Land Tenure in Oregon. 67 Tenants want land that is sure to yield a crop, for they have not much money as a rule and must be certain that what they spend will bring returns. More logical arguments are that farmers who own the most productive land secure a com- petency sooner and retire from active work when they either rent their farms or sell ; and another class of renters are the old settlers, too old to work or wishing to retire for other reasons; these came to the country first and had the choice of the best land in the State. One report from the coast claims that renters are found mostly on tide-water lands, which is the most productive but requires the most work for operating. Many landowners say that land must be fairly productive be- fore it will give enough returns for both owner and tenant, and tenants can not handle the poor land because the profit is too small. On the other hand, reports from Union, Benton and Josephine, say that renters generally occupy poorer lands than owners because owners farm their best places and sell and rent poorer tracts that are not so valuable, and renting tends to depreciate the land, so rented farms necessarily lose much fertility in time. The other counties, however, give the stronger arguments and have the majority of answers. It is agreed by most of the landowners in nearly all parts of the State that renting is detrimental to the soil, yet the coast counties hold that it is not detrimental. Long-term leases are offered by some as a remedy for better farming, but most of them see no way out of the difficulty. Opinion is equally divided as to the question of citizenship, progressive- ness and thrift of tenants. Many claim that they are "like the rolling stone that gathers no moss," that they have little in- terest in the upbuilding and improvement of the community; while others say tenants are progressive, being actuated by the desire of becoming owners. Some reports claim that tenants are of two classes, good and bad, which view is prob- ably nearly correct. It appears reasonable that those who are trying to acquire homes of their own and are making progress
in that direction are as progressive and well-meaning citizens----
