The Nonpartisan Leader Newspaper, January 26, 1920, Page 3

In the interest of a square deal for the farmers VOL. 10, NO. 4 Nonpartisan Teader Official Magazine of the National Nonpartisan League ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA, JANUARY 26, 1920 A magazine that dares to print the truth WHOLE NUMBER 227 What the Census Means to the Farmer Ten-Year Stock-Taking of the Government Will Show How the Agricultural Industry Is Faring VERY merchant takes a complete in- oftener, to see what he has on hand and how it compares with what he had the previous year. Uncle Sam has a stock-taking every 10 years, called the census, and as this issue of the Leader reaches readers the census takers will be completing their work in the rural districts. : All persons are asked their ages; whether they are able to read or write (if over 10 years of age); the birthplace of themselves, their fathers and mothers; date of arrival in the United States and naturalization (if foreign born); whether : their homes are rented or owned; occupation and whether employer or employe. In addition every farmer is being asked a sepa- rate series of questions, as follows: 1. Present status and length of time spent as wage-worker, tenant and owner. 2. Whether he now (a) owns, (b) rents, (c) partly owns and partly rents, or (d) whether he operates the farm for others as manager or super- intendent. 2 la3(.1 Acreage, improved and unimproved, and wood n 4. Value of farm, buildings, implements and machinery. 5. Whether farm is mortgaged and amount of mortgage. 6. Expenses for feed, fertilizer and labor in 1919. . 7. Several questions concerning artificial drain- age. 8. Number of domestic animals. 9. Quantity and acreage of 1919 crops. 10. Quantity of dairy products. 11. Acreéage of timber land and value of forest products. UNITED STATES SHOULD PASS THE HUNDRED MILLION MARK Every one will be interested, first of all, in seeing how the population of the United States and of his own state has grown. The United States in 1910 had 91,972,266 people; it should easily pass the 100,000,000 mark this year. But there is no partlcular significance in the mere fact that there are 10,000,000 or so more people in the United States. It w:ll be extrémely significant, however, to find out what the total pop- ulation consists of, what they are doing and how they live. By d1v1dmg the population into “ur- ban” population and “rural” population, the census will throw some light on these questions. “Urban population,” according to the census, means the number of people living in cities or towns of more than 2,500 population. . “Rural pop- ulation” means the num- ber of people living on the farms or in towns of less than 2,500 people. Back in 1880 only 2914 per cent of the people in the United States lived _in cities or towns of moge than 2,600 popula- tion; 70% per cent living either on the farm, pro- ducing food for the rest of the nation, or in the small towns entirely de- ofs ventory of his stock every year or. pendent upon the farmers for their means of living. But in the years since 1880 there has been a marked movement from the farms and towns to the cities. In 1890 there were 36 per cent living in the cities and only 64 per cent rural population. In 1900 the city population was 40% per cent and the rural population 59% per cent, and in 1910, when the last census was taken, 46 per cent was classed as urban population and only 54 per cent was rural population. Persons who have studied the conditions existing in the last 10 years are certain that the 1920 cen- sus, for the first time, will show more “urban pop- ulation” than “rural population.” In other words, instead of 70 per cent of the people living in the country and producing food, there are now more consumers than producers, so far as food is con- cerned, even when the residents of towns of less than 2,500 people are counted in among the farmers. In nearly all the states in which the Nonpartisan league is organized the rural population is still far in advance of the urban population. In the 13 League states combined the rural population is more than double the city population. All these states have enjoyed healthy increases in population during the last 10 years, but it is probable that in nearly all cases most of this increase has gone to the cities. The 1920 census in the League states is likely to show about 60 per cent rural population to 40 per cent urban population, as compared with the 1910 percentage of 68 per cent rural and 32 per cent urban population. The division of urban population (population in cities and towns of more than 2,500) and rural pop- ulation (population on-the farms and in towns of less than 2,500) for the League states as shown by the 1910 census was as follows: POPULATION—URBAN AND RURAL—1910 Total pop. Urban pop. I;zit. Rural pop. Pct. Colorado 799,024 404,840 894,184 49 daho 325,694 69,898 2114 255,696 7814 Iowa . .2,224,771 680,054 31 1,644,717 69 Kansas ..1,690,949 493,790 29 1,197,159 1 Minnesota ...2,075,708 850,294 41 1,225,414 59 Montana .... 876,063 138,420 3514 2,633 6414 Nebraska ....1,192,214 810,852 26 881,362 74 North Dakota. 577,056 63,236 11 513,820 89 Oklahoma ...1,657,156b 820,155 19 1,337,000 81 South Dakota. 583 888 76,673 13 507,215 87 Texas ....... 3,896,542 938,104 24 2,958,438 76 Washmgton ..1,141,990 605,630 63 536,460 47 ‘Wisconsin ...2,333,860 1,004, 1320 43 1,329, ,540 b7 Total ....18,874,804 5,951,166 32 12,923,638 68 But there will be information in the census report of more importance to the farmer than the differ- ence between urban and rural population. Notice l A $2,088 LOAD OF NORTH DAKOTA ALFALFA SEED | Last week we showed a $6,565.21 check received by a Minnesota Leaguer for clover seed from 33 acres. This. week we show a $2,088 load of alfalfa seed, grown by Irvin Small of Bismarck, N. D., part of the proceeds from a 10-acre field last year. He cut his first crop for hay, getting 25 tons. He got 6,785 pounds in his second crop, worth $2,750. The load pictured is 5,220 pounds. Total products were worth $3,375. PAGE THREE question No. 2 in the list asked the farmer—wheth- er he owns or rents his farm, and if he owns it whether it is mortgaged. In 1910 in the entire United States 42% per cent of all farmers owned their homes free of incum- brance, 20 per cent ‘owned their homes, but had mortgages -against them, .and only 37 per cent rented. HOW THE OWNERSHIP OF FARMS STOOD IN 1910 The percentages of farmers in the various League states who owned their property free of incum- brance, who owned mortgaged property and who rented their farms, in 1910, is indicated by the following table: OWNERSHIP OF FARMS—1910 Owned freeof Owned but incumbrance incumbered Rented pct. pet. pet. 60.4 19.9 19.6 60.8 27.2 12. 30.4 31.2 38.4 36.2 27.2 36.6 43.6- 85. 21.4 3.2 17. 9.9 39.1 23.1 7.8 46.2 39.3 14.6 26.6 18.7 54.7 48.8 26.5 24.7 32.8 15.2 52. Washington 57.1 27.4 15.5 Wisconsin 42.4 43.8 14.3 It will be noted that in 1910 there were four states—Colorado, Idaho, Washington and Mon- tana—in which a majority, of the farmers owned their farms debt free, while North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota and Wisconsin made nearly as good’a showing. But the history of farming in re- cent years has shown a rapid trend toward more farm mortgages and more farm tenancy. In 1890 in the entire United States 47.3 per cent of all farmers owned their farms free of incum- brances, 18.6 per cent had their farms mortgaged and 34.1 per cent were tenants. In 1900 only 44.5 per cent owned their farms free of incumbrances, 19.9 per cent had their farms mortgaged and 35.6 per cent were tenants. In 1910 only 42.5 per cent owned their farms free of incumbrances, 20.3 per cent had their farms mortgaged and 37.2 per cent were tenants. If the same rate of increase in mortgages and tenancy has kept up during the last 10 years, the 1920 census will show only 40 per cent of owners of unincumbered farms, 21 per cent of owners of mortgaged farms and 89 per cent of farm tenants. Many students of present conditions believe, however, that the growth of farm mortgages and farm tenancy throughout the United States has been at a much greater rate during the last 10 years. Practically every one is agreed that means must be found to stop the drift from the farm to the city and the drift from farm owning to farm tenancy. By enabling farmers to get more nearly the full value of their products and by cutting down the high~ interest rates, North Dakota is help- ing to solve these prob- lems. The 1920 census existing in zall states so that the entire nation may be put on a more healthy industrial basis. will show the conditions. WO ® W e D e T B SHEL b A S Y S O S S AT Tt —