The Daily Worker Newspaper, October 17, 1925, Page 7

“The idez becomes power when it pene- trates the masses.” Karl Marx. SPECIAL MAGAZINE SUPPLEMENT SATURDAY, OCTOBER 17, THE DAILY WORKER. 1925. <q 200 EEE * SECOND SECTION This magazine supple- ment will appear every Saturday in The Daily Worker. Statistical Background of. the Agrarian Question in the United States ; , By EARL-R, BROWDER. . ARTICLE II, . (Continued from last week) . (Editor’s Note: The first part of this article was printed in last Sat- urday’s Magazine section. This in- stallment begins with the population distribution by groups of the agrarian population of the East North Central Division). _ Approximate number of farmers in each category of our classification would be (in round numbers): Workers «550,000 Poor farmers . 176,000 Middle farmers 383,000 Well-to-do farmers ...... 526,000 SOOM i siscisticsnsesies 1,634,000 West North Central Division, This division is -predominately a wheat-producing- area. It comprises those states which were the hardest hit by the “agrarian crisis " because they are so direttly dependent upon the, world-market price of wheat. It is a predominantly agricultural area, with a population of 12% millions in 1920, of which 62.3 per cent was rural, as compared with 1114 millions in 1910, of which 66.7 was rural. With 17.18. per cent of the total acreage, it _ contains but 11.87. percent; of the pop- ulation (a reversal of the relation in the three first divisions examined), and 15.21 per cent of the rural popu- lation of the country. About 13% per cent of the total population are active- ly engaged in agriculture, numbering 1,689,253, of whom 1,096,951 are farm operators, Corn is the largest crop produced, a large part of it going to feed swine and cattle, and the large dairy busi- ness which takes second place. But wheat is the central crop in the eco- nomic life-of the seven states consti- tuting this division. Corn, wheat, hay, dairy and livestock products, and live- stock for slaughtering (this division is the largest producer of this last item) constitute the overwhelming bulk of production in west north central di- _Vision. Other items: Number of farms, de- _ereasing (12,997 less in 1920 than in 1910); acres per farm, increasing (number of large farms increasing— 7,265 more farms of a thousand acres and oyer, 5,382 more farms 500 to 1,000 acres, 11,842 more farms of 260 to 500 acres; while the smaller farms. - decreased in number to a muclYgreat- ‘er extent); tenantry, increasing (80.9 per cent in 1910, 34.2 per cent in 1920); foreign-born, 18.8 per cent in 1920, decreased from 24.3 per cent in 1910; Negroes, less than 1‘per cent, and ‘decreasing sharply (9,864 in 1910, 6,919 in-1920); Average equipment— buildings, $2,853; camhinery, $1,060; livestock, 2,151. -Number of farmers’ automobiles, 631,600. Approximate number of farmers in each category of our classification _ would be (in round numbers): “ Workers ...... esevfeeosnesnie 590,000 Poor farmers ........0:00+-130,000 Middle farmers ....,.......369,000 Well-to-do farmers _ see 611,000 r TOAD .oisesse.-reeserreee, 700,000 South Atlantic Division, PRE we are “Away down south in the land of cotton,” altho cotton is the leading crop in only three of the states comprising the division, yet here is produced: 36 per cent of the entire U, 8, cotton crop. | and politico-economic Dachierownd is profoundly different from the previous divisions. Predominately agricultural, of its nearly 14 million population in 1920, over 94% million, or 69 per cent Ra niurecin. sina was rural, a decrease from 74.6 per cent in 1910, but an increase in’ the positive number of rural population of over half a million, and of total population of 1.8 million. Containing 9.05 per cent of the total acreage of the country, it has 13.23 per cent of the total, and 18.78 per cent of the ‘ru- ral, population of, the United States. Approximately 15.6 per cent of the to- tal population of the division are ac- tively engaged in agriculture, number- ing 21,177,438, of whom 1,158,976 are farm operators. Cotton is, by far, the largest item of -| production, constituting over 40 per cent of the value of all crops. Corn is second and tobacco third, this di- vision producting more than half of the total tobacco erop of the U. S. Dairy and other livestock products, and domestic animals for meat slaughtering, occupy an important but subordinate place. Other items: Number of farms, in- creasing (47,095 more farms in 1920 than in 1910); acres per farm, de- creasing (a large decrease in the number of farms of each size-group over 100 acres, a simultaneaus de- crease in the number of farms iess than 10 acres, with 47,052 more farms of 20 to 49 acres—the other size-group increases almost exactly balancing in number of farms of the decrease of large size .farms); tenantry, con- stantly increasing (361 per cent in 1880—45.9 per cent in 1910—and 46.8 per cent in 1920); foreign-born, even fewer in number than Negro farmers in the North—less than 1 per cent; Negroes, 33.1 per cent of all farm op- erators (this does not count Negro wage workers on the farm) an in- crease from 32 per cent in 1910; av- erage equipment (farms of Negroes, av- erage less than one-third the size of the total average}—buildings, $1,036; machinery, $245; livestock, $558. Number of farmers’ automobiles, 187,- 200. - Approximate number of farmers in each category of our classification would be (in round numbers): Workers +-.1,020,000 Poor farmers . 627,000 Middle farmers .........._ 280,000 Well-to-do: farmers .... 275,000 Ss: pia: eee Maa 2,200,000 East South Central Division. OME more of the “Solid South, eh Cotton is still the central crop, altho not so predominating as in the South Atlantie division. This is “the most predominantly agricultural di- vision in the U. S., with 77.6 per cent (almost 7 millions) of its total of almost 9 million population, being ru- Tal (a decline from 81.3 per cent in 1910). With 6.04 per cent of the total acreage, it contains 8.41 per cent of the total, and 13.42 per cent of the ru- ral, population of the U. S. Approxi- mately 20.3 per cent of the entire population of this division is actively engaged in agriculture, numbering 1,805,142, of whom 1,051,600 are farm operators, Cotton, corn, tobacco, domestic ani- mals for slaughtering, and dairy products, are the principal items of production for this division. It ‘pro- duces about 20 per cent of the cotton crop of the country, and more than one- third of. total tobacco crop. Contrary to the two other southern di-| ¢; Visions, this one shows a decrease of the per cent of Negro farm operators between. 1910-1920, altho the total number of all races increased. Z Other items: Number of farms creasing (in 1920 there were more than, in 1910; acres reed ba me itis “ “ ‘ , in 9,120 per farm, aaarhed cess noted in south Atlantic division —decrease in number of very small and very large farms, with the farms 20 to 60 acres in size increasing, in number); tenantry, slight decrease since 1910 (from 50.7 “per. cent to slightly less than 50 per cent in 1920); foreign-born, very few (less than % of 1 per cent); Negroes, 29,2 per cent of all farm operators, a decrease from 31.2 per cent in 1910 (this does not include Negro farm laborers). Aver- age equipment—(discount size of un- dertakings more than 50 per cent for Negro farmers) buildings, $711; ma- chinery, $167; livestock, $551. Num- ber of farmers‘ automobiles, 81,800. Approximate number of farmers. in each category of our classification would be (in round: numbers): Workers .... Poor farmets . Middle farmers .... Well-to-do farmers ORIN vesisntsstisesnees 1,812,000 West South Central Division. «CONTINUATION of the general conditions of the South are found in this division, with some changes, and combining some of the aspects of other divisions. Cotton is the big crop, amounting to almost half of all crop values. But little tobacco, how- ever, is raised in this division; wheat becomés a major crop, and domestic animals ‘for meat slaughtering occu- pies an important place. As in all the cotton producing territories, the Ne- groes are-a large part of the agricul- tural population. . With 10% million population, over 7% millions (or 71 per cent) are rural (a decline from 77.70 in 9.) The area comprises 14.45 per cent of the total fpr the country, within which is 9.69 per cent of the total and 14.15 per cent of the rural population. Of the total population, 17.6 per cent is actively engaged in agriculture, num- bering 1,808,084, of whom 996,088 are farm operators. THER items: Number of farms, constantly increasing (in 1920 there were 52,902 more farms than in 1910);. acres per farm, decreasing (caused by large increase in‘ num- ber of farms of 20 to 99 acres, a de- cline in number of farms less than 10 acres, and from 100 to 250 acres, altho farms of: more than 250 acres show a decided increase in number); |tenantry, constantly. increasing (29,- 162 more tenants in 1920 than in 1910, with the percentage of tenants to-all farms at 52.9 per cent); foreign-born, decreasing (from 4.4 per cent in 1910 to 4 per cent in 1920); Negroes,, in- creasing (to 23.3 per cent of all farm operators in 1920, from 22:2 per cent: in 1910); average equipment, build- ‘ings, - $887; ¢ machinery, $312; live stock $1,024. Number of ‘farmers’ automobiles, 173,600. Approximate number of farmers in each category of our classification- would be (in round numbers): ~ Workers ........ os Ai ~+-810,000 Poor farmers 508,000 Middle farmers ............ 225,000 Well-to-do farmers ......265,000 a age ne NL Ree 1,808,00 Mountain Division. diye is the great sparsely-settled division, cofttaining 28.89 per cent of the total area of the U. S. agricul- land, with but 3.16 per cent of a total, and 4.13 per cent of the rur- al population, The population is 313 millions, of whom 63.6: per cent or over 2 millions, are rural. The rural population has ifcreased almost one- half million since 1910. Approxi- mately 12.8 per cent of the total popu- lation, or 427,158, are actively en- gaged in agriculture, of whom 244,- 109 are farm operators, Predominantly a meat raising di- vision, the mountain territory is turn- ing mofe to wheat, which is the crop second in value, the first being hay, live stock and dairy products, and amimals for slaughtering, together with hay, make up the bulk of agrar- iam products. Always the area of great “ranches,” this division has witnessed a vast increase in the num- ber of large farms between 1910 and 1920, THER items: Number of farms, constantly increasing (in 1910 there were 183,446, in 1920, 244,109; or an increase of 60,663); acres pér farm; increasing (detrease in the number of very small farms, increase in all sizes above 20 acres, with Jeavi- est igcrease in the largest farms); tenantry, constantly increasing (90.3 per cent increase from 1910 to 1920, the proportion to all farms rising from 10.7 per cent to 15.4 per cent); foreign-born, increasing, but not so fast as total farms (16.8 per cent of all farms in 1920}; Negroes, few in number (2.2 per cent in 1920). Aver- age equipment, buildings, $1,481; ma- chinery, $781; live stock, $2,987. Num- ber of farmers’ automobiles, 91,600. Approximate number of farmers in each category of our classification would be (in round _seuipers): Workers «. Fa. 18 GOGO if Poor farmers eo a a i Middle farmers -........... 108; " Well-to-do farmers ......111,000 DOR in ciitcicigotibennocd 428,000 The Pacific Division. HE Pacific coast states present about the same ratio between city and country as the East North Cen- tral division. With 5% million pop- ulation, of which a little over 2? mil- lion (37.6 per cent) is rural, it is one of the rapidly-growing sections, in- creasing since 1910 by more than 11-3 millions, while the percentage of rur- al population declined from 43.2 per cent to 37.6 per cent. The area com- prises 10.7 per cent of the U. S. total, with 5.27 per cent of the ti L popu- lation, and 4.08 per cent,of e Thral. Approximately 9 per céfit of the to population is engaged paetively in ag- riculture, or 496,473, of- whom 234,1 are farm operators. ¥ This is predominantly a. fruit pro- ducing territory, with wheat and dairy products the principal secondary lines, domestic animals for slaughter- ing coming next in importance. The fruit farming is becoming more and more highly organized and, to a greater extent than in any othgr branch, agricultural organization among the producers has become an economic, force of prime ie ae in the market. _Wage labor, farms- here approaches, - ‘also, r to the relationship betwéen indus workers and employers. THER items: Number of farms, constantly increasing (in 1920 there were 44,273 more farms, 23.4 per cent, more than in 1910); num- ber of acres per farm, constantly de- creasing (all size-groups increasing in positive numbers but the farms under 50 acres increasing much more rapid- ly than the larger sizes); tenantry, increasing (43.5 per cent increase from 1910-1920, with the percentage of all farms standiiig at 21.1 per cent); foreign-born, increasing but in lower proportion than total farms; Negroes, few in number but increasing abso- lutely and in proportion to all farms. Average equipment, buildings, $2,146; machinery, $992; live stock, $1,731, (Continued on page 8) ween thin a