Chapter Three SOME APPLICATIONS TO RURAL AFFAIRS A PROGRAM 1. That Every Farmer May Have His Chance (1) The farmer must have access to the land on terms that give him the largest possible personal freedom and encouragement, and that likewise most fully assure society that the land will be used to the best advantage to society. We are to assume that the land with all its resources belongs to society as a whole. This is quite as true of the land used for growing crops as it is of land that produces trees or copper or oil or water power. The justification of private ownership of these resources hinges upon the use that is made of them— whether the individual owners get the main advantage or whether the advantage is fully shared with society. Whatever may be the facts with respect to other land, history seems to show that when farm land is divided into comparatively small parcels and put in charge of the actual tillers, on terms of legal ownership, a better use is made of it than when it is held in any other form. Agricultural students the world over put a premium upon the personal ownership of a tract of farm land large enough for the maintenance of a single family under typical or average standards of living of the time. On these grounds statesmen in Europe have encouraged "peasant proprietorship." American "homestead" legislation had the same end in view. There is no doubt but a system of permanent tenancy like that in England may bring satisfactory economic results both to farmer and consumer. But it is questionable whether the social and personal results are as good as in the case of private ownership. That, however, is largely an academic question in America. With us the main issue lies not only in the increase in tenancy during the past generation, but in the fact that so large a proportion of this is of a highly transient nature. In so far as tenant farming is one of the steps toward ultimate ownership, it is good rather than bad; in so far as tenancy may become relatively permanent on terms fair to tenant as well as to owner, the results may be at least not wholly bad. But a system of transient tenancy makes inevitably for poor farming, for meager community life, and as a rule gives the individual tenant small chance for economic success. Access to farming land is becoming year by year more difficult and will continue to be so except as vigorous steps are taken to remedy the difficulty. The virgin lands have been pretty well occupied and farm land values are increasing as a consequence. To insure easy access to land will require a thoroughly developed system of farm credits, both long term and short term, on easy payment plans, but so guarded as not to encourage mere speculation nor the assumption of over-capitalization, and particularly guarded against the incurring of heavy financial responsibility by those in any way likely not to succeed in the venture. It will not be long moreover before we will need added legislation in the various states in America protecting the tenant and encouraging permanent tenancy or ultimate ownership, preferably the latter. (2) "A Fair Share of the Consumer's Dollar." This quotation is a rather crude and popular way of phrasing a fundamental truth with reference to giving every farmer his chance. As usually put, not all the story is told. There is a widely used statement, for example, to the effect that the farmer gets only one-third of the consumer's dollar. This proportion is assumed not only as universally prevalent, but as an unfair share. The fact, however, is not universally true. The farmer's portion varies widely with different crops, in different regions of the country, and in different years. Moreover, for certain products, the marketing of which has been organized on exceedingly efficient lines, one-third of the retail price for the product is all that can be gotten by the grower, all that is expected, and is apparently satisfactory. The will to produce is as yet almost wholly unorganized in America, and to a large extent unintelligent. Not long ago much was said in some of the agricultural papers of the fact that a certain farmer had sold his potatoes for 20 cents a bushel and had |