Some pre-depression land tenure changes in the South and their current significance

An important feature of the government's cotton program is its effects on rural-urban population movement, significant for both the rural and the urban economic problem. Recognizing the complexity of the question, the present study deals with one aspect: the geographic stability of the owner and renter classes in the face of the milder form of economic pressure characteristic of the pre-depression period from 1925 to 1930. It is argued that a study of these groups (most likely to benefit from such permanent improvement as the adjustment program may bring) during the period preceding five-cent cotton, throws light on possible future developments, particularly in high-cost areas. The methodology is based on a comparison of changes among whites and negroes, the two races exhibiting significant casual differences. The broad conclusion is that in spite of governmental efforts in behalf of cotton growers, the South remains a potential source of large additions to our urban labor force, and hence a vital factor in the problem of the industrial workers.