Ownership Of Farms And Homes

That there is a growing tendency in this country away from those conditions which are usually regarded as indicative of prosperity, thrift and independence among the laboring classes is shown by recent government statistics relative to ownership of farms and homes by their occupants. Each dccennial census notes a considerable increase in the percentage of renters and a corresponding decrease in the ownership of farms and homes by those who occupy them. Statistics given out by the Census Bureau for 1890, show that in twenty-three states which are fairly representative of all, notwithstanding the cheapness of lands and houses, 32.3 per cent of the farms are worked by tenants and that 63.2 percent of the houses in our cities and villages are occupied by renters. In other words, taking the two together, but 47.5 per cent of our farms and homes are owned by their occupiers. By the same statistics the average number of persons to a dwelling is shown to be 5.45. This is a most unsatisfactory showing for so new and sparcely settled a country as the United States, especially since it is growing worse from year to year. A comparison with some of the European countries, France for instance, but serves to emphasize these facts. The population of France is many times more dense, being 187 to the square mile while ours averages but 21 and the value, of land is far greater there; yet of their 9,000,000 homes, 61 percent are owned by the people who occupy them, and there are fewer persons to the dwelling there than here, notwithstanding the sparcity of our population. In view of the natural wealth and resources of our country, the superior advantages of labor here, and the acknowledged industry of our people, to what are these tendencies to be attributed? Much, no doubt, is due to the migratory habits and extravagance of our people, but quite as much or more to the conditnns of industry and distribution of wealth. Legislation during recent years has tended to the development of trusts and monopolies and the aggregating of wealth in the hands of the few to the disadvantage of the many. The government bounty to corporations and aggregations of capital through land grants and socalled protection has been inimical to the highest interests of the laboring classes. Through such legislation the public domain, as an outlet br our home seeking millions, bas ' jeen exhausted, and many towns of; the type of Pullman built up, in which the securing of homes by the thousands of workmen has been discouraged and rendered practically irnpossible. This legislation has tended to such rapid development as to stimuïate to an unnatural degree the speculative element, and has ied to the purchasing and holding of vast tracts of land idle. Enough land is thus held unused, by a small number of our citizens or foreigners, waiting for the increase in value which will result f rom the industry and growth of the communities, to give employment and support to our entire population. The discovery of a remedy for these unsatisfactory conditions is a subject worthy the consideration of the most intelligent and patriotic citizen.