans eventually
will be repaid into the Fedora
Treasury.
There remain, however, at least
100000 farm families which are in
urgent need of rehabilitation loans
but have been unable to get them
because of the limited funds avail
able. I believe it would be prudent
and economical for the Government
to give these people chance before
1t is too late"
Mr.. Wallace added:
Tenancy has been increasing with
alarming speed during the last halt
century, until today more than A
per cent of our farmers are tilling
land they do not own. Moreover,
the number of tenants still is grow
Ing at the rate of about 10000 a
year. so that the Federal program
on its present scale does not even
enable us to hold our own. Under
the impact of mechanization, low
farm prices, shrinking foreign mar
kets and similar developments many
tenants are being forced every day
into the ranks of day laborers. If
this kind of human erosion con.
tinues unchecked, the effect upon
our social and economic order NAV
be very profound indeed.
Owners Should Be Aided, Too.
ITO correct the Embellishments
resulting from the increase in farm
tenancy, it is imperative that steps
be taken in two directions: Those
farmers who have already become
tenants should be given effective
assistance in becoming owners; and.
OF equal If not more Importance,
those farmers who are still owners.
but who are threatened with the
loss of their farms due to excessive
farm debt burdens, should be assisted
in retaining ownership.
ITO assist present tenants to be-
come owners, it would appear to
be desirable to enlarge the Bank
head-Jones far tenant loan program
as rapidly as the availability of good
land at reasonable prices will per-
NIT. Similar programs already have
been carried out with marked sue
cess in other countries-notably
Ireland, Finland, Denmark and
Sweden. Moreover, it should be
remembered that such loans impose
very little burden upon the Federal
Treasury, since all of them are self
liquidating, and are, in fact, being
repaid ahead of schedule"
The Secretary also suggested a
long-term public works program in
the overcrowded rural areas.
The committee will convene on
the migrant tenancy farm labor
question again at 10 am. Monday,
with Secretary of Labor Perkins as
the witness.