Page:Oscar Ameringer - Socialism for the Farmer (1912).djvu/28



The complete census figures on farm homes for the census year of 1910 are not available as yet. But they are complete for some states. Among them is Wisconsin. This state boasts of a large German population, known for its thrift and frugality. If this class of farmers are losing their hold on the soil and are rapidly drifting towards tenantry, then we may safely assume that the same transformation is taking place all over the country. As a matter of fact, tenantry in the Southern States is increasing at a terrific rate. Oklahoma, for instance, which was thrown open for settlement in 1889, has over 92,000 farm tenants to-day. But let us return to the thrifty, cornfed farmer of Wisconsin and learn what is happening to him.

Brother farmer, I want you to sit down and do some hard figuring. Over one-half of all the farms of Wisconsin are mortgaged. Your place may still be unincumbered, but since the percentage of mortgaged farms is steadily increasing you may be the next one to put a plaster on your place.

According to the foregoing figures, the relative number of farms operated by their owners which are mortgaged has increased quite regularly since 1890. From 1890 to 1910 the number increased 21,887, or 39.6 per cent.

From the above it may be easily seen that as a class you are getting more and more in debt. A mortgage is anything but a sign of prosperity. But wait, the worst is yet to come.

So we see that in twenty years the mortgaged farms increased 39.6 per cent, while the mortgaged indebtedness increased 111.8 per cent. Or, to put it differently, in 1890 the farmers of Wisconsin paid interest on a debt of $55,305,000. In 1910 they paid interest on $146,815,000.

All this looks bad for the Wisconsin farmers, and the census man, not wishing to cast a gloom over the prosperity