FARM LEADERS CONFER WITH PRESIDENT ROOSEVELT. 

 Mid-W«stern «nd Southern Farm representaftves pictured on the North Portico of the White House Feb. 22nd efter discussing with President 

 Roosevelt his judiciary reorganiiation program in relation to the Administration's proposed Agricultural Legislation. Left to right, front row: 

 L. C. Trousdale, Houston. Texas Rice Growers; Edward A. O'Neal, President American Farm Bureau Federation; N. C. Williamson, New Orleans, 

 President Louisiana Cotton Cooperation Association; J. E. Winslow, Raleigh, N. C, President North Carolina Farm Bureau Federation; and Ace 

 G. Lucas, Brownwood. Texas, President Texas Agricultural Association. Back row: Donald Kirkpatrick, Chicago. Illinois Agricultural Association; 

 George T. Chance, Cotton Growers of Texas; Harold Young, Cotton Growers of Arkansas; R. E. Aldrich, Cotton Growers of Mississippi; R. E. 

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

 Poe, North Carolina. 



Tenancy Question 



(Continued) 



payment lie will just have time to pay otT 

 the mortgaiie in his lifetime. If he has 

 to pay for the privilege of farming again 

 he will never _i;et his farm. 



He is not interested in borrowing all 

 the money that it would take to buy a 

 farm because, he rea.sons, if he borrowed 

 all the capital the interest, even at 2'j 

 per cent, \\ould add too much to the 

 cost of the land over ^^ or iO years. 



"If the uovernment 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 shouKi be a member 

 of the ["arm 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 I-arm Bureau for the first 

 time 1 "^ years ,igo 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 ecjuipment 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 corn. 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 pj^e 24) 



8 



I. A. A. RECORD 



