FARM LEADERS CONFER WITH PRESIDENT ROOSEVELT. 

 Mid-WMtarn and Southarn Farm rapratantafivas picturad on tha North Portico of tha Whita Houia Fab. 22nd aftar dltcuising with Pratidant 

 Roosavalt h!< judiciary raorganiution program in ralation to tha Administration's proposad Agricultural Lagislation. Laft to right, front row: 

 L C. Trousdala, Houston, Taxas Rica Growars; Edward A. O'Naal, Prasidant Amarican Farm Buraau Fadaration; N. C. Williamson, Naw Orleans, 

 Prasidant Louisiana Cotton Cooparation Association; J. E. Winslow, Ralaigh, N. C, Prasidant North Carolina Farm Buraau Fadaration; and Aca 

 6. Lucas, Brownwood, Taias, Prasidant Taxas Agricultural Association. Bad row: Donald Kirlpatricl, Chicago, Illinois Agricultural Auociation; 

 Gaorga T. Chanca, Cotton Growars of Taxas; Harold Young, Cotton Growars of Arkansas; R. E. Aldrich, Cotton Growars of Missiuippi; R. E. 

 Short, BrinlHey, Ark., President Arkansas Farm Buraau Federation; C. G. Henry, Memphis, Tenn., Tri-State Cotton Association; and Clarence E. 

 Poa, North Carolina. 



Tenancy Question 



(Continued) 



pwiyment he will just have time to pay off 

 the mortgage in his lifetime. If he has 

 to pay for the privilege of farming again 

 he will never get his farm. 



He is not interested in borrowing all 

 the money that it would take to buy a 

 farm because, he reasons, if he borrowed 

 all the capital the interest, even at 21/^ 

 per cent, would add too much to the 

 cost of the land over 35 or 40 years. 



"If the government wants to help us 

 why doesn't it make all farmers sign 

 up for the soil conservation program.'" 

 he asked, then continued seriously, 

 "Then those boys who are taking a free 

 ride but won't admit it will have to fall 



in line and we would be sure of good 

 prices every year." 



That every farmer should be a member 

 of the Farm Bureau is Johns' opinion. 

 He believes that if farmers back their 

 own organization they can get the laws 

 they need to keep prices at a parity level. 



"I joined the Farm Bureau for the first 

 time 17 years ago when I started farm- 

 ing. Some of my neighbors came in and 

 talked it over with me and I decided it 

 was a good thing. I went along for a 

 while but times were bad in 1921 so I 

 dropped out. When I moved here, the 

 landlord paid my dues and told me to 

 go to every meeting and get all I could 

 from them. I have missed few meetings 

 since then and I aim to belong as long 

 as I farm," he related. 



In Livingston county, as in other coun- 

 ties visited on the trip, there are more 

 tenants seeking places than there are 

 farms to rent. Many tenants are being 



forced to sell their equipment and move 

 to town because they broke their leases 

 before they rented another farm. Ten- 

 ants who have been farming the same 

 farms for several years are being forced 

 out. 



Victor Johns had an experience this 

 fall which shows how eager some men 

 are to rent a good farm. Johns bought 

 a corn picker. Before he had run it 

 three days, ten or twelve renters went 

 to the owner of Johns' farm with in- 

 formation that Johns' new machine was 

 wasting com. She, the widow of the 

 original owner, came out to see the work, 

 found no fault and Johns went ahead. 



"She's been fair in dealing with me 

 and I have no reason to try to take ad- 

 vantage of her," Johns pointed out. 



Farms around Fairbury, Livingston 

 county, are being bought by townspeople 

 who are seeking sound investments. An 

 (Continued on page 24) 



8 



L A. A. RECORD 



